Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-19

ter Tor all the STATES alike must grow win ner CROWN
and strengthen with her strength il is idle to deny
this fact and foolish to ignore il. BY being one as
nation we have become what We are; only by remain
ing one can We become what We should be. And il
is by internal improvements and commercial devel
opment that we strengthen the bonds Of the Union
and the bulwarks of our republican nationality.
"Vrginid is moving In the right direction, and this
little work of the heart the head, the types and the
pen, is calculated to smooth the way"
Thus it has ever been with Virginia. She has
waited till her very rivals urge her the road to
wealth and power. Shall she let them urge her long.
or Will she longer be blind to her wonderous ad.
vantsges7 We cannot bslieveit. Let her complete,
forthwith her great Eastern and Western lines Of rail-
way. And let her shape and prosecute at the earliest
possible day, some plan for the completion of the
great scheme pronounced by many of those, within
and without her borders best qualified to judge, as
calculated to accomplish for her solid greatness
than any or all Of them together.
VIRGINIA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND
OHIO RAIL RoAD-cANAL.
We have undertaken, in our last two numbers, TO
demonstrate the inseparable coune1ion between he
and the recovery of the lost commerce of the State
Our reasoning was based, of COURSE upon the sup.
position that the James River and Kauawha Canal
would be extended to Covngon, so as to form con.
tinuous connexion, compounded of railway and wa.
ter.line, between the tidswaters of the State and
those OF the Ohio. Our whole reasoning was based
upon this continuous co1nexion. If the basis ia
taken away, of course the whole supesructure falls
That is to say, II the canal 10 not to be completed to
EnpYr fILa oh. Ln,r tk
Seaboara and the West, and, necessarily, our main
depenuenee for the commercial redemption of the
State.
Of course, then, IL the canal be an indispensable
part Of that transit line to the West which is to give
rs comnerce-we mean commerce In it's enlarged
and honorable ssnse-i follows that the canal should
and must be extended to Coviugton.
The question, then arises what shall we do for the
canal How shall we best get it to Covingtou-
whittier, for conclusive reasons Il must Ro7
To make, for this object, the large appropriation
requisite to take it to Covngton, is, in the presen
condition Of the huances clearly out of the question
1t will require more TO carry it to that point than
asked for by all the other internal improvements il
the State put together.
Such an appropriation, them from the treasury, a
will protract i. to Covngton, Ia not to be expected.
What other plan shall be resorted tot We SO,
none other than that which Ia recommended by th,
President of the company and the stockholders. anc
that Is to convert the debt of the company into
stock for this conversion is to all inens and pur
poses, equivalent to actual and ample appropria
tion.
We shall not elaborate the argument. But we dc
beseech all who value the commercial independence
OF the State and who love to contemplate her future
grandeur and renown to read and to p,ndsr on, the
able arguments which have been furnished upon the
subject by James Lyons, Esq, and the President o
the company. These arguments show most con.
cusvely, that the conversion of the debt of the
pany into rtook, will give them the means OF finish.
ing their work to Covington, without calling upon
the Legislature for a dollar, without mailing neces
ssry ths increase of the taxes to the extent of dime
and without, in any way, injurousy affecting any
interest of the State whatever.
We trust, then, that this great measure will be
contaminated before the adjournment Of the Legis
lature. 1t is measure OF inexpressbls import
Its vslue, In conne4ion with ths commercial inde.
pendence of Virgins, is not to be calculated. Give
'N'
ton, and from thence that cheapest of all modes o
continuous water line trans.
mis1fn to the deep waters Of the State and you
can no more forbid 10 the State a magnificent com.
merce, than you can, by simple bidding arrest the
diurnal rotation of our globe.
We trust in God the representatives Of the people
now assembled in the capitol will not 20 home unit
they shall have provided, beyond contingency, fol
the certain completion ofhe whole llnecanal and raj
way both-between tide.water and the West. If they
do nothing else, let them this monument TO the
own, and the glory of the State. Let them make i,
fixed fact" that Virginia shall, and will have tha
great element Of power-an extensive foreign com
meroe.
The signs Of the times are not inauspicioss. Our
distinguished fellow citisen the Hon. w. Ballard Pres
tou has just returned from Earope with "gad tiding
ofgreat joy" bringing with him intelligence praci
Gal and practicable schemes of direct steam and com
mercial communication with Europe, which vii
gladden. the hearts and aronse the pride of every
VirRinan who loves his native land. Our secur,ie,
are uprising. The bubbles have burst that have di
verted the capital of the world from sound and stable
Investments Aad in year or so, without increasing
the taxes Of the people at all, dhallIhave plente
ous revenue-plenteous enough to give the finishing
touch TO our whole system of Internal improvements
On the whole, ttere s nothing to bid despair; and
il the Burgesses of the Old Dominion will but Dor
row for season the patriotism and the manness OIL
"he oden time" she 10 at and forever redeemed
CENTRAL RAIL ROAD.
The Staunton "speotstor" and Charlottesville "Ad
vocate" have, for some lime past, been in great
state of excitement about increased charges fo,
freight alleged to be in operation on the Central
Road We do not profess to be familiar with the
details of such subject, but We understand that the
pernicious example of Northern roads with their low
rates. has, to great extent controlled the managers
of our roads. There is one significant fact, which
would suggest, that the directory of the Central
Road may understand this subject, as we'll as our
contemporaries In Charlottesville and Staunton viz:
That these Northern roads, with their immense
amount of business, have become nearly bankrupt,
by reason Of their very low rates. Whether the
Central board will act wisely this subjsct, not,
we will not decide but we think they are bound in
duty to the Commonwealth, as we'll os private stock.
hodere, to try and make the investment profitable
The State has large stake in these roads, and ought
to get some returns. The unproductiveness Of exist
ing appropriations is the most serious bar to the fur.
ther prosecution of important llnes The public have
no more right to claim the use of rail roads without
the owners, than of any other private
lands houses, or wagons and te.ms OF
our citizens. There is another thing which occurs to
usif there is any error committed in this matter Of
tolls, the company will be the principal sufferers.-
When one public carrier charges too much, another
will be employed; these things correct Themselves
This seems to be contest of interest between the
public and the rail road. The rail road s.ockholder
wants to get something for his money that has been
lying dead capital, and that we think Is rea sonsble
TO THE MASONS THROUGHOUT THE UNI
TED STATES.
1t has already been seen, by the correspondence
lately published 10 what noble and patriotic man
ner the Masons Of Virginia have passed resolutions
to lend their aid to the Ladies of the Mount Vernon
Al, L. .raL.