Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-11-11
DAILY VIRGINlAN.
The Destiny of our City


enter the plea of mot guilty. but we frankly
meet IT and plead Justification We have holy
writ for saying that, he who provides not for his
own household is worse than an infdel. Cities
are composed of men, who live together. work
together. and are, to a certain extent necessarily
united in promoting their common we'll being
They are expected to act in concert. and with Il
view to their peculiar position and the ercum
stances which to advance retard their
common interests. Show a community which
fails to regard their duties obligatory upon
them, neglects 10 fulfill then, and we will
find that it will falter and languish and decay in
fallibly. As a general proposition, II may be AT
frmed that what is true to the duty Of one
man, cannot be false when applied to a multitude
of men. If it be individual duty to look after
promote and secure respectability, independence
and happiness, surely these ends are not unwor-
thy of community of men and if the neglect of
them by an individual will bring disgrace, want
and misery, these results may be anticipated
when communities permit themselves TO be guilty
of such neglect Agan,--as no man should seek
to promote himself by means unworthy in them.
selves or which infict injuries on others in viola
ton of good faith of an honorable under tand-
ing existing among them, communities should
act upon the same rules-square their conduct
by the same standards, and. under no circum-
stances, be beguiled into a disregard of them
When we say, then, that plead "justiiica.
tion," 10 the charge of "sehshnessn we confess
to our Willingness, our readiness aud our aptness
to the use of those means which we think will
enhance our prosperity always keeping in view,
81 he fa ne a
consentng to the employment of any agencies,
wrong IN themselses-none that cannot stand
the test OF the sternest political attacks. In this
sense we hope ever to remain 'sclfish."
Though our citizens have done much for our
city; yet much remains TO be done If W. have
advantages, great and commanding we are eA.
posed to dangers that it is not wise tu overlook
We are in the condition of him to whom "itn
talents were committed, aud we should not be
unfHfhful In the use of them. We should be
neither 'slothtuln nor wicked :" but, lin the
scripturdl sense,) put our money to the E.-
changers" SO that we may receive the blessings
and benedctons vouchcdsav to faithful servants.
While our public spirit Is certainly worthy
OF commentator, yet, fear our private or
individual energies are not entitled to specinl
compliment. What is done in our corporate onpa-
city for the great cause of Internal Improvement,
has been done with n princely hand and unfor-
tunately, just at this time, we are suffering the
princey malady of n heavy debt, without the
facilities OF its speedy liquidation. This debt
must, Of course. be paid We refer to the debt
contracted by the subscription to the Va * Tenn
Railroad. Apart from this our corporate debt is
bagatelle. Let that Road be completed aud the
city is safe-safe in her present trade and com
merce-safe in the possession of high capacities
for future advancement and prosperity; and snfo
from every calamity, except such rs Providence
may send 1t becomes then, all well wshers
of the town, all who are not selfish in the
scale of filling their own Golfers by proving upon
the necessities of their neighbours even these
should remember the parable of ''the ten talents"
and the fate of him TO whom one was committed
who event and diggcd in the earth and hid his
Lords money it becomes all to exert our
energies, 60 aid in the effort to remove this bur
den that weighs upon with such blighting force.
We have some views t. the best means of
accomplishing this result which may submit
hereafter. For The present wa wish To eonfine
ourselves 10 the subject of our caption The dss-
tiny OF our city.
IL is the opinion of some. that our town "haa
seen its best days This notion, we huInbly sug
gest, is entertained only by those who have taken
a superficial glance at the circumstances that
surround US. Is there any reason in The nature
or tendency of things, why we should lose any
of our present trade OF course il may be ex-
pected. that, in some individual instances, per
sons who haye heretofore made this their market
town, will carry their produce to Richmond aud
Petersburg. But we are grossly in error il for
every person we thus lose, do not gain score
who heretofore have made other places their
market. At this special period laboring
under a pecuniarv pressure, which alarms some
persons aud greatly Inconvenience others aud
they look upon this condition of things AS por-
tending evils that are long TO remain upon US
and seat ont substance" But those who
look below the surface can see that this pressure
is produced by certain local and peculiar causes,
which must, in their nature, be temporary and
that the sufferings incident 10 them, while they
grieyous to be borne, cannot long continue.
Our men of business experience understand
these things, and we find them laboring with
unabated energy and sanguine hopes, which will
surely be rewarded. Let us look tai the facts.
We have natural advantages enjoyed by few
localities in the State and if improve them.
our movement must be upward and onward.
We have great wealth among our citizens. which
can afford innate rial aid" to all our enterprises.
We have population possessed of great skill in
the management of business matters. We have
energy and activity unsurpassed by any popula-
ton south of Lowell. We have a locality re-
markabe for its healthfulness. We have the