The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-02-01
THE ORANGE AND ALEXANDRIA EN-
TENSION.

pealed TO the friends of Virginia" in the 'e'
gislature, upon soane point connected with the
cir line railroad through the Eastern ohore.-
We do not recollect what il was, nor Is IL I'M
portant al present. What struck US IN the mat
Ter, was the appeal to an obsolete class Oh In
diyiduals-to a class which possesses no IN
faeuce, il it even continues TO exist. mas our
friend of the Beacon been asleep, and does ne
wake I'D TO think that the world is now, as 1t
was when he first fell into doze ! Does he
not see the imminent risk he runs OF being
chased with Rip Van Wrinkle, and other rever-
end dreamers Of the oden timel Has he not
studied the csrrent of legislation sufficiently
10 see that Virginia is not its principal object?
Does he not observe that the so-calied Virgil
MIA Legislature meets, principally, to pass laws
for the benefit OF Baltimore The true friends
of Virginia." Alas! it were as rational to ap-
peal to the shades Of the great men ofthe revo-
luton in the hope that they may afford US ma
teral aid. The friends Of Virginia are power
less; the friends Of Baltimore are all power
full. Baltimore stands in the relation of the
mother countfy-the General Assembly is but
a Provincial Legislature. The laws are franz
ed in Baltimore; the General Assembly goes
through the form Of reading them three times,
before they receive their binding force. Orders
from Baltimore are as powerful here, as the
Minister'S Specification Of her Britannia Majes-
TVS pleasure is in Quebec. Nothing is done,
or can be done upon the subject OF internal
improvement, without benefting Baltimore, so
skilfully have all things been arranged for her,
or without inficting deadly injury upon the
prosperity of Virginia. So cunningly have
the temporary interests and passions of sec
lions been arranged in her favor, that her in
fusnce is all-powerful.
We wish not to be understood as saying tn at
those who are engaged in the work of lashing
Virginia to the wheels of Baltimore, are deli
beraiely uniaithful to their trust. On the con-
rary, we have no doubt, they believe that they
are best promoting her interest, by reducing
her to q state of vassalage. But the mischief
is none the less fatal for all that.
We have been told that so far as this Orange
and Alexandria extension is concerned, il can
take none of the trade from the Virginia sea-
ports-that it is $50 miles from Lynchburg TO
Baltimore, and 200 miles from Baltimore TO the
sea-and that it is but 100 miles from Lynch
burg to Richmond and Petersburg, and only
300 to Norfolk. The inference TO be drawn, OF
course, is that the trade will take the sho test
route to the ocean, but mark an admission
that blows this hne-spun theory to atoms
The traveller" said Mr. Segar, always in
a hurry nowadays, would not bear the defiec-
ton TO Richmond or Petersburg" Again: " it,
travel is really valuable, in one respect
only; that it enables the railroad company ta
put down lis rate of freight transportation 10
minimum point, and thus make it a vehicle
for carry Dg to market the heavier products of
the country" Once more: "there was, indeed,
one way in which the trade could be driven TO
Baltimore, and that was by the canal and South,
side putting their rates Of transportation so
high that it would 60 cheaper to Baltimore"
Gould there be more powerful chain Of rea-
soning against The expediency of the proposed
road than those we find afforded here, in a
speech made in favor of it7 The speaker ad.
mits, what every man must see at glance, that
il will take all the travel, leaving the canal and
the Southside dependent on freight alone. He
tells US that travel is an important element
IN paying the expenses of railroad, inasmuch
as it enables the company. to reduce their
freight, and then he says that high freight on
the canal and Southside alone can force the
travel TO Baltimore. What more effectual plan
TO make the freight necessarily high, could be
devised, than TO deprive these improvements OF
the emily means which, according to his own
showing, they have to keep it downl
But this testimony was not wanting TO con-
vince any reasonable man of fact which
must be palpable TO the least clear perception.
If the Southside Railroad is TO have no pas en-.
gers, and this bill does all that can be done to
effect such a consummation, how can it pay
dividends and keep up the road, without lay
ing heavy burden upon uadef How can
the James river improvement, cheap as water
communication is, keep down its freight with
out some such advantages' How is it ever to
get out ofits present languishing condition,
under such circumstances Tie consequence
must be that they must go down, and the
trade must follow the travel, which protects
and pays for its transit.
The very same reasoning holds good with
regard to the Central Railroad and its Coyino.
ton and Ohio continuation. 1t will bring The
travel to Charlottesville, and there it will 90
of TO Baltimore, inevitably, after the Central
shall have broken down for the want of travel
taking everything off to Baltimore. Thus the
whole of our legislation works, and must ork
for the advantage of Baltimore. As for Alex.
andria, whose good is made a pretext, precious
little benefit will she derive from it. II uill
never stop with her. So we advise our contem-
pofary OF the Gazette to keep cool about thai
and to spare his reproaches, for Richmond does
not deserve them. We should be pleased 10 see
Alexandria flourish, as city never fourished
before. Ii would give US the greatest pleasure
to see her docks as large and as crowded as
those OF Lendon; her thoroughfares as full of
lie and activity as Broadway her money suf.
teient TO control the commerce of all the world
af we thought this extension would in the
Slightest degree, contribute to her prospey;tv
We should be delighted TO see il effected pr,
let her be assured she will reca;,s 49,. ~,