Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-06-28

| We learn that one reason assigned for the
failure Of the application to enlarge the capt.
| tai stock of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
Company was. that the friends of that road
would not agree to vote for an appropriation
of the entire capital, to Construct the Central
Road from Covington to the Ohio river. IF
this be true. We commend the friends Of the
Virginia and Tennessee Road for their firm.
ness. To have yielded to so unreasonable
requirement would hare evinced disregard
of all patriotic considerations that should have
excluded for ever from the public co.ncils
every man. who became party to such an u
greement for f.hing the Treasury.
| We take upon ourselves to say that with the
facts before the country, elected by the cores
pondence between President Fontaine, Mr..
Shaw and Col. Garnet, in February last, there
is not another State in the Union. where the
question whether the connection between the
Underwater cities of Eastern Virginia and the
Valley of the Ohio river should be made by
branch from the Virginia and Tennessee Road.
at the summit of the Allegheny in Montgome-
ny county, or 10y continuation Of the Central
Road from Co.ington, could be debated.-
| There is not man alive who would have the
hardihood to stand up in the Legislature of
any other State in the Union and ask that
points, on route with grades alternating from
| IS to 1O5 feet to the mile, when another route
presented itself with not one mile of grade ex-
ceeding sixty feet to the mile. against the great
bulk of the tonnage to be moved betwcenr those
! two points. Yet. this is what the friends Of
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad were ask.
ed TO do 10 secure for themselves the poor
privilege of building their Road with their
own money.
This is not all that constitutes the difference
| between the two projects. The Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad Company do not ask for
| any violation OF the compact entered into with
the State. when the original chatter of that
Company was granted, (viz:) that two-6fihs of
the capital required to construct their Rail-
way shall be provided by individuals. and
three-6fihs Ivy the State; or in other words they
l
Ohio river upon the principle on which State
aid has been given to nearly every Railroad in
the State. Whilst the Central Railroad advo-
Gates come forward and acknow ledge that theirs
| is less mcritorious scheme, in this: that they
| cannot get the two-ifihs Of the required CAPT.
| tai from individuals; and therefore cay they
the State must furnish all the Capital. We
| repeat what we have said above; that we do
| not believe there is man alive, v no would
have the brazen effrontery to ask any Other
Legislature in this Union to perpetra,e such a
monstrous folly. as to build Railway that is
to cost from to S millions. over the worst
ground between two points.a and to raise all this
money by tanation. when responsible parties Of
fered tobuild Road between the same point ard
furnish two-ffths Of the cap;tal;upon which, r. a
when built the effective power ofthe Locomo
tive " i'll he nearly double, a. compared v 18th
the competing line. Yet this is in plain Eng
lish exactly and precisely what the friends Of
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad were ark
ed to hare done. And for refusing thusio stuItify
themselves. they were denied by Virgins
Legislature the privilege of continuing the
great enterprise in which they are now en-
harkcd; which is nothing more nor less than
the construction Of one Of the great links in the
iron chain that is being laid between Norforlk
and Memphis: work which Virginia. ,hro.sgh
the agency Of the Stockholders Of the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad, had tive honor to CON-
mence. Qnd row the .fsbooor .,f ,rr.s,; c.v \
through the agency Of combination Of igno.
rance and selhshncss. that would disgrace tie ]