Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-04-13

| Side the Danyille. and the Norfolk and feieis-
| burtr roads. has, in my eyes. advantage hioe
| pendeni of liz probably superior cheapness ao
= auieknoss of construction. First, 1t would DO d
! broad guage railroad. and the Western com
rnefce could not be drawn Oft without trhishiP
/ ment TO Baltimore and Philadelphia by the nu-
| merons roads which are destined to connect Inc
| Central and Goyington lines with the Mary ana
| and PENNSYLVANIA roads. These connections
| cannot be forever prevented. You cannot, you
ought moi always to debar the country, through
which they would pass, Of the facilities they
would afford when il asks none of your money
20 aid in their construction. You can protect
your interests and secure the trade to our own
cities only by the adoption of n different gauge
from the Northern roads by asking the broad IN
steud of the narrow gauge.
Nay sir, even this measure Will not secure inc
desired end, unless this commerce Is brought
down 10 the seaboard to u point where 1t can
meet the commercial nayes of the world. race
il on the Central road, and it necessarily stops
here In Richmond on little sh cam scarcely nay
igable by the arger sized coasting craft. But
bring II down on the South Side line of roads, and
while il is equally near TO Richmond, to the
James and to the York Rivers; while it is nearer
Ia Petersburg, il has immediate access TO Nor
folk, aud the magnificent harbor OF Hampton
Roads. The secret of success is concentration;
dispense your commerce everywhere, ana you
will never build more than forwarding villages
for \. York. But concentrate your railroad sys-
tenn where the eastern and western water line
ends guide the trade of the Ohio Valley, where
you have already directed the commerce coming
along the South Western line from Memphis,
where \. Carolina Of necessity seeks an outlet,
where Nature marked the site of a great South
ern emporium at the mouth Of the Chesapeake,
and there, if anywhere, you may create great
Virginia city. All other attempts must end,
dwarf or nure our interior cities, but large man
ufacturing and produce collecting centres, like
Birmingham aud Manchester, they would flour
ish and derive new strength from the prosperity
of our Southern Liverpool
While | make these suggestions, sir and call
attention to the fact that this Coyington road Is
not the only way, and probably not even the
best and cheapest way of reaching the Ono, l
would not ask the House to commit itselfto any
particular scheme just now. 1t is plain we can
unite ON nothing Let US pause until we have
more time and further information, and the means
of wise and discreet legislation on all these ques-
tons. Then trust we, or our successors, may
be prepared 10 act on principles broad as the
Commonwealth itself and with no local or sell
fish views.
fear that have occupied too much of the
valuable time Of the House, but felt it my duty
to defend the course of the gallant little band
from tide water, who came as "a forlotn hope to
fight this battle and to Indicate the policy by
which the House itself shas concuTed with them
in stemmng the torrent of extravaganza. The
time has been when our delegates were regarded
as aliens and enemies, because they could not
concur in the appropriations for public works, and
when every proposition they made was re-
ccived with derison, and rejected without CON
sideration.
rejoice to believe that day has past, and to
know that the House has repeed the attempts
made again TO isolate the representatives of n
people, whose every pulsation is Nirgiman. A
period has arrived when common policy has be-
come possible for the entire Commonwealth. 1t
is policy, not of reckless extravaganza, but of
far seeing economy-not of opposition, but of
discrimnation-a policy, not of destruction, but
of creation. 1t would build up the waste places,
renovate the ancient springs of empire, and ex-
plore new sources of wealth. 1t would, above
all, invoke to aid that potent genius of indi-
vidual enterprise, which has impelled the adyen-
turous sons of the Old Dominion to plant her
colonies beside every stream that flows into the
Gulf, or falls in the Pacific deep, and made them
foremost in extending the American empire from
ocean to ocean. And when their descendants
return to do homage at the hearth stones of their
fathers they shall find the old abodes adorned
witha new splendor, and the Old Commonwealth
radiant with "A new power and prosperity