American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-03-19
MORGNN70WN M0N0NGALIA co. co. VA FRIDAY MARCH IA Xxx

| PS-SSS'S. q oft'y .ASI"tASNL = n ~. SOlpiSsO
our great system of internal improve.
ment, if gentlemen who are the friends
of this policy desire to sec a connec-
tion established Between the Seaboard
and the Ohio, binding Che people of the
two great sections Of the Commonwealth
in one common interest, allow me to
ask of them if their patriotism would
go far enough to impose upon them.
selves one fourth of one per cent upon
the property they holR
But / have promised that I would
not .detain the house long, and I will
therefore hasten to- another PROPOSE
ton. five are able to construct these
roads by applying properly the ener-
gles OF the people and the resources of
the State, the next question that ari-
ses should we do it? The burthen of
the argument on the other side is, that
we should not do it, because railroads
dc, not pay. We have had a long
statement on the subject of railroads.
not only in the United States but in
Europe, presented to us; and the gem
tleman from Preston made rapid
trip on railroads around the globe, the
result of. which was dcyelopement of
the astounding fact that railroads do
not pay. This is the idea to which
shall callrthe attention of the House, -
While | shall take the position that
they do pay, | will not say that they
pay directly in tile shape of dividends,
but l maintain that they do pay, sir,
Indirectly in the advantages that they
confer upon the people Will any.
man say :hat railroads do not Increase
the commercc Of the State? What
are the facts in regard to this matter?
Since the Introduction Of RAILROADS in
to the United States, our commerce has
been increased to the enormous sian
dard of ninety millions of dollars.
And what has led to this great advanced?
Why theincreased facilities afforded
by this medium for the transportation
of the products of the country to the
Atlantic sea-ports. You, sir, as well.
as many other members of this House
must recollect, that before the intro
duction of railroads, our fathers in the
West made theirtrips to markets across
the mountains, distance of one hum
dred and fifty miles with mules and
horses. They had no motives, then to
clear the woods to reduce the verdant
soil to cultivation or enlarge their
farms, for they could not sell the pro-.
ducts of their lands, having no facil-
ties to transport them to market. Rail
roads, however have opened up these
facilities and have given an impulse to.
the manufacturing interests of the
country. We are emphatically young
people, though we live in a fast age, as
compared to the countries of tho old
world. We are young but in point of
energy and experience we are taking
a position by the side Of the proudest
nations of the old world. Railroads,
by the facilities which they afford in the
development of the resources of the
country, have in the last fifteen years,
added to its manufacturing capital,
eighty millions of dollars And they
have added in the same time twenty
one millions to the capital of the coun-
try, to say nothing Of the increase in
the value Of lands and other property.
But they increase also the agricultu-
raj products of the country. 1t was
said here by the gentleman from Pres
ton (MR. KBMDLE) that we ought to
stop our internalimprovement system,
because they divert too much of the
labor necessary for agricultural pur-
suits. Allow me to say, that since the
! introduction of railroads into the u
tnited States, more than two millions of
acres of lahl have been brought into
cultivation, A large portion of these
lands would be lying to-day as they
we're ct the dawn of creation, but for
the impulse given by railroads. About
| FIVE thousand acres Of wild land have
been brought into cultivation in Vir-
ginia, since she first started upon her
internal Improvement policy; and yet
gentlemen say that it is dangerous to
the agricultural interests Of the coun-
try to construct railrods. o aa
But sir, there was another view "a.
! ken by the gentleman from Preston,
to which | wish to call the attention Of
the House; and that is that these rail-
road improvements have tendency to
break up the Union. lie besought
i this House almost with tears in his eyes
to stop all these enterprises, lest they
might dissolve the Union and split up
the Democratic party. | admit that
if they were to have this tendency, I
would be inclined to listen to the gem
tlcmau's warning voice. Ihe sever.