The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-29
Railway Systems.

M have lust been reading the speech
Mr. Stephenson. the celebrated engineer, who
Hast week was complmented with public
dinner at Montreal. Canada. Mr.. Stephenson
Is. nrobably. the Oldest and most skilful of all
who are engaged in railroad enterprises, and
his views are entitled to the highest respect.
He takes strong ground against rival routes
and competition, and thinks that companies,
once organised, and in operation, ought not
To be interfered with by rival lines. He
thinks that good railroad system once
adopted. not for private ends, bat for the
good of the public generally ought to be
protected and secured against the ruinous
effects of competition. His views upon this
and kindred topics, may be considered hete-
rodox by many, but even an error from such
a source is entitled TO the highest considera-
fion. Let all such topics be fully and tho
roughly examined.
On the general question of the expediency
of building railroads, our opinions have
again and again been uttered broadcast
The railroad is the great instrument of civil
lization Ii, as Carlisle says, "gunpowder
has made all men equally tail" 1t is equally
true. that railroads have made all men equally
near to a market The man who owns land
one hundred miles from the usual market for
his produce, is only three or four hours be-
hind the dweller in the very suburbs of the
city. With railroads, distance practically an
initiated. Extremes are made to meet, and
JaJ ar,ah odd RI
forth their products, and to receive, in return,
the means of prosperity and happiness. No
man has We! ever calculated or conceived of
The Importance of railroads in country like
ours Without them, what were cities Mere
aggregations of buildings, dead and power
less-points of attraction to those who are
tired of country life. With railroads, on the
contrary. they become significant and stand
like the vigorous offshoots of an immense
vine, whose tendrils pierce every remote
nook, and whose fruits may be freely ga
thered by every man in the nation. The rail-
read is the champion and defender OF the
country. How can it be otherwise! By its
agency, the products of the country are
laid down in few hours at the very doors of
snu cry wan .i-~"se, and in just as few hours,
the gold and the silver, me merchandise anu
the taste of the town, are given with graft
tude to the jewellers in the remotest hamlets.
The railroad is the great leveller. The dwell
lers among the mountains are brought upon
apar with those who have pitched their tents
along the banks of rivers, where civilization
always first plants her footsteps. The noun
tain farm, or plantation, once brought within
reach of a market, blooms and blossoms like
the rose,'' and wealth pours in with each sue
ceeding year. We rejoice, therefore, when
ever we hear that new railroad has been
constructed, for we know that even the worst
planned of them all has been public bless
ing.
Indeed we believe, that with the assistance
of railroads, in few years, the wealth and
power of inland Virginia win be intellectually
multiplied The dweller on the river bottoms
must take his risk of freshets, he must use
water, not of the purest, and submit WIN MS
family and laborers to the mlasmata, when
ever arise from water courses, IN NAT couh
tries. Hence on the score OF health' the
,iveller among the hills will always possess an
;mmeasurable advantage. NO masma ap-
n,oacbes his home, and the water which he
drinks comes leaping and laughing from among
the rocks, as ifrejoicing in its refreshing pow,
er. Competence is sure to exist, when good
farm and a good market are brought neal
each other, and this is always the fact where
railroads exist.
THE CHINEsE.-The assertion that the Chi
nese rebels are not only christians but pro
testants, continues to be circulated, and DR.
NEwMANN, distinguished German scholar
writes to the London Times that the religion
of these people is certainly Protestant Chris
tianity. Well now, from what we have seei
of their notions we cannot consider them a
belonging to either Professionalism or Catholic
ity. They certainly protest against nothin
that we see, except it be the Chinese cosmoe
sny We suppose professionalism will hardl