The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-03

! s.Asvsrtissmeas fos the DusascH nuss % mana
"a m BY - Scinsk u ~ afs~rnas. u erder = ap
= sssr ne mart dAy me- heavy pressure q sdvef.
ssessnen,s r.>u the columns u csr paper VIII net
= sanft q shsir reception Asser the hosr AAnea.
ThS James River CAnai-A voice
,a~ from ths West,
- VI scmssins since called the attention Of our
= yvsasrs 70 mastery pamphlet, BY gentleman Of
Eoftblk, entitled sAn Appeal for the speedy CON-
Melton on the water line Of Virginia II 10 stated
on the cover Of thia pamphlet that the line would
be the ssgreat central water line OF the Union,
] which viil reach from the whsrves Of Norfolk far
into KAnsss, and eventually 10 the very bases OF
the Rocky Mountains, passing through the hears
Of the Union, the grsAt centres Of Western ana In
terror trade and anording to the eommsrcs OF the
vast country drained BY the upper Western rivers
an outlet and inlet far superior to any taat 10"
sxists, or can ever b sstablishsd'
This pamphlet has attracted the attention OF the
able editar Of che 81. Losis Leader, Who devotes
column Of his Journal TO this Interesting suhjsct-
AssSr giving summary Of the principal facts and
views sst forth In the pamphlet, and referring to
,hs coat Of the work. ~ IL 10 Get forth in the high
ct ssssnats which has ever been made, the Leader
declares that "if Virginia could complete such .
canal at fcurfoid this cost she ought to to work
A, n ut oace She should Immediately stop all her
railroads aud other works Of internal improve
1oent and concentrate ell her means and energies
apon the completion OF this. Such canal would
al once create en- entire revolution 10 the interior
commerce Of cur country. The great bulk Of the
products OF the Mississippi valley would seek a
market by this route Tho channel Of trade thus
psssinx through Virginia would have its usual ef-
= fssss Villages, towns and cities would spring up
along its course, and the cities now Iansuishng
going 20 decay, would become seats Of an enormous
foreign commerce, and great centres OF trade
Then Norfolk might have q dozen lines Of ocean
steamers and Great Easterns would resort Of their
own accord to her wharves. Bat until this canal
is completed, il is vain 70 imagine that any Of the
schemes which her people have 50 fondly cherished
will ever be realized. Railroads alone ear never
build up commercial city Of ths FIRST class, for
they cannot trauspor. those bulky articles which
Constitute the staples Of commerce. cheap enough
20 compete with water transportation. Hence 1t
: 70 that with the numerous lines OF railrsads con-
meeting the West with the Atlantic coast the great
beik OF our products reach the ocean by the Mis-
slssippi river and the Erie canal. water central
route being more direct would have immense
!, advantage over either.
eff Virginia can construct IT, she will speedily
regain that position In the Union which she has
lost. Then the Northern States will cease to up
braid her with her desrepitude and decline Her
material development will ne longer lag In the
rear even Of the Southern States. The brilliant
picture 20 glowingly portrayed by this author
WIN then be realized, and Norfolk may become the
hrst seaport on the continent.
1--WE assert all this on the suppositisn that the
ncts stated in the pamphlet can be relied on. We
are not sure that they be, but if they csr, thai,
nothing else but the bindest infatuation will pre-
vent the statesmen aud people Of Virginia from
pushing on this great work. The entire West il
interested In II, more particularly the two large
cities Of st. Louis and Cincinnati, which almost
Immediately on this line, and which would hnd
this the most direct line to the Atlsnte for
their immense trade. By such q canal, bargss and
boats loaded at our levees might discharge their
sargoes without transhipment at the wharvss Of
. Norfolk"
The Leader then proceeds to mention another as
psct in which this central line might te favorably
regarded, viz Its tendency to preserve the Union
passing, it does, through the heart Of the cor.
tinent, and uniting In the closest bonds Of inter
est the most powerful States.
Such are the views which leading organ of
public opinion in the enterprising and go-ahesd
West takes Of the James river canal. win not our
contemporary be astonished to learn that 1t is the
Lshi. in Virginia to denounce the canal as be-
hind the age and to speak of 1t the "ditch" the
kvorite term I. rsyroack which the old adverse
riss of the New York and Erie Canal bestowed
upou II work which has made New York an En-
pirsf