Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-09
THE LANES RIVER AND KANAWiiA COM
pANY

TIE LANES RIVER AND KANAWilA COM
PANY.
Without intending to commit ourselves to oil the
pos;ions of the following article, taken IRON the
Lvnrhburg Virginian. We nevertheless copy DIS
strong expression of opinion from an inhuenuai
in reference TO the great water line improvement. VI
Virginia. The Enquirer has been from the oeglhn.nk
strenuous advocate Of the james River enu ~"
nawhs Caual Our position residents OF h'cn''"'
has enabled US 10 observe, year by year, Ito pe"e
fetal Influence upon the Agricultural prosperity q
several large and interesting portions oil Inc 'a'e
and our earnest desire has long been that sone'"e
might be done to give relief, not less to Inc COMPANY
than to the Commonwealth, now 30 deeply 'h'o''e'
a. stockbolder creditor and surety. II the "conVer
sion scheme" promises this relief, and ba NOT ao'e
to insuperabe objections, land We confess "'nout
having examined it in all it's bearings, such oolec''ons
do not occur TO DEL then we would advocate ta
massage. At all events we invoke for the Improvement
at the hands of the General Assembly csreiu' con
sderaton, and such aid as may appear TO oe entitled
To- upou fair view of is condition and importance
In enumsratiug In our article Of yesterday, some
objections to the late Report Of the Internal
msnt Committee OF the Legislature, We sPeclnsd Inc
ignoring Of he claims Of the James hiver aat 10.
wha Cc;npany. That Company is now before the
Legislature with proposition to convert Tue aeot
of the Company into Stock. The proposition deserves
The favorable consideration OF the Legislature
though We hesitate not to say, We are tor ourselves
in favor of additional aid by direct appropriation from
the Treasury. =,
Despite the ridicule which has been cast upon the
great water line of Vrgna-despite the depreciation
of its stock, and the predictions tits falare-uesps
the immense of money that 1t has ccsl' over anu
above the original calculaon-desplte the el.'m SCI
up of the superiority of railroads for purposes OF
portation-we have never yet had our fa"h shaken,
for one sngle moment, 10 the great value anu dement,
of this magnificent improvement. We nave never
the day. since the Canal was o'%mehoeu, I'M I'M
We would not, if in the Legislature, have voted the
bottom dollar in the Treasury for its complexion 10
the Ohio. We have always regarded II, aud Gun re-
gard it, as emnently the leading tne OF our virginia
with which all the RAILROADS IN the state
nut together in respect OF developing the greatness Of
the Old Common are not worthy to be mentioned
ON Tine same day. The State may be checkered with rail
roads North South, East and West-but still the In
ternal Improvement system OF Virginia VIII not be
complete until the grand conception OF ashington
ia realized and the waters of the Ohio river and OF
Chesapeake Bay are united by direct and continuous
communication. De Witt Clinton projected the Erie
Canal in New York, and Martin Van Buren, said, on
one OCCASION that he enved him. tor that reason the
grave that he slept in. George Washington project
cd the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the
conception was worthy Of his great intellect and his
boundess patriotism. Instead Of erecting q "broDZe
conglomeration" to his memory in Richmond, the
greatest and best monument Virginia could erect TO
Washington, would be the james River and Kama
wha Canal, completed from Richmond to the Kama
wha River. Could that great man rise from the
grave, he would We doubt not, recommend that Inc
Richmond Monument be toppled down until not one
priated to the realisation of that grand project which
he foresaw would make Virginia the Empire State OF
the South aud Of the Union.
The james River and Kanawha Company is now
before the Legislature with proposition that the deot
of the Company to the State be converted into stock
Nothing can be lost by the proposed conversions and
il is asserted that it will enable the Company to pro-
secute the work with its resources until it reach
Covington. We trust the Legislature will not hest
tate moment In acceding to the request. That the
revenues OF the James River and kanawha Company
will steadily increase year by year, s apparent TO The
most obtuse understanding. The completion OF the
East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, WILL OF ITSELF
lead to the making Of the Canal the outlet Of an i'm
mense trade 10 wheat and -four from the splendid az
rcullural region Of east Tennessee which now has TO
seek a circuitous route by railroad to the harbor Of
Charleston, in South Carolina. The Cumberland Gap
road-now in process of construction-will be ano
Their feeder to this great Improvement: The CoVins
ton and Ohio road will be another. Inc traoe ana
the agricultural resources of the country through
which the Virginia aud Tennessee railroad passes, are
vet in the incipiency of their development; and will
in the course Of time, furnish ten times as much to
the business of the canal as at present In short
this much derided improvemens-this worthless
ditch as the uuthinking have stgmatiSsd twill yet
vndicate itself from the assaults of its enemies and
will yet fulfil its appropriate mission of being the
great regeneration Of Virginiss glory.
Instead of wasting the resources of the State on
such visionary and suicidal schemes the extension
of the Dauvle Road, let the Legislature concentrate
all the available means Of the Commonwealth upon
the Canal. Let that great work be completed which
will place the ports Of Western Europe in direct wa
ter communication with the cities of the Mississippi
Valley! Instead Of wranglDg over The petty schemes
of personal or local ambition here and there over the
State let the Legislature turn its serious attention TO
this grand enterprise, which, when completed, will
make the Old Commonwealth bloom and blossom
like the rose.