Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-05-31
The Philadelphia News on wheeling.

an editorial the P Philadelphia News in an edto-
rial Gifts own characterized by that reckless spirit
of assertion and gross aspersion of motives which
has peculiarly marked its course of late when
speaking of any and everything pertaining to-
Wheeling. As to his charges with regard to, the
means taken to carry the Hempfeld bill through
the Legislature we make the single remark that
the charge is unworthy of the s'Paul Pry,'' the
"Village OWL" ct id omne genus, of six by four
prints which often appear in large cities, and
much more of apaper pretending to the respecta-
bility of the Journal. We quote single remark
only. it serves to refute the article of the
News which it copies, speaking of Wneeling's
position last winter, it says: wheeling declared
then what she declares nov, that il was in her
power to prevent the grant of that right of way,
and she would prevent it." This is correct, ex-
cept that Wheeling did not assume that she had
the power to prevent it bui merely that she would
use whatever power she had to prevent it.
We come now to the article from the ssNews,"
which we sorry to say misrepresents the action
of city, and unjustly attempts to involve the
Hempfeld Road with the city of Wheeling upon
the night of .ay question. The "News'' says
''It was well understood between the leading men
in Philadelphia and the managers of the Hempfeld
line that all opposition to the called rival route
at least on the part of Wheeling, should cease
Many of the most prominent citizens of Wheeling,
who have interested themselves in this subject,
have given repeated assurances that this should
be so, &C., that the Pittsburgh and Steubenville
Road was TO have her right of way, and every 9TH
er Philadelphia Road was to be nnembarassed in
its connections by the action of the Virginia Leg
slature at least so far as the Legislature could be
influenced or controlled by Wheeling or Wheeling
delegations This is truly bargaining for "a!l the
world aud the rest of mankind" at a single throe,
and the capacity of the writer in the t'News"
must have been large to swallow or invent SO ca
pacions and comprehensive a railroad agreement.
but. seriously speaking, no such agreement was
ever made, either by the gentleman connected with
the Hempfeld road or by any prominent gentle
menof Wheeling identified with the city and op-
posed 10 the Pittsburgh Road. The position of
Wheeling has ever been uniform and consistent
with regard to this matter. She has ever opposed
the right of way from the highest convictions of
policy and right, and she will continue to do so
so long her convictions remain unaltered that
question. The Hempfeld Road occupies quite
different position. That road has always taken the
position that the proper policy and true mission
was to secure it own construction ,rnconnected
Will anu HtLepeHdeHG Vi SNSIy OIHeI pkOpOSluOu-
that it took part for against the Pittsburgh
Steubenville Road but left it to fight its own bat
ties and only asked OF that road to mind its own
business and not not seek 10 entangle the Hemp
field with lis misfortunes, by attaching conditions
for its benefit TO the law of Pennsylvania for the
benefit of the Hempfeld and Philadelphia sub
scription. ~
This has been the distinct and emphatic posi-
ton of the Hempfeld, before Philadelphia and the
Pennsylvania Legislature. She has made no eff
fort to control the action of the city of Wheeling
p.o con, with reference to the Pitts. and Steub
Road and the managers of that Road well knew
that such effort on their part would prove wholly
unavaling, even had they made it. They had
enough to do 10 push forward their own work, and
to that, their legitimate province, they have ex-
,clusiVely confined themselves. The Hempfed
road is of great Importance 10 Wheeling, but it is
OF lar more importance TO Philadelphia. 1t was
commended to Philadelehia by its own manifest
importance to her, and no one is silly enough to
suppose that Philadelphia subscribed TO that road
TO crafty Wheeling, but on the contrary, for the
sole purpose of beneftting herself. Wheeling
and Ohio county subscribed from the same motive
precisely, and we might with Just the same pro-
priety, claim that Philadelphia should or should
not subscribe to any other road because we sub
scribed to the Hempfeld, as she or her citizens
can claim that we should cease to oppose the
Pittsburgh and Steubenville road because Phila-
.delpha has sui scribed to Hempfeld.
Philadelphia has seen proper TO aid the Hemp
field because she judged that thereby she would
be aiding misunderstanding has taken the same
course. Each city stands absolutely independent
as to every other proposition, and neither has the
right TO interfere with the actionof the other ON
other questions. We semphatically declared the
sentiments of Wheeling while the question was
pending at Harrisburg, and after the defeat of the
Pittsburgh bill in the Virginia legislature. We
then stated that if the alternative were presented
TO Wheeling of losing the Philadelphia subscrip-
ton. or gaining il by granting the right of way,
that Wheeling would unhesitatingly prefer the
former alternative. The gentlemen connected with
the Hempfeld emphatcally declared that they had
no control over the action of Wheeling, and asked
that their road should stand or fall by its own
merits, absolutely unconnected with any other
proposition, and the News misrepresents the ac-
ton of those gentlemen in the statement it has
made with reference to their action at Harrisburg
This is all that we now deem it necessary to say
tonithis question. 1t is an act of simple Justice
10 the Hempfeld road that the public should I'M
derstand that this road is not the city of Wheeling
but that Wheeling fayors it, and in connection
with Washington, Westmoreland, and the CITY of
Philadelphia. has seen proper to aid it; that II is
one only of her railroad connections, and that IT
has neither the right nor the power to control her
action, were it inclined to make the effort. II is
equally duetot that road to say that its managers
have dscreety attended 10 the interests of their
road and have left Wheeling to manage her own
matters nit In conclusion we may be allowed 10
concur whit News in its estimate of the impor
lance Of the Hempfed road to Philadelphia, but
must also, after thanking itfor its frank, though
gEataitous interference with Wheeling. saw 10 4