Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-01-20
SUBSTANCE OF THE REMARKS

Der Mines, in tile direction of Chattanooga an
reply to the arguments Of the Senators from DG-
pidson, Wilkes and Ashe ,oh0 advocated changing
the location Of the Rold from Vest to North-soest
to form a connection dcth the East Tennessee and
Virginia Road at J0acsb0rOugh.
The former argued that the line advocated by them
would save distance in reaching point of connec-
ton with the Virginia aud Tennessee Road compar-
ed to the route through the French Broad Valley
and the same end would be attained.
The Senator from jackson admitted that distance
was in tAeir favor compared to the french Broad
route, but commended that neither OF those routes
furnished a suitable location for the main trunk OF
the road That enable it to compete with the
Virginia and East Tennessee road for through freight
and travel location be selected that would COM
mand fair portion of both, and That branch roads
would also become necessary to scco'nmo-
date the local freight and travel between those two
great trunk lines lie urged the necessity of the
adoption of prompt AMI energetic measures at this
session to guard against the consequences Of being
surrounded by the railways of Virginia and South
Carolina, which he demonstrated would cnclrcIe us
every side in the next four or five years Our
commerce then, instead of finding outlets to the
ocean through own ports must seek outlets
through the ports of Virginia and South Carolina
And when our ports were deprived OF assorted car
goes for exports which would be furnished to Charles
ton and Norfolk by their connection with the west
if ports were not connected with the valley OF
the Mississippi by line of railway short enough to
compete with the lne progressing west from Nor
folk, the value of the stock in our roads must be
less than the cost of construction. And the COM
mcrcal city of Wilmington, with 4 harbor superior
to that of Charleston free from the scourgc of yell
low fever instead of becoming what she should be
a great commercial city, must become tributary to
the cities of Norfolk and Charleston, and occupy the
position towards these cities which Fredericksburg
and Alexandria of Virginia occupy towards Balt-
But this was not all, Newbern and Fayctte-
Vile too lose their commerce. cease to be what
they were, and the fine harbor of Beaufort with
such connection would never be able to advance
much beyond what she nov was in wealth and pop
de- nav fh1n
third the revenue of the State. lie contCnded that
by connection with the valley of the NJ Mississippi
by a main trunk line properly located, the popu:a-
ton and wealth of our cities would DC quadruped,
and the revenue derived from that source would be
increased in the same proportion while the lands
and village property tnrou hout the State, with the
stocks in all internal improvements would be doub
led in value. And If State debt had to be created
to accomplish the object of constructing main
trunk line with a tive feet guage which was
the guage of the railways in the Mississippi
valley, the money would be expended in the
State and the people would be better able to pay
large tax than they now to pay small one. lie
conte,.ded that commercial interests had too long
bced neglected Under the policy which had prevail
ed of locating our improvements to favor the trans
fer OF trade from our own ports To the ports of neigh
boring States Every railway that had been con-
struced in the State had been based on This plan.
The Raleigh and CASTOR, the Wilmington and Rs
leigh, and the Wilmington and Manchester all had
been located to accommodate travel Instead of freight
And when the North Caroline road was undertaken
for which he with il few other Democrats voted, it
soon found that in the Legislature of North Car
Dina, there a South Carolina and a Virginia
party that must be conciiated in the location, and
notwithstanding its friends set out to build, what the
name implies, North Carolina road yet under the
influence of the South Carolina and Virginia parties
it sharing the fate that had bcfallen
the Raleigh and Wilmington roads, its name cores
pended but little with its location.
In Raleigh the interest of the ports of Virginia,
represented by the Virginia party had join tracks
l. m AFT
Portsmouth were to reap the benefits of, without be-
ing taxed dime for the construction of the road
Then the road, in search of capital, had to travel
within forty miles of Danvlle, and then back to
South Carolina at Charlotte thence to Charleston,
thus favoring the policy of transferring the produc-
tUnS of the centre of the State, from Fayetteville
and Wilmington Newborn and Beaufort, to Charles
ton and Norfolk to the injury of the former. And
yet if any member urged the adoption Of North
Carolina policy to protect and build Up seaportS
by main trunk line through the centre of the State
to b. located along the line of the Both degree of
latitude, connecting almost by air line Fayette-
vile, Wilmington, Newbern and Beaufort with the
Duck Town Copper Mines at the west end of Cher
okee county, and with Chattanooga, they were mt
by the very powerful argument OF commercial pre-
destination, trude eooud seek its saturaL cu"neIs
and II it TO ports it ac0uH
achether facilities acere furnished not"
The Senator from jackson contcnded that this
doctrine OF trade seeking its natural channets
founded in error, that the ocean was the great
ket of the world, and the trade of the interior of
North Carolina would centre upon central railway
to reach it, If transhpnents avoided and pains
taken to prevent the destruction of the main trunk
line by crossroads which would divert trade and
travel when its transit from the valley of the Mis-
sissippl to our Atlantic seaports He also alleged
that some of the most important roads of England
had almost been destroyed by improper connections
with other roads.
He showed that North Carolina should complete
line Of railway the line designated and protect
it against unwise Legislation in future, by preventing
parallel roads and improper connections. And that,
by having upwards OF sixty miles the advantage
the Virginia and Tennessee road in completing the
railway connection between Memphis the MiSSis-
sppi and the Atlantic ocean, fears need be enter
tanned of its commanding threefourths of the trade
of our State, and by commanding a fair proper
ton of the through freight and travel North Carroll
ma would not be under the necessity of taxing her
own citizens and their trade to pay for building the
road But the sixty miles saved in distance could
be made to secure to the State bonus upon through
travel and tonnage of at least fifty upon the
former and forty cents upon the latter which, esti
mating the through freight and travel to be less than
it upon the roads north of 200 passengers
and 800 tons OF freight per day would give a daily
income of $500, and yearly income of $1O9, 800,
which would be sufficient to pay interest upon the
capital necessary to build the road, and create
sinking fund to discharge the Whole debt in less
than thirty years. But of course this policy of
taxing the commerce OF Europe, and the Mississippi
valley, and China when the railroad shall reach st.
Diego upon the Pacific, to build up great State
work, and to relieve our own people from the bur-
thens of taxation, will meet with opposition from
that class OF politicians believe i'll the doctrine