The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-09-07
Correspondence Of the Di.passA.
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The Convention being over, offer, If you win
tne impressions OF one Who took the deepest
interests In its delberstious, and who Wa .ccor.
dingiy, an attentive observer Of h proceedings.
At one time, was rather in despair for the =
suit but in the end, my feeIae was one, decidedly.
| OF hope. a fa.e
There were evil spirits towering shout the Con
venton, fomenting dscord md bent on mischief:
bat the genius of good. Ithink. prevailed.
There were those In il too. Who had other objects
to accomplish than the advance1nent of the cause
OF Internal improvements; but there were those
there, who were looking with single eye to the vel
fare ofthe State. and who went to II with no other
purpose than the patriotic one of promoting the
real objects that called It ttogsther
Even the ebuliition of the dsmasoeue was mt
usnearo; but 4 was drowned In the loud. strono
voics oi the sobar good and sound patriotism
OF me solid men and better spirits of the Con-
ven.ion
ana there was seeming discord for awhile, but Il
proved to be more apparent than real; for, in the
end the Convention united, with entire unanim;tv
on the great object of hs assembiaee. All were
agreed that the construction Of the Covinpton and
Ohio Railroad is matter Of paramount import.nea
the state and that every confederation Of policy
demands its speediss. possible consummation.
on the whole, am fully satisfied that much good
will come of the Convention.
Unless the public mind obetinatelv eschew all
enlightenment, our great central Improvement
lius' oe oevered from the prejudice that. by some
means or other has gathered around il. and be re-
stored fully to the confidence of the people.
An array of facts was presented to the conv.,.
ton which must force conviction ON every mind
and considerations urged, which cannot tai, of
bringing every rejecting and patriotic citizen to
hearty cooperation in the great work of carrying
out our central connexion with the West. Areu.
nents were unfurled which no human reasoning
can meet, and appeals made, which no local feel
ing or sectional jealousy can resist.
And yet there are obstacles which it win REQUIRE
the highest energy and the most persevering efforts
to overcome
There Is a settled purpose with many to super
cede entirely the Central Railroad connexion, aud
to substitute for it the proposed New River branch
OF the Virginia and Tennessee Road. Those who
are In this scheme need not attempt to disguise it.
mere are those who hold that the financial condi.
ton OF the State does not allow, at this time the
construction of the Covington and Ohio Road
There are those who think, no doubt conscientious
| ~, that the New River branch can be made much
cheaper; and there are yet others who are husainp
| to their bosoms the remarkable delusion that the
New River connexion will tend more than the Gov.
ington and Ohio, to build up Norfolk into COM
| merciai city, while the Covington and Ohio will
tend only to carry off the trade to Baltimore.
The proofs ofthe purpose referred to are abun.
dant and conclusive,
Mr. Garnett, one OF the most influential men of
Eastern virginia, and, for bis years, one of the
most distinguished OF his State, submitted, in the
last legislature, fiat proposition of supercession
The delegation from the whole Southwest have
been found, for several years. In almost solid CO..
lumn against appropriations to the Central line Of
railway; and the press has long teemed. and il
| still teeining. with communications designed to ex-
hibls the superiority of the New River route over
the Covington and Ohio. See, for example, the
numbers OF an "Eastern Virginian" recently pub
iished in the Lynchburg papers.
There is mo blinking of the question" Itis so
and the sooner we know IT, the better. We had
as well at once stare the difficulty In the face and
meet 1t. knowing the obstacle, we may prepare
ourselves to remove it,
Now, the Convention has certainly done this
good, if no other 1t has "killed Off" once and
forever the New River route. 1t has eicited facts
and demonstrations which establish, past contro-
versy. the utter inferiority of the New River con
nexon as means of obtaining the Western trade 1
might say its utter worthlessness for that grand
purpose. In other words the entire superiority Of
the Covington and Ohio railway, In connexion
with the Canal, as channel for obtaining the Wes-
tern trade, was made fixed fact" 1t was re-
marked bya distinguished member of the Conven-
ton that the SNAKE was not only scotched, but
killed" And SO twas. The New River scheme is
| "dead cock Ia the pitt All that it 10 wanting
to put the people out OF all conceit of It, and bring
them to a united opinion in favor of the Coyington
and Ohio connexion, is for the press to take up
the subject actively, zealously, and to keep con.
staatty before the people the facts and reasoning
brought out by the action of the Convention.
1t was shown, most conclusively, that the New
River branch will cost more than the Coyington and
Ohio that If built and its grades the easiest ina
ginable, it could not accommodate the Western
trade that it could never command the Western
travel and, consequently. not the Western trade
and that if we rely on it for that great boon, we
shall be forever without it.
Let these positions be made clear to the people,
and they viii command their representatives to
prefer the Covington and Ohio road, and to vote
the appropriations necessary to complete It,
In this connexion, | may note. especially, pa
per prepared, at the request of several members
of the Convention, by Mr.. Fisk, the Engineer of
the Covineton and Ohio road, which contains an
argument in favor of the great Central line, Of
| surprising power. 1t places our Central Inn
provement, compounded of canal. railroad, and
river transportation, on basis no more to be
shaken than the hills. 1t should be printed In
every newspaper In the State, and read BY every
citizen who can read. and read to all who cannot
| read, by those that can.
There was another production called forth by the
oecasop which contained an almost tnAth hensticsl
Representation Of the superiority of the Cosineton
and Ohio connexiop, and irresistible reasons tor s
speedy accomplishment. refer to the speech of
Richard e. Morris, Esq, Of your city, who, by the
way, was the very fret advocate OF internal i'm
provements from Eastern Virginia II was pow.
erful document Mr. Botts well said that there was
no necessity for him any else 10 speak until
thar speech was answered. Pass Il round. Meszrs