The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-07-02

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The vfrxinia Lines 10 the Ohio.
We are grasi6sd that Mr.. sEsAR, in bis isse OFF,
ton at Danville, thought proper TO exps'ia's ON
the advantages of the Virginia roufe from 'ne
Chesapeake 10 the Ohio, and especiauy Oh the
James River and Ranawha Canal Inc SUBJECT
IL vi;a.ly interesting to Virginia, ana was We"
that Mr. s. suggested some OF hs imponan' A''
poets to the people of the South-side, who do no.
properly appreciate them
n Virginia In ever TO be great commercially she
can never be until her lines Of Improvement con-
meet the Ohio with the Chesapeake Bay. Nor can
she reach the highest state Of prosperity until the
saoter line Is one of those lines. The great pre-
ducing regions of the Ohio and Mississippi yalies
have attracted the attention of all great CONNER.
cial communities on our seaboard for more than
half century. The trade of India Is not prize
comparable to the trade of those great districts OF
the Union. Various States and cities of the East
have been struggling to build improvements that
would concentrate that trade upon their respective
marts Virgins. guided by the great minds of
Washington, Jefferson, Marshall, was among the
first to plan q route by which this grand object
was to be achieved Yet all the rivals for this
trade except her have finished their lines and are
receiving the benefits of them. New York, Phia'
delphia and Baltimore are fattening upon the lu-
crative trade their connection with the West,
through their public WORKS is bringing to them
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with its sharp
eurves and steep grades, has amount of freight
and travel that yields nearly as much revenue IN
ons month as all our railroads put together DO in
twelvel It is absolutely overwhelmed with bust
ness, and cannot BE- equal to the demands upon 1t
long without a second track.
Virginia, with the best route Of all the States,
has ye. not gone half way to the Ohio with her
improvements Upon her Covington and Ohio
Road her steepest grade for the heavy western
tonnage will only be trenty-nins feet to the mile
against one hundred aud si1tsen on the Baltimore
and Ohio Road. 1t cannot be questioned, that
were her works completed, she would get the
largest share of the vast productions of the North
west She would indeed thus recover 'hat ricn
country which she gave to the Union. She would
command its trade, and would grow wealthy on
it's profits Her cities would grow her population
would increase her representation IN the national
counsels would be enlarged, and her influence in
the nation multiplied. Look at those great Yves
tern States-take Ohio for example. There is
hardly an acre of her soil that is not arabic and
highly productive. A State yet in its infancy,
given away IN forest by virginia, WHICH hau t"o
millions of people to Virginia's one million tour
hundred thousand in 1850! A State, whose popr.
Iation and productions are annually increasing in
a manner that is still farther outstrippng Virginia,
whose Offspring she is. Further West, lands that
were few years since unknown, are chequered
with railroads, rapidly filing up with population
and sending to the Eastern markets an amount OF
produce that almost staggers belief. Cities spring
up like magic, and in few years exceed Rich
mond Ia size, wealth and magnificence. Chicago,
a city but of yesterday, is three times the size Of
Richmond Is the centre of troenty three railroads,
aud will soon be SO large, that town as large as
Richmond could DO taken from it and would net
be missed! st. Louis and Cincinnati are great
cities, six and seven times large as Richmond
How Is it SO 1t is the productiveness Of the rich
western soils which, by the abundance OF their
fruits keep employed thousands of steamboats, in
their transportation, and are causing the country
10 be covered with railroads net work, to fur
nish additional means of relief to the great West
ern world for its acculnulating products.
To put ourselces in direct communication Nth sch
q country is not that an object worthy the highest
efforts of our wisest and best mem To open a d..
rect trade with 80 vast apart of the world, in any
light it be viewed is it not worth the exertion
of all the power, all the means Virginia can COM
mandf