Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-28

ask for the suiIrages Of my fellow citizens
Opposition from my own party having sug-
gestcd to some the propricty Of convention,
know need not say to YOU that in announcing
myself at this time do not desire 10 disturb
the harmony Of the party. admit the right
of the Democratic party TO select its own can
didatc. hold my present position by con-
vention nomination; yoa know that was Sc
lcctcd as the standard bearer at all hour Of diff
ficulty and disaster, and now in the day Of tri-
umph, should the party in the Distric, deter
mine upon 4 convention. will only say it il
not my right to oppose it.
Very respectfully. PATHS PowELL.
-SSr-
TO Be OF Not To Be That's the Question"
We Yesterday. .; considerable length. AS
signed reasons for the selection of such men
only, for the next Legislature. As are sound
upon what seem, To lis the most vital question
of Virginia progress and prosperity trtcM-
Sim If tie WATER LINi:--Or some equivalent cell
trail linc-throvyh 10 Tie 0hi". For men who
will be earnest and emphatic in their advocacy
Of a system Of improvement. founded upon the
policy Of one or more through lines. with the
same power Of development that the Erie canal
has given New York, and which also, like that
great work, have power 10 grasp As much 81
the trade of the great West rs we may lesitl-
matcly claim, and bring it through the heart OF
our State: 10 the cnriching OF every part there
Of the encouragement of every interest, the
lpbuding Of our cities and towns. and the cS-
Enlistment through il If that commercial in
dependence and prosperity which 1t is abSurdiY
homeless 10 look for through any other lniiu-
cncc.
We all knop-for the history o! this matter
is too plain to be- MISUNDERSTANDING it is 10
the adoption Of such policy rs we recon-
mend. that New York owes whatever is great
ana prosperous in her condition. in comparison
with other States OF the Union. We all know,
that when this policy WAS urged upon New
York. her territory was but in the infancy Of
development that the body of the State WAS 4
hnwlng wilderness; that so far from having
the trade of other States. her merchants could
not even command her Own--a part going
down the ST. Lawrence, 4 part down the Sus-
o!channa and other riycrS-whilc the City CT
New York having no other support than the
Hudson and the Mohawk country, and the
small trade Of the Sounds was rapidly falling
behind her commercial rivals. We know tina,
the construction Of the Erie Canal rh0"?d NE
condition ct' al M,sr things We know that
by it. aad Il alonc, the State was brought to
speedy and thorough dcvclopmcnt-that by it
she was not only enabled To gather and con-
ccntratc her own trade. but that Of the mighty
West. We know that the building Of this
Canal had the most powerful influence i'll favor
of New York City--that it gave that City
Overwhelming advantages over every other RI
val in the concentration Of domestic trade, ard
in the dissemination Of foreign merchandise to
the interior. We all know that these intlu
cnces have given the Empire City that wealth
and greatness which has made it famous with.
in the entire cycle Of civilization and a power
and influence that is felt in every city, town
and cross road in the Union. We all know
that il has increased the aggregate wealth 81
New York city, from fifty or sixty millions in
ISIS, to 0Ccr q THOUSAND MILLIONS i'll 1915,
while the total enhancement Of State and city
PROPERTY has amounted in that period to at
least TWO THOUSAND MILLIONS. We say We all
know these facts. or At least oaght 10 hhOtc them,
for the history Of the prosperity of New York
both State and city-pont too plainly to
single cause. for even the most stupid TO mis-
understand it. That cause was the Erie Canal,
and the policy Of chsoY Mropgh trade lines
which il, construction inauSuratcd. Some per
sons, it is true. ascribc ! portion of the pros
perity Of New York to her railroadS--but II
should he remembered that the railroads OF that
State are themselves creatures Of the Canal
that they were born Of, anl are now sustained
by the wealth and business that the Canal IT.
self cngcndercd.
Have we the opportunity Of establishing
thy6ugh line system. Of the developing and
concentrating power OF that Of New York or
even one OF vastly greater power: Four
fths. at least, Of the journals Of Virginia have
warmly and strongly endorsed the latter and
stronger proposition. The leading papers OF
81. Louis. Cincinnati. Louisville, Cairo. &C..
conccdc that by such line their trade would
find it, Natural outlet and inlet. to and from
the Atlantic. But the most valuable concc>-
sions in this behalf came from citizens Of our
Great rival for the trade Of the Wc>t-from the
statesmen and Journals Of the State and City
Of New York. These statesmen and Journals
admit, in language that can have hut one con
struction. the superior ndrdniagts OF THE route
that nature herself has traced through the very
heart of Virginia, in its shortncSs. safety and
chcapncsS; and in its power to grasp the larger
norton of the trade OF the great Vest and IN
terror. II has been asserted, and the friends
Of this great proposition are now prepared tc
maintain. that the annual profits of this Western
trade. together with the sums it would pay OIL:
IN transport charges and tolls in It's passage
through our territory, would trcbly pay tie
entire cost of the remaining constructions; that
the annual interest on the enhancement OF Nir-
ginia property, twenty-five years alter its com
plction. would pay its first cost five times over
and that while this is So the work would not
only pay its own construction, but would mahc
an annual contribution TO the various railroad
interests Of the State, to n far greater amount
than the interest on its entire cost.
If these things are true. there can be no
doubt but the claims Of this proposition arc
ortrpLtimingiy saptriGr TO those oi aug other
and an others Ii they arc correct, there can
be no doubt OF the Importance Of taking the
most thorough steps for their immediate ana
unconditional ADOPTION: and Of the imperative
Dirty Of the various Editors Of the State. TO
urge the proposition upon their readers II
these claims are not correct. ii seems IN loss
their imperative duty to expose their iai.a'y'
before they have ma',c deeper impression un-
on the public mind.
$40 be. or not to be-" mist now he the iueS-
ton before our people. and should've AGAIN
urgc-havc Il controlling influence i'll the Sc
lection Of the members oi the next Legislature
Ii is true. that orr State lawmakers should "e
selected with reference 10 the laws they are I"
make-thc policy they are to perpctuaic. We
have had enough Of both inaction and indlrec-
ton in Virginia. and it is time that something
like order, arrangement and purpose, super
vcncd upon the former condition of things.
We arc aware that many imagine. and many
urge, the impracticability of our route, and