The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-10-03
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
TUESDAY noRNINo, ocTosE1s. 1854

THE DAILY DISPATCH.
TUESDAY 1oRNIN0. ocTosEas. 1854
Tnx CovISeToE AND OaIo RAILROAD
had been disposed to
leave the reports Of the debates and resolu
lions Of this Convention. and the letters con
corning them from the White Sulphur, which
in the Dispatch, to describe the true
character Of its proceedings. Though much
condensed, that account was a.fsir represen4
tstion Of the doings of the Convention. But
Il has been assailed with 90 much bitterness
and has been the subject of so much misrep
rssentation, that we undertake to say few
words in its defence.
Those who abuse and endeavor, with i'm
potent wit, to ridicule that Convention are
1st The enemies of the Covington and Ohio
road, the men who have opposed it from its
inception, and who will continue to oppose it
unto the bitter end. End. The advocates of
the Eve feet gauge. who lock upon any Con-
vention which does not adopt their one ides,
rs impracticable. visionary, vspid and abb
surd. Having chosen not to attend the White
Sulphur Convention, these gentlemen endea
vor to cover their own fault by making vague
charges against those who did attend, and
representing them as having violated every
consideration of justice and propriety in de-
Ginning to recommend another Convention.
Now, whatever may have been the conside-
So of dat
those who voluntarily absented themselves
from the White Sulphur Convention in face
OF the fact that it was Convention Of the
friends of the Covington and Ohio railroad,
have certainly no right to complain. But let
us see what the Convention is responsible
for:
The Convention did every thing it met to
do 1t passed resolutions unanimously IN ia
vor of the Covington and Ohio road, and in
favor of the main lines of Improvement gen.
orally. 1t passed with but one dissenting
voice, resolutions in favor of the James Riv
or & Kanawha Canal and in favor of the i'm
provement of the Kanawha river; and that
one negative vote was cast on the ground,
that in the opinion of the voter, these two
subjects were not properly among the objects
of the Convention. The Convention, besides,
appointed committee to prepare an address
to the people and to the Legislature setting
forth its views. Able speeches were made by
several gentlemen, and the general cause of
Improvements, as well as the Covington and
Ohio Railroad, was the theme of their stirring
and patriotic eloquence. The real friends of
Improvement who were present were stimu-
lated to fresh zeal, animation and hope, and
left the Convention with a more fixed deter
nination than ever to give their best exer-
ions to the regeneration of Virginia
We venture to say that a Convention never
assembled, that acted with greater harmony
land passed the only acts that it was intended
Ito accomplish with greater unanimity than
the White Sulphur Convention.
What is it the Convention did not do
1t is asserted by some that it assembled to re-
commend an Extra Session. This is not true.
Only one county, Kanawha, adopted resolu-
tons in favor of an Extra Session. By all
the other counties of the State, that idea was
either repudiated, or nothing was said about
1t. No favor whatever did such q PROPOSE
ton find in the Convention. It was almost
unanimously laid upon the table, as every
man with a thimble full of brains knew it
would be before the Convention met
Butthe Convention did not touch the gauge
question No, and in this it exhibited its
torbearance and its generosity. Hwisely and
nobly labored to avoid every thing which
would add single drop of bitterness to the
acrimony and gall engendered by the discus
sion Of that question. 1t refused to be itself
disturbed by this apple of discord. 1t deter
mined to leave thequestion of gauge to those
whose duty it would become to settle it.
Who has light to complain of this? Ger
tainly not the advocates of the five feet
gauge. Of all men on the face of the earth
they should be silent. For had the question
Of gauge been taken up, the four feet eight
and half would have prevailed by acclama.
ton. If there is any ground of compl amt, it
Is by the party which would have triumphed
But the Convention acted with wisdom and
magnanimity, indisposed to increase the dis
cord in the Internal Improvement ranks, by
avoiding it altogether
They growl, too, that there was no compro.
mise made on the gauge question. Well,
what compromise could there be? What
compromise is there between feet 8 1.a and
o feetf wiz they be SO gracious as to sue
gest one?
But the Convention I'D not recommend
smother Convention! 1t did not. and it de.
slined such recommendation, for reasons va
rious and satisfactory to all who did not de-.
are to be dissatisfied. Some were of opinion
That grand Convention, convened to repre.
t'nt all interests, would be either one of in.
describable and irreconciIable discord, or
faat it would result in the preparation of a
magnificent log rolling scheme, so vast, SO
panderous, so extravagant, that it would be
iFapossible to push it forward by the united
energies of all the log rollers of the State
Nhilst it would only increase the embarrass-
ments in the way of the most prominent pub.
lie works. Others opposed it land these
ete the most numerous.) because thew did
not heli0V0 thew had the ~;rks