Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-08

TIE Court That sat in Judgment n?on the unfortunate;
Chares Stuart, is graphic and characteristics of the
tilaea. Alice Heath the firm, courageous, yet truly
feminine heroine wins our sympathy and command.
our admiration. The movement of the story, from
The old to the new world is well managed, and the
auihor has been happy in seizing upon the chief
points OF New England history, at that early period
and skfu;ly weaving them into the thread OF the
narrative.
Tho sentiments and passions portrayed are deep
and strong, yc; breathe pure, heslthfu religious
tone, too often wanting in works of fiction
" "Pocahontas. Legend of Virginia." will always
possess local interest, and will be read with the
attention ever awakened by the name. Every one
loves the sweet Indian maiden, of whom so little is
known, bu. that little so beautiful that the imsgina.
ton has leave TO conceive all that it will.
"Grace Bartlett" illustrates an important phase of
revolutionary history; but will refer to the book
itself for the Details feeling confident the reader will
not regret the few hours thus bestowed.
THE WATER LINE FROM NORFOLK WEST
WARD.
few weeks sgo, made mention of an able
pamphlet this subject which had been sent to us
and which is designed for extensive circulation
throughout the State. 1t proposes plan to the peo
pie Of Virginia, for commanding the commerce Of the
Great West, which il As bold and comprehensive as
il seems to be practicable We are highly gratitied
to observe that an able paper at one of the most
prominent points Of the proposed route to have
its attention earnestly enlisted in the project. We
allude to the ST. Louis Leader, from which we make
the following extract:
"lf Virginia could complete euch canal at fourfold
this cost, she ought to 20 to work at it at Cnce.-
Such canal would at create an entire revolution
in the interior commerce of our country The great
bulk OF the products of the Mississippi valley would
seek market b. this route The channel of trade
thus passing through Virginia would have its usual
effects. Villages, towns and cities would spring up
along its course, and the cities now langushing or
going TO decay, would become seats of al enormous
foreign commerce, and great centres of trade. Then
Norfolk might have dozen lines Of ocean steamers
and Great Easterns would resort Of their own accord
to her wharves. But until this canal is competed'
it is vain to imagine that any of the schemes which
her people have go fondly cherished will ever be
renized. Railroads alone can never build up a com.
nercis city of the fret class for they cannot trans.
por: those bulky articles which constitute the staples
of commerce, cheap enough 10 compete with water
transportation. Hence it is that with the numerous
lines of railroads, connecting the West with the At
lanc coast the great bulk of our products reach the
ocean by the Mississippi river and the Erie canal.
water central route being more direct would have
immense advantage over either.
"If Virginia construct it, she will speedily re.
gain that position in the Union which she has lost
Then the Northern States will cease to upbraid her
with her decreptude and decline. Her material de
veopment will no longer lag in the of the
Southern States. The brilliant picture gowingly
portrayed by this author will then be realized and
Norfolk may become the first seaport on the conti
nent.
ave assert oil this on the supposon that the facts
stated in the pamphlet can be relied on. We are not
sure that they can be, but if they can, then nothing
else but the blindest infsfuaon will prevent the
statesmen and people OF Virginia from pushing on
this great work. The entire West is Interested in it,
more particularly the two large cities OF St. Louis and
Cincinnati, which are almost Immediately on this
line and which would Gnd this the most direct line
to the Atlantic ocean for their immense trade. BY
such canal barges and boats loaded at our levees
might discharge their csreoes without transhipment
at the wharves Of Norfolk