Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-01

tests among nations besides those OF war. In peace,
ihsre may bs battles for the sceplre OF commerce
In the race between cities, it is the FIRST start which
most frequently decides the victory. No State should
supineIy suffer its n%eighbors TO enclrcle it with canals
and rail roads, snatching from is grasp a great trade
which il has only TO stretch forth its T 10 seize for
,t..If, When. under such circumstances a highway
ia all that is wanted; when private means cannot
mild il, and the public means, without a loan, would
build it too slowly to secure the trade which It seeks
then TO build such a highway, public credit may De
uscd: but, even Tor sucn d pu'pose' u sn'u'u "' w
strained or haZarded.
Bur among the various roads which the slate Is
now asked to aid by borrowing money tor Ihelr 6ens-
AZ there ia but one, the Covington and ONO hoau'
which haa been conducted solely upon IT, Saat a,hs oeG b;IIs
or which can be called q State work. Inc oiher pilia,
embraced in the combination, II We e1cept tns ohl
for the Central Rail Road, (which can be nnisoed 10
Covington without further aid from the o'ale.l DC
cupy no higher grounds, either OF otate po'cy VI nh1"'
cisl e1pediepcy. az has been already shown IN this de-
bate. than the bill under consideration. They are not
more likely to pay dividends. when composites, .nh
the Virginia road5, already finished yet unproaueuse.
Such of them az are not rival and sntagon'suc, na.e
my best wishes, for they will be most Valuaoe v
those sections of the State which they traverse; ou'
none of them will accomplish any great OBJECT
which the citizeEs Of the whole Stale are lnteres!eo,
and i, is, in the highest degree. unequal and unJus.
ta1 ss The for s!' ,hs.s , of The iny 9isis s'sss should soa the es sa nses
treasure of the public credit, itself, hazarded in their
behslf. These roads, already literally aided oy the
public means, ought at least to he completed by those
who will reap their benefit. They can, ana WIZ De
finished by private means, If We firmly close the door
of the Treasury to their applications. We are as
sured of this by the history of rail roads in Georgia
n State LEES wealthy and p0prious IMAM virginia
While our rail road companies are oeggar' 81 !ne
nublic crib, they viii look no where else tor reiiei;
but when the Hercules they invoke, ia deaf 10 MI
their cries for help, they will be 'ure then, IN earnest
TO put their own shoulders TO the wheel.
But the Covington and Ohio road, unlike lie asso
cistes, is not the work OF a company, bat undertaken
solely by the State and MUST ha carried on Ms II was De-
gun. or entirely abandoned. Unlike i's associates II is
not q sectional but a State work, and a State wofk III
truth 8s well ~ In name. Ii has IN view an OBJECT
dear to the heart OF every patriotic 'irg'niah-'he
commercis independence of his Stats-for II goes 10
bring us that greht Western trade which will free US
from our bondage to New York. Ii seeks a trade
immense, n0w-immeasurahle III inc 'ulure-anu' me
that of the Indies, in the old world, DEFINED, III Inc
new, 10 give the great keys OF commerce tn'o !me
hands of its posseasor-a trade, too, which nature IN
tended for Virginia, and shich rival States are strain
ing every nerve L" wrest from her grasp. Even II u
fail. either from the rivalry Of foreign railroads. or
tho fruits at our own improvident legis!atioi' 10 orihS
10 our Atlantic seaports the trade OF the Western
rivsrs, yet il will b. the auxiliary and pioneer OF that
water line which must follow, and which, when !
comes, will be seen to command this trade against 81
competition.
For .rGh 3 work as this, standing alone upon It's me
riis, | am ready 10 vote freely from the pubic means
when The condition of our finances and credit allows
INT TO do so. Butt will be long aud costly ana u
ensure liz vigorous prosecution in the future, II u hrrt
necessary that our dIapidated finances and damaged
credit uhuuld be husbanded end restored. when We
have paid off the floating debt which now rests upon
the Treasury, We may adhere TO the TAX bill 81 loJb,
aud annually appropriate to this road the surplus pro-
ducrd by the present taxes over the ordinary eA'
p-us-s of government. When We have restored the
dropping credit Of the State, we may again borrow
money on thai credit to speed this great work on to the
Ohio. But it will never got there, II II Ia To
go by log.roIiing 1t is better for the bHl "i
the present session 10 be defeated upon lis merits,
than to succeed ia It's present company. For II Ii bet
ter that the work should be temporarily suspended
NOW, than permanently abandoned hereafter. II tor
every million expended on il, We must pay two or three
millions to other works in all parts OF the State, We
will Is ant no less than fifty millions OF the public
money before the Western waters cen be reached
Let the friends of the road procsed with such a
scheme for its prosecution, aud II ID safe To hazard the
prediction That an indignant and suffering constlfu
ency will require Us 10 stop even the CovIigtoh ROAD
in the very gOrges ot tb. mountains. rather than
submit 10 u burden of debt aud taxstion, too heavy
for any people 10 endure. However desirable 1t may
be, Virginia cannot, al such u cost, Afford 10 10 10
the.Ohio with her steam care.
Before 10 emb. rk, in our legislation, upon Il
voyage like his-worse than useess, il we turn back.
and leading to such enormous public Indebtedness, 1t
We 90 On-let us bear in mind that there are limits,
beyond which this generation has no right TO GO
in imposing = tax upon the labor and capital OF sue
CrtulIS RtutEh IL tbtlC OC " iiuiitS' '''
va may go on mortgngiug the industry OF posterity,
until the mortgage equals the whole power Of pro
duction and the producing classes are reduced 10
slavery. Let US take heed, then, that we do not leave,
rs a legacy, to those who come after US, the alarming
question whether these limits have been passed.
We have no right 10 lay taxes and vote money for
our children as well as for ourselves. Let lie
leave something then TO the discretion OF those
who may succeed IL, and not make too free with
tn. resources OF the future, recolIecting that The
future, no less than the present, will have MS own
wants 10 provide for. To nations as TO IN
diyiduals, the moral elements OF strength and
greatness are far more important than the physlcsl.-
Let us not sacrifice the higher and aobler elements IN
vainIy seeking for the lower. CoInmercis suprema
cy itself, is no boon to any people. unless military
power accompany and defend it. From the days ut
ancient Persia and Carthage to those of model. lta.
ly and Spain, wealth and commerce, without the pro
lection of true hearts and brave arms, have but III
vited the aggression and furnished the prey of the
strong and wariike. A republic Of free citizens should
be something more than q mere machine for making
money, shipping and receiving goods, and buying
aud selling at q profit. Let us not follow, then, too
fast md too eagerly after New York and Massachu-
setts, in the race for mere riches, lest we lose. by it, a
nobler precedence among the States of the Union.-
High above all other considerations, let us ever hold
the proud fame and spotIess faith Of Virginia.