Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-03-11
tpAAl MIA J III
To the People Of Nelson County.

COMM NICATED.
To the People Of Nelson County
Felfop- Citizens A question Of grave impor-
lance now claims your attention, and viii soon
demand your decision. speak of the PROPOSE
ton to tar our county, in the sum Of fifty thou
sand dollars, to be subscribed Ia the extension of
the Orange and Alexandria Railroad 10 the city
of Lynchburg. Objectionable such propo-
siton ought TO be, TO all right thinking minds
even in the best possible aspects of the case
there is in the peculiarly loathsome features of
the proposition as IL emanates from our Court, that
which ought t. excite our disgust.
Had the Court decided, simply to take the vote
of the people of the county, ON the question of
taxation or no taxation; leaving the question Of
the location Of the road, where it belongs to those
whose business it is To promote and guard the in
terest of the Company, there would have been
nothing to condemn in the action of the Court
however much it might be deplored that the peo
pie should have voted for the proposition.
Though an earnest, ardent friend Of the road
as all of you who know me, are aware, rccoguiz.
ing all its just claims TO support trusting that
the means may be speedily obtained to enable
the Company to prosecute the work 10 "A speedy
close, yet have never believed it to be polite or
right To tax the counties through which the road
passes in the manner proposed. Lot those who
wish the road made, those who believe their inter
ests would be promoted by it, make it, and pay
those who do not believe il polite, to bear the
burden. Ii n fairly presumable that the men of
substance in the counties through which the road
is 10 pass are enlightened in regnrd To the road
aud have subscribed what they think prudent, al
ready, to the work. Indeed if they believe the
hundledth part Of what their county lawyers and
road orators tell them, they must regard the
work superlatiyey important, aud have there
fore, as prudent men, consulted thor interests
and taken all the stock that they are able Ia take.
The people have had IA multitude of counsel ON
this subject and have had abundant opportunity
of Judging how far their interests will be- cnhan-
ced by this improvement. The proposed taxa
tiun would do violence 10 their Judgments and
compel them 10 pay what they regard a. an i'm
polite aud unjust and oppressive tax. Already
the people OF our county are groanug beneath
the burden of enormous taxation.
II | understand the object of this enterprise,
II Is to furnish the shortest best, cheapest con.
nection between the great commercial marts of
the North and Southwest. Under the impression
that the work was rather OF national than sec
! tonal and local Importance, many have invested
| in the stock, who would not have subscribed to
! the stock on local considerations. 1t seems,
howeyer,to be the purpose OF the county subscrip-
ton, To strip the enterprise of all its national i'm
portance, and to make it a bone of contention be-
tween mere pigny sections Of a county. such as
tho Dutch creek and the Lopingston yallcs. II
the people OF Nelson county were to construct
the road, with their own means alone and for
their own purposes, then they would be perfectly
justifiable in running it where they thought theii
own interest would be best promoted. They
then, might run zigzag instead Of straight if they
chose; they might run it by Loving ston, or tx
tend branch of it to the moon, to facilitate tn,
| importation of green cheese for aught that
would say. But when an outlet Fl the surgint
tide of II nations travel is contemplated theI
| ShorfufSS. qruJ a.
questions.
Though, as have said, | am sincere frien,
of the road, yet believe il best To confne our
selves to rational estimates of its Importance
Though believe the road will finally prove Il SAT
stock, yet am inclined to think that though cup
italists might find it well 10 invest their surphl
funds in this stock, yet am far from believing
polite for an over-taxed county to resort to it a
remedy for future taxation, highly imagna
| tive gentlemen recommend. | am inclined I
think that the system of unlimited putting t
which gentlemen resort in order to Gid the p
of taxation, will have the effect to discredt thei
statements and result in final injury to tn
interests of the company. There are many per
sou IN our county who having been frequent
humbugged by quack Panaceas for all diseases
as to have now become of some what practica
turn OF mind. That youthful exuberant fancy tina
was wont to glld every thing in perspective il
golden splendor has passed away, and give
place 10 the more sober calculations of the iudu
ment. They have seen that all is not gold tina
glitters. They have seen glittering bubbles, 81
which the yisionary's Imagination revelled wit
delight, fade away, leaving not a wreck behind
These dull, ploddng creatures have not lost thei
memory. They have not forgotten the maiesti
James River Canal, which was to make Virgins
an Empire, and Richmond a London They re
member that the Canal was to make all the couu
try through which it passed, fertile as Edei
for scores of miles on every side. But wher
are the golden promises They have seen tn
shadow of this mighty work, grow small by de
grees and beautifully less" They have see
the Alchemist who was to turn every thing t
gold himself grown bankrupt, with none $
poor to do him reverence" Their memor
runs back to the time when it was demonstrates
as clearly possible that every acre of land i
10 miles of the Canal was TO be enhanced in val
ne, at least "a. They look aroundand see thou
sands of acres of land in less than 10 miles q
the Canal, that can be bought for less than :
per acre. Where those enormously enhan
ced agricultural products which were to roll dow
on Richmond, in resistless flood of wealth, a
| overwhelming an Alpine avalanche. Alas tn
true prophetic mantle had not fallen on thes
| seers The harp of the minstrel, once 80 tune
full i'm the praises of the s.bio ditch ~ il NOW hmm