Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-12-03
RAIL RoAn CONVENTION ar YuHE TOW,

September toGr cI!l~d Rau'd CJn"rntinn, 10 Ee GH
i, Town iil, lgi day Of Dr":er; au',
cgaun O! York G!rH'n meeting "i Oaintcr Cnurt
icctac it avi- Ie, iii 2,4cu:i c:c'i0n abs"r5
Iag pubic htc'Cn 10 postpone hc Cum:eaoh le tn.=
day.
The delegations from other Cgunt;a. then iavitci 10
TAX, seats il lii. Conv.nIiun.
Col Garrett ot Williamsburg Ofrc! The fHi!own: rcsoIn-
tinu:
Resolved That Cnnmil;e of - b" appointed by tie
Chairman, petition tc General Assembly - inc0ri"rac
"a company construct Rail Ko4i from Hicimui4 20 l.
rO.I Slate schscfiDc Three hs ol III. capitol stock:
w:lc after thorough discussion WAS nh":i,i a'"P'c'
rne tltrk in !h!s rc= luun OF m"t,nn .: PcSt"n A..
Sou'iial Esq filled Hh FIVE. HE tha'ni" ap"!".
ID Col. A. C. Garrett. 7. 4. SG'ai liaor tD AnGcrSUn,
Dr. +. ". Power and "E,. +. Wynn:.
On motion ni J. t. Cosraam. Esq, committee of tire"
appointed TO rcGaesl "i Cl Garrett, Tor rahicnun IN
the Richmond and Norfolk papers, copy o the ".'tss he
delivered before the Convention. J. f. C"sna''nn, tn"h NJ
Water ana Jno. X. CUupland weFc appointed committee
I1r His purpose
On motion the Convention adjourned sine die.
X K. GARRETT, Chairman.
5. G. CooKE Secretary.
SPEECH or ALEXANDER G. GARRETT, ESQ.
Or THE CRY ov WILLIAMSBURG,
Delivered on the Ism day Of November 1852 in the Rail
Road Convention al York IOWA, on the Resolution re
qussng The General Assembly q" Virginia l. inc,rpcta:
Company Ia construct Rail Road from Richmond 10
York Town"and published by request .! the Con"cn
Mr. GARRETT said Before he vote Is taken On this Res
ou!ion, ar PTerien wish 10 present seine general views
internal Improvement.
know sir that a large portion oi people have for
many Years opposed every scheme al Improvement and
have persuaded themselves that public goo! Is produced
bv works of impr0y cHct commensurate wih hc cGSi ni
construction. can re1dity enter INTO their ehnS "n ls
subject: the system wic has been p:scd in Virginia.
,, rrn hc call d. which has fixed purpose go
vc!na. has been wei! cvGul'r To Them 10 regard
The whole subIrct with aversion I" resources :" The state
(Sevgn enhs oi which were 'nscd n Eastrn i!r@lna)
nave cu; lcrci - aa.i"- ma tlcliscs, a:a c"r-
suctg other orai nr-"' ara now al ne 'fi ct a
quarter ui century "ih debt incurred -: uiafnG m
puyc:uHt !.t."r rG! aH! state ~ ~" Ln"n -" G."'oi
paint ~ single great work completed Before cncndc my
afa.ty ;is branch c III .r'!,ct. wash now Il the -.
quest isc n snliar v'cS"s with ny own 10
r,.' r:. = + ~ . ssl;d:l ,5i ~ en-. .......
~, which r,,ricu." b'csses ihc, Dsag." "ri;Ec,
;s ltiY On ;I- Eaiu:s. /! orT the
cl,;h div,5>i,;;: Eit mountain. :j valleys, rocks ~!
:,!c Gcds, a"i notice it varieties nt soil az" climate
ah6uiih,g w,;h ., luca Peculiar t. Gar 80 mus iar
evident d.s@T ." Haiufc. As ii I" aan'c@ t E!2 Hupm-e
nan cGGwrh .l wants which ran crty 10 sunPird p!
the productions oi ali c"ua;rics The earth mast =. e "r.
ed and its rcmnt,sl corners TiD Of rc products =up
NJ; III, sss, minister Ia tie luxury OF civilized
man
Let rs then briefly examine the effects OF commercial in
tccnnrsc. All history with yuicc, rrortis
tia, the %; wraiin-thc civzer Of mankind
The Egyptians first encraei from ba:hhsn, ard led thc
march IN and sc!cnCc The cause Vi iG.r rnid crvt
mcnt BE- found in their internal improvements. Inc
Nile running hrauci, E.ypt tnrichc. he su with IT'S aiu
vial While its avat"n offered The most tcIniH IN
cle!nunts The spirit u commercial enterprise The s'r
Improvements. some 81 "sh fr'iin 10 t' ""s ~, $50 80
lis pric l,ss civ and VILLAGE, ana ihh
house What Tie result! Egypt attained degree !"
unryaed power and npu!c~cc Forty centuries nave pass
ed away her cities at her won;Gns scicncc rrshcG
together: these coit urfrng monuments which "c no"
vc.: the admiration !hcy excited two th"Hsant
y.afs go in the breasts u lictodos and Pn rrnain ID
testify uf cfj;cr gr"n,cnh IT monuments - mark h'
Lira i p!arc o Grnu$ the c:adc ni AIT.
