Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-15
Tzn 'sls1FZH 3 AND PITTS
BURaa RAILROAD.


Prom indications, thus far, no efforts or costs
will be spared by the PittsburgherS, before tho
Legislature OF Virginia, to ensure the success Of
their project Of crossing Virginia with Railroad,
for the purpose of connecting the two cities of
Steubenville and Pittsburgh. We are well aware
that much has been said ofthe supposed selfshness
of Wheeling in opposing, before the Legislature
of Virginia, the grant of this right of way; and
though we bave no hesitancy in maintaining
the propriety of the action of our city upon
this Question, yet for the benefit of many,
not familiar with the facts, we take the liberty Of
calling public attention to them! We have always
pEUpriety granting to our Osun eiti-
sens the aniestiicted right to make Improvements
uponuur own SOIL at their own cost, unless the en-
ereise of that right, injTiOuSy g6eets the iHtereStS
of number Of our eitizeRs greater that those to be
BenefttedG By the use Of it! Whenever a numberof
our own citizens can present a project more bene-
fetal their than prejudicial to other Viz
ginia interests we are prepared to advocate it. In
the case ofthe Pittsburgh and Steubenvle road no
such reasons exist. The real applicants for the
right of way are not Virgnians, have no interestin
common with Virginia, and the CITY of Pittsburgh
has not only proved herself heretofore hostile the
Institutions of Virginia and opposed 10 her advance
ment and prosperity; but, very recently, has made
the most violent effort to interfere with and annul
herlegisati0n5 by seeking to tear down structure
erectedBy citizens of Virginia, upon the soil of
Virginia, over a river Of Virginia and by the au-
thorjty of the laws of Virginia. She had been
checked, it is true, in her Vandal effort at ruin
and prostatlon by the timely interference of the
Supreme Legislative power of the lands but not
until she had involved the Bridge Company in an
enormous bill of costs and had attempted, by al
most every conceivable effort, to prostute the inte-
rests and ruin the trade of Wheeling.
Not satisfied with this, seeing that Wheeling,
city Of Virginia, destined yet to succeed in her
gigantic commercial struggle, seeing that she had
seized hold of the Hempfeld Road, and had en-
batked in it half million Of dollars already, the
ctyof Pittsburgh recussitates the Steubenyille and
PillsbuTg project, which she had utterly abandon
ed, and for the purpose of defeating the construc-
ton ofthe Hempfeld road. road which was des-
tined primarily to benefit Wheeling prefers the con-
struction of the Road TO Steubenville for the pur
pose of complaining the destruction of our CONNER
cial prospects, which she had been previously pre-
vented by the Sisc Legislation of Congress from
eGecting.
In addition to this she has made every possible
efortto defeat the Philadelphia subscription tothe
Hepfeld road and yet in the face Of all this, with
the bridge debt forced upon us by her yet unpaid,
with the Philadelphia aid to road yet undeter-
mined, with her known hostility to Virginia inter
ess, she comes into the Legislature Of Virginia and
asks at lis hands grant. which must inhict vi
tai stab on our most important interests and benefit
alone, and at expense, the city of Pittsburgh.
We learn that proposition is to be made, IN
tende ldoubtless to strike the fancy of that portion
of our Legislature who are tremulous about the
State debt, to the State bonus on every passenger
whom they may transport over the proposed road,
when constructed. We have not now time TO COM
ment upon this proposition, but we may be permit
ted say that the Legislature of Virginia is notyet
prepared to batter of or sell to another State, the
rights and the interests of any portion of her citi-
zens. .4'ia, -"' i'.
When the State of Virginia becomes SO poor as
that, she must repudiate The interest Of her debt,
when we of the West are unable OF unwilling to
eAtOht portion ofthe taxes ofthe State, then per
haps but certainly not till then, will the Legsla
ture entertain a proposition coming fIom such
source and as insulting to the dignity and honOrof
heStAte, as the entertainment would lie Unjust and
yranicsl to our citizens.