Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-07-17
Tnc Ci,, OF Hai,isserc = ror-ig" tr"s".


Preston recent visit to that city which we pub
Bsh.a few DAYS ago, follows it up with the fol-
lowing comments;
I'VE irc these remarks of the Gazette as well on
nm, 81 their saigg,srasess 10 Baiumore"ns as.iof
tair truth when speaking generally Of the dement's
7 seerne TO the Vest from direct Southern trade
Fe nevertheless thiuk It will be lohnd mistake
,be far greater proximity OF Baltimore 10 the
Yeste-, trade centres viii be neutra.ze1 by surPos-
S difficulties Of Bay navigation. Tue only GROUND
lonbt Is as 90 the capacity al our harbor ana As
has beeD already found In aoat all the shipping
ich the necessities OF our trade Geuanded, ana Is
own TO he capable Of easy improvement II may be
civ inferred that with the tall Development oil ihe
Ae the facilities Of Baltimore will be found SUN
nj In the future as they have been IN the past
.stern trade viii be likely, in seeking more dis
p, and less natural outlet, 10 90 farther and iate
,rse The instant steam line becomts heeeasit!
re il will be forthcoming as necessity MOI PROM
e. is the safe guide in these cases
1t will be reoolec,ed that the wr,terin the I'd
etc expressed the satisfaction with which o'h.
innati contemplated commercial connection
With Norfolk, believing that Norfolk was the nut
,rel and appropriate outlet for the productions
f the ohio and Mississippi valleys lie went
~ to say that Baltimore was perhaps nearer
nut this advantage was overcome 10y the distance
md difficulties OF the navi CATION OF Chesapeake
Bay Baltimore being near the head OF the Bay
and Norfolk just Mt its mouth
This decidedly favorable view OF Norfolk as
the Atlantic terminus of a foreign trade coming
as il did from the largest city of the Ohio valley
does no, appear by any means to be agreeable to
or worthy brother Of the Baltimore american.
He therefore copies the article on account OF Its
IL.
by that Baltimore is in danger of losing the trnde
of that region. and that she must look sharp TO
prevent il from being diverted to Norfolk.
Now, we are disposed to agree with our Balti-
more cote mporary. that Cincinnati has perhaps
overrated he difficulties of Bay navigation. The
greater proximity of Norfolk to the sea gives IT
some advantage over Baltimore, il is true, but
not as much as our Cincinnati writer seems to
suppose. We have no idea that there would DO
any difference of freight, in u trans Atlantic roy-
age, between Baltimore and Norfolk. And the
difference in time would he too lnconsderabe to
be taken into the account.
But when the american says that Western
trade in seeking "a more distant and less nntu
raj outlet meanpg Norfolk go farther
and fare wose, then join issue on the propo
siton, and like the itigan,s in a court of justice
throw ourselves upon the country.
We believe it is universally admitted that
transportation by water is cheaper than transpor
tation by land. Now, in bringing the products
Of the West TO The seaboard, if they are brought
10 Norfolk, not more than hundred miles of
and transportation, in few years. will be nee
-ssary-wbereas il they are cAr'!1d 10 Baltimore,
will be land transportation the sniire distance
rom the Ohio river to that city. and that too,
costly road. bull, through rugged aud
mountainous country. When the James River
d kanawha Canal is finished to Covngton,
90 the navigation Of the kauawha river is i'm
we'd. a. IL eventually will be, will have al
At uninterrupted water transportation through
centre Of Virginia. Indeed, the day cannot
.s cry far distant when the waters Of the jaime,
u Kanawha rivers viii be united by Il contin.
II canal connection; and thus the necessity Of
transportation entirely avoided between the
nr limits of our Western settlements in Kan.
and Nebraska, and the Atlantic ocean at Nor
AN Baltimore compete with such line in the
asportaion of the heavy articles Of Western
ductionl Even now. we have water trans
tation from Buchanan in Botetourt county to
'rfolk more than half the distance across tho
ate. Baltimore, on the other hand, has to
ansport her freight from Parkersburs, the en-
distance, by rail
Ills, without taking into account more Sou
ern latitude, less liability to distractions from
low and ice, and the difference of distance be
II. n
altinore.
But our cotemporary of the American also
axes haste to assert the capacity of his harbo,
lie does not dispute the capacity of the harbor
Norfolk-bot contends that the la rbor of Bal
more will be fully equal to all the demands tina
nay be made uponit. We will no, contest thi,
'o.nt-but we believe the superiority of Norfoli
'arbor TO every other on the Atlantic coast. OK
'ept Portland is universally acknowledged =
'ince the late Bristol Convention, we obsery
hat New York has also taken the alarm, aud :
aerts sufficient depth of water, even there, 70
he admission of the Great Eastern Previous
y, New York never claimed more thnn twenty
wo feet OF water-but. since the agitation of thi
.nbject. the Herald has published an elaborat
liagram. showing more water there than tn
''oldest inbabtant' ever before d, canned Of Bal
tmore, We doubt not has depth of water enoug
for the coastng and West India trade but no
for vessels Of the colossal proportions niece ssar,
f"r'he increased demand of transatlantic com
inerce.
The truth Is, nature--whose laws no one ma,
assa'-has. beyond all question. marked GU
Norfolk as the proper enirepot of the trade Q
the West, and the legitimate Atlantic terminu