Tlir Inutrctn- possessing ""iE na!rn" sip OF ia'
cra a.. ASIA ~ var-.:. uri5.fTs, hT
siuousty cvoE- themselves 3" caiancrc" a"P"ii' rsait
and power At m "asy Frr'"4 :! =" aud 500" te.ns Ia
Ius aris ard wtfc c-rr'rt ~ a. ne eons'' ~ i'
~ ,i roy c.icbrrcd ~ loss I'r art an a.enc, ~ .
or power ana aiH'Gce ine u HrpI" "t Solomon, So !1nA
The wonder nf the Eat a.acGci ~ n.!! architects; an,
the vessel, of his lsrrcsn Klng manned ~ n0aecn5
sailed to Or and arsis and 5cn.. r:chcs nio '- coun
ry is such ahuaaancr that the l'samlst - 0 S1"m"n
mate silver IL Jerusalem 6s .ios aud CEDAR Fces
svCai,l 9fcs that grow in i'ia plain
In hc lit ot hrc prosperity, Tyre fonndci Cartil1rc ~
he c..;- ui Africa Tai. advantageous located
L, command ;c commerce If Tic lc':trrra'in and S'ci
became the mistress ;i- Ihc discoveries I sc.
mcrcln prizes form era II the crnsrGia history q
The world Ga sic they ,X'.n.,i rs ,r - Hi"n 90
the other tl,.v discovered tie Gara Island, goat past d
the roos' irc,, and, SuFpse, "a t"'r way cstH
10 shores.
The Romans arc the rnly historians "t Cisla ard taer
haze rrdcavG st0" that c"U rec crsc0aT vrFai
y and ,:s DISTINCTION =. ii: raifi'.lc and enc
o!inG iccras in nc CltaccnaHs. Ent H:~ picture fa"n
b nty proved 10 b false ~ The history % a.. c1;
mcrCiai states
When ;.e Macedonian severed the cartian km"i an3
pushed -, UNIVERSAL conquest whli awaited hi', ne
slngic ui yfr, unsupported Dy hi..' rif@'' VIC
more irmness aud foT longer period hs rssis'css arms
rh- empire II Persia. Ia The second P"nr va
when Hannibal slew Cnaa 7>g thousand hri's 't:'
fate Of Rome itself hun. pended ," Iiirci: ai me ais
y,larra. on ct thc eir Cn;owirh but 'tr chp :"
popular feeling. Clrihaso rir-sn'ws .:ha terror ' RI
vs Republic inspired. Ii luncr pfont IS wanted y is iG''
ui.lr in the last stIggc o the CaTiGgc!aS :u nicpeU
& nee o. what pag. ri Roman glory nr i"nn cxai1-
pies III rurc sci sacriicin! ty1'on more Yaiie paot-
sn iian exhibited III defence "i HIS rcao"ht' ci :.
Co.n,erce tends powerfully 20 civz mankind; pc1 TORN
aud curival. and r.ne The sncid n.s nor ta smii'
tie dark passions We share ~ cc'i;oi' ' INC irioc'",
beasts u The forest, whose raging thirst. lic utiEiitc
mans nnst he sakcd in III" blood n' a devoted victim i
kos scHsihc OF ;cT m'u1 d'H&r"cc ana hi"
thcr in harmony ~ ~" si'1T& ts oi interest u
causes tlcr love peace 60; teaches ia advantages
But when 2cneas VINO delighted 10 rail 81 Pune pciiay
5rotc their lised faith, under n" SANCTION :" winch INC
Caragcnas had delivered vi the nicaas OF tecn:e lhey
threw OF th skin the -F1b" and, prcifrr;Ig death tt
dishonCr pusaei naby amid The ruins O Their iHanlccn
capital In the fourteenth century he great Fo"; :" iaij
could not discover Tie site Of Gr former crcnteut-
Great Cartilage : proslfatc lies. and nar
oi all her might! rain tnuSs h"Fdcc
Whrr, aioo,! thus rle,uagion waits
Hugo he. Es " sand ard "aHing Irtba.c hide
Tho pomp oi po"er, the monument u i'i.c
C,orraur vic!ct 70 t,a :G1 ;rc-ect L
Rome the mastery Of l!c wofi 20 Uaiisaiid o;n!n
ion she al cug.h attained by mmoa'n- mit,oAs o huma'
beings on the ala! oil c uEhoy ambition Her talent ans
industry were directed se industrial pursuits whtci
create wealth hu were conrersci G-o the focus uI m!a:3
glory The OF Empire not in peaceful triumph ou
asccndcd amid coriag:a,on, tears ana blood
Rome could exist oGiy in continual progress Her capita
was enriched ard her citizens fed by the under Of subject
tons But when the golden fleece o! conquest was
her rulers forced 10 pcchaon and cxtor,!or
in her provinces satiae the avarc pamPeI the ap
pciitcs Of The yri5s 0drOnes Which swa!ne Ter stleS
Property became and ;s Ike the slave
OF the Grand $ulGa, citcuvnrcd 70 ni3c i from lie eyes
their rapciJts masters. Tie serurii Ui property nii
lar which supports Tie SOCIAL eGircc-oslrg !ede!. over
;hrewn this fabric fell 10 the earth. IL "s no. broke
10 pieces By repeated blows o northern ra'r ina
least the primary os s iii tor IL eA.hc
fearful !ums ci rapid decline, :c tie eyed Yer
Ii; his forest home the SC! THAT i0!scnan crosse
his desert
Athens conrased with Sparta, skiuey cHcmp:.i:es In
influence Z. commercial i1dusy. Thcsc States we're aF
pily II avail ihe:c!:c Of the commerce c the NE
di,cfanean They we're settled atoa! Tie sane peo Gnl