Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-06-17
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
SATURDAY MORNING. JUNE II. 1853.
s,ha f,ranrn and Alexand,ia ..sxtension :


me of the Directors of the Company, addressed
large crowd of our citizens. Thursday night, on
the importance and necessity Of extending the
Orange and Alexandria railroad, from if present
terminus. 10 I.ynchburg, to unite with the Va.
and Tennessee read
Mr.. g;yes presented the advantages of this
csnnexion IN a most lucid aud imposing manner,
and urged upon his hearers, by numerous and
weighty considerations, appealing 10 their inter
est their pride and their patriotism hearty co
onerstion to effect il. The inconsi lerabe dis
lance Of sixty miles. and that through one Of the
finest AGRICULTURAL districts in the State, he as
serted only remained to be filed, to establish
grand highway for the nation, that would be
witbout rival in this country in the tonnage and
.eaval Il would command, aud without an equal
an the werla in magnitude aud extent
Noether means of communication between the
i,;es and stsios ,,f the South aud the federal iae-
tropolis, or the great commercial cmporia ct the
xarth. would ceapete with II IN direciness' cX-
pedtion, economy. freedom from obstruction
haausv Of scenery, or ans s. tho inducements
which usually control the cheice Of routes. II
.yonld constitute. be urged channel over which
tbe Great continental gulf stream oftrsyel, regu
aarIy ebhine ard flowing between the Southwest
and Northeast, woula naturally and certainly
nazs /, would form the line of transitfura large
amount of the most profitable sfeight--embraeing
the whole variety of costly articles, belonging TO
commerce, which united smnlmess OF bulk or
liehtness IF fabrio, with value.
He spoke, tlso, " eloquent and moving terms
OF the influence Of great national thoronghare,
such as this would be, in promoting association
and good fellowship amoag our people from all
quarters q the country, keeping alive sentiments
If fraternity, and preserving the union Of the
states and the liberties Of the people. But on
the other hand, il that dark aud disastrous day
shout lever. come, as he trusted it never would,
whom the bonds Of the coniederaoy should be
broken. and confusion and civil war should show
their horrd fronts on the borders Of the slaFehod
i,g states. then, he maintained, this work.
passinr through the heart Of the Old Dominion
aud reaching out with its arms and branches to
every portion Of the South, would assume tran
scendent imporanceas means of concentrating
the strength Of our people to fepel aggfes s'on
and defend their lives and soil.
Addressing himself to a more local estimate OF
its importance, Mr. r. argued TINT the eonstruc
ton Of this work was OF vital concern 10 the in
terests of LyDchburg. From bis observation {"
Legislative movements and feeling last winter IN
Richmond, he felt fully authorized to say that #
the connection were not made from Charlottcs'
vile 10 Lynch, urg, 1t would without delay or
doubt be made from llarisonburg, by the Ma
nassa's Gap Coto connect with the Va. y Tenn
at salem. The interval OF fpaee ought to be
fled and would be-if not by line east Of the
Blue Ride certainly by ono through the Valley.
That was the plain and unavoidable issue present
ed to the people of l5ynohberg-one TINT they
need not shrink from, and could not postpone.
He left to their sagaeity to determine, how their
interests would be affected by having their great
Southwestern improvement tipped sixty miles
above them, by a road opening the shortest and
ooickest route TO the national capitol and the com
merciamarts of the North.
lie adyerted also 10 the effect OF the proposed
extension in enhancing the travel nnd trade
upon the Ea. and Tenn. railroad thereby morcas
ing the value Of its stock, in which Lynehburg
was interested TO the extent OF half million ct
dollars, and augmenting its dividends, which
would 90 10 the reduction Of the taxes now paid.
This work was but prolongation of the "a. and
Tennessee improvements without il the latter
would be inoomplete--a failure, a magnificent
aborton;--with it Lyncbburg would occupy the
most favored position of any interior city IN the
eountrv:-without il he had word et encour
aeement or promise, in his conscience for those
whose interests were bound up in her destnes.
Mr. Riyes touched upon the commercial and
manufacturing interests of the city. aud showed
in what manner and to how great an extent they,
as well as every other branch of trade and bust
ness, would be benefited by the success OF this
enterprise. Even in the process of its construc
ton the amount of money that would be expend-
ed in Lynchburg would largely exceed any sum
which they expected her citizens to contribute
But when completed, he confidently asserted
that there was not man in the limits Of the city,
from the largest property holder to the humbest
lab rer, who wouldnot feel its quckening intlu-
ence lie particularly remarked upon the bene-
fits which the dealers in tobacco would derive
from bringing The fine producing lands of Am
herst, Nelson and portion of Abemarle under the
attraction of this market and the better medium
it would afford them for sending the products OF
their manufacturing skin to distant customers
and 10 new markets.
During his remarks he took occasion to reply to
certain objections he had heard raised since his
arrival in Lynehburg, TO subscriptions to this
road. One of these was the opinion that the city
should husband its means, TO assist in making
railway improvement to North Carolina. Mr..
II. was not unsppfized Of the considerations
which rendered such an Improvement desira-