American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1855-12-08

with other improvements farther west
ward, and scanning the vista of the flu
ture, foretold with prophetic accurac,
its accomplishment, by this iden,ica
route, at no distant day. 1t istrue the,
saw it dimly, as belonging to the future
YET they saw the immeasurable length &
breadth of the productive and almost in
terminable west. They say the bosom
of her majestic rivers & expanded lake,
covered with the rich product of he,
fertile soil, seeking an outlet and transit
to different malts of the world. The,
measured aud computed distances, anc
found u harbor on the Chesapeak bay
nearer the great western garner thar
any other point on the Atlantic. They
saw and compared the genial climate &
depressed mountains of Virginia, with
the towering heights of the ice. hount
Alleghanies upon the more northern
routes, aad doubtless perceived. in anti
cipanon, the ports on the Chesapea ak
bay become the points of departure a
cross the Atlantic, our ships the vehicles
OF transportation, and our citizens tn.
recipients of the large profits derived
from freight, duties, tonnage. &c. All
these brilliant prospects were in The i'm
agination of these far seeing statesmen
tho true fathers of the country-and
form part of the rich legacy and valu.
able counsel bequeathed to US by them
which, if observed and carried into
practical operation, cannot fail &c
conduct us in the path that leads US t,
prosperity and happiness.
lfit be true that the interest of Vir
GINA called for the construction of thi.
th"r"ughfare half century ago, and III,
distinguished statesmen of that day re.
commended the appropriation of ade-
qna,e means for its accomplishments
1t at that early day glance at the map
proved beyond controversy that thi.
route was designed by nature to become
the channel through which The trade &
travel Of the sputh and west would ne
cessarily be forced-wbat reason car
be assigned or apology offered. after a
delay Of fifty years. for The objections &
obstacles thrown in The way at the pre-.
sent day2 II the interest of our people
required this Improvement in 1900
when the combined population of Nor.
folk, Richmond and Petersburg, the
three largest cities in the State, was less
than 1900. and the revenue of the
State less than half million. how must
the demand have augmented now, when
the popu lation of those cities has in
creased to 10000, aud the revenue to
two and half miiliopsl If called Gol
when Mississippi. Illinois, Indiana
Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Michi
gan, Wisconsin and Iowa, had scarcel,
emerged from their primeval state VIVA,
must be the compar alive demand now
when the above named States have be-
come the most productive in the Unions
la six Of THOSE States, including the
western portions Of Virginia aud Penn
Sylvania, there was raised in 1913 with.
IN fraction of three hundred aud fiiy
millions of bushels of corn. And accor.
ding to the ratio of increase during the
| last ten years, we may safely estimate
the crop of 1860. within the above re-
! gion, at five hundred and fifty millions
OF bushels, which is about two thirds oI
The entire quantity raised in The United
States. Oi this enormous crop, il is fail
To suppose that ore hundred millions
can be spared for expectation, and will
seek transit through the several tho
roughfaros terminating on the sea boar d
provided the foreign demand shall JOS
ufy such exploration. And in order to
! determine how far we should rely upon
such demand, let US examine for a mo
meni what eau be- gathered from an es-
innate of trade in that article for some
years past. BY reference to statistics,
helieved to be reliable, il will be found
that the exports of corn aud corn meal
from this country. at different periods
| have been as follows: