Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-08-04
Fro,n the Richmond Enquirer
D,csGc Rail Road.

| We publish below an di"S -
Washington Union upon subject %h'cn =
destined 10 engross very much OF Puono a.s"
ton md probably to elicit more eiaoo' ,.'.
discussion than has been given TO any Poi''
| cal question for many years. -, :.
Il is unnecessary to say that ms Jour"a'
hostile to The appropriation OF ieoefa' 'u" o'.
for purposes of internal Improvement
concede snch a right, to The Iederal government
especially in the case Of so stupendous an uh
| der,aking Pc the Pacific Railroad, would De
~ Dive un The principles for which Virginia
| has commended since the day ofthe elder Adams.
II would be 10 authorize system OF cxpenoi
ture. and to open the door to system oil en-
| ,rayaoance and public peculation, sufficient 10
under mine the integrity of any government
that ever existed It would fix and perpeiu-
ate that loose State of public morals, and that
magnificent system of gambling on public
means, v hicll took so deep root in the past
administration. L. would realize the mos
enormous evils ever predicted by the bltterest
and most extravagant denunciators of the
policy internal Improvement by the general
government.
The road proposed is indeed of vast impor-
lance to the country 1t will be more than
900 miles long 1t will cost 5000O,0OO
and probably 800 100000. But the Union
now contains nearly $4,000 miles of complete
rail road which has cost nearly S5O0,000,
600 As much more rail road is projected
and in course of construction, which will cost
as large sum that has cost which IS nj.
ready completed. These roads are the creo.
lures and this vast sum the product Of incl.
vidua and municipal enterprise
Who she'll set limits to American enter
prize Who shall say that the people who
have built 12 900 miles of road cannot build one
thousand miles, without the aid of the Federal
Government ; Who shall say that the indl.
vidua and corporate resources which have
furnished $500, 100000. may not furnish $50,
00000Ol
The plea Of necessity. urged in favor OF
making this great work an enterprise for the
federal government is not valid. 1t undertakes
the enterprise of the country. Missouri has
commenced the work and will carry 1t single
handed far be, ond her borders The single
city OF ST. Louis has gone earnestly into the
work, and already provided Tor continuing II
through half Of the great State Of which she is
the capital.
Texas has begun the work from another
point, and il to shame the doubters OF
merican enterprise, English bankers have
pledged capital enough to carry the road past
the remote western borders Of Texas. The
work Is already in active progress from two
points. Soon it will be commenced at its west
ern terminus. and California gold will be sure
to construct it from the Pacific as far east
ward as California extends.
But FIR the high sources which that other
plea In behalf of its construction by the Fed
eral Government-its importance as a military
road-proceeds, tn plea would be unworth,
OF serious notice. We lay down the genera
proposluon that any such work can never be-
consntutlonally constructed by the Genera
Government for military purpose, unless the
immediate urgencies of actual war require
It's use Tor The transportation of troops before
individual or State enterprise can have tim,
to construct il.
The work is already in good hands. 1t i
already IN The safest and most efficient hands
It's in the hands of the people. To turn i
over to the General Government would be
even as measure Of economy, in either tim,
or Cost, the most deplorabe policy. OF al
the organizations in existence, that of th
Federal Government would ne the least Ell
hcIent, the most extravaganza the most dllator,
and the most indifferent to the Impotence AM
convenience OF the great public. To leave
to the auspices of the Federal Government
would be TO inject its very incipIency to
contest, respecting the terminus. a northern
and southern controversy, as angry, b
dangerous, and as protracted as the grea
controversy upon free eol. If the roa'
were built with public funds, and became
national ork, it would be the means of
thousand and one pretexis for annoyance an
aggression upon southern citizens. 1t is bat
policy to create any more national. any NOR
partnership property between North AM
South than is absolutely unavoidable.
Whilst sympathizing with, and approvin
the main view Of our Correspondent Blu
Ridge in Thursdays paper. we do not sym
pathlse in his apparent luminosity toward In
administration. lndnstriousy as the effor
has been made to prove the sentiments Iatel,
u tered by individual members Of the admin
lsration those OF the administration as
body, we are not as Yet convinced Of the fact
much less that they desire to make this nam
moth scheme branch Of their policy w
believe that will not be the case. Ii the mon
ster scheme receives such high and Influenza