Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-22
sTo Be or Not to Be-That's the Cues


rsaso.s Tor the selsclion Of such only for the
next Ls6islaGure. = are sound upon what seems
% ~ The most viii question Of Virginia progress
and prosperisy-sRe Essession Of the WArEn LINE
or some equivalent central line-throngh 10 The
Ohio For men who will be earnest and emphatic
| in their advocacy of . 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. aud which
also like that great work, have power to grasp us
much Of the trade OF tie great West as we may
legtimaily claim, and bring it through the heart
of our Statc to the enrching Of every part there
of the encouragement Of every interest,". the up
building Of our cities and towns, and the estab-
lishment through ii Of that commercial intiepen-
dsnce and prosperity, which il is absurdy hopeless
10 look for through any other influence.
We all knor--for the history Of this matter is
too plain TO be msunderstood--that it ia " tho
adoption of such policy "a we recommend, that
New York owes whatever is great aud prosperous
in her condition. in comparison with other States
Of the Union. We oil 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 bowling wilderness that so far
from having the trade Of other States, her MGR
chants could not even command bor own part
going down the St. Lawrence, part down the
Susouehanna and other riyers-while the City Of
New York. having NO other support than the Had-
aon and the Mohawk country, aud the small trade
of the Sounds, VIVA rapidly falling behind her
commercial rivals We know that the construc-
ton of the Erie Canal changed The conditio" Of all
hat v and II HIO
the State was brought to speedy and thorough
development--that by it she was not only enabled
to gather and concentrate her own trade, but that
of the mighty West. We know that tho building
Of this Canal had the most powerful influence III
favor of New York City-that 1t gave that city
overwhelming advantages over every other rival III
tho concentration Of domestic trade, aud IN the
dissemination Of foreign merchandise 10 the int
rior. We all know that these influences have CIV
en- the Empire City that wealth and greatness
which has n,ado it famous within the entire cycle
of civilization, and power and influence 'h"' .
felt in every city, town and cross road III the
Union We all know that it has increased the
aggregate wealth Of New York City, from nifty or
sixty millions in 1918, to orcr THOUSAND MIL
HONS in 1883, while the total enhancement oil
State and City property has amounted IN that pc
Rod to ut least TWO THOUSAND MILLIONS "es"s
we all know these facts. or at least onyht 10 hno"
them, for the history of the prosperity Of New
York-both State and City-poiut too plainly to
q single cause for even The most stupid to m'sun-
ders,and it, Tint cause was the Erie Canal aud
tho policy OF chedp hron3h trade d"cs winch It's
construction inauguratcd. Some persons. 1t IL
true, ascrhe portion of tho prosperity OF New
York to her railroads-but it should be remeni
bercd, that the railroads of that State arc them
selves creatures of the Canal-that they we're born
Of, aud are now sustained by the wealth and bu-
sness that the Canal itself enGcndcrcd.
Have wo the opportunity ol establishing
through line system, OF the developing aud concen.
trating power of that Of New York, or even one
of n vastly greater power? Four tt'hs, a least,
Of the journals of Virginia have warmly anu
strongly endorsed The latter and stronger propo>i-
ton The leading papers # St. Louis, 'incinna-
Ii, Louisville, Cuiro, 80, cencc3c that by such
line their trade would Gnd ito natural outlet and
inlet, 10 and from the .Atlantie, But the m}s
valuable concessions in this behalf came from cit
liens Of our great rival for The trade Of the West
from the statesmen and journals Of the State
and City of New York. These statesmen aud
journals admit in language that can have but one
construction. the superior ddriHfdgts OF the route
that nature herself has traced through the very
heart Of Virginia in its shortncss, safety and
cheapncss; and i'll i's power to grasp the l"rga'
portion Of the trade of the great West and Int
rior 1t has been asserted aud The friends OF this
great proposition are now prepared To MAINTAIN
that the ANNUAL profits of this Western trade to-
gether with the sums il would pay out in Transport
charges and tolls in its passage through our terri
tory. would tiebiy pay the ENTIRE COST oi the
remaining construction, that the annual interest
on the enhancement Of Virginia property. twenty
five years after It's completion, would pay its first
cost nee tunes opcr--nnd that while this is the
work would not only pay its own construction,
but would make an annual contribution to the va
rvus railroad interests Of the State,to 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 are orer'ch1lm-
ingiy superior to those Of any other, and dHohefs.
II they are correct, there can be no doubt Of the
importance of taking the most thorough steps Tor
their immediate and unconditional adoption; and
If the imperative DUTY Of the various Il htors OF
the State to urge the proposition upon their read
ers If these claims are not correct, it seems no
less their imperative duty to expose their ialacy,
before they have made deeper impression upon
the public mind.
"ro be. not to be, must now be the question
before our people, and should've again urge
have controlling influence in the selection Of the
! the members OF the next Legislature. 1t is true,
that our State lawmakers should be selected with
refare tn he Ia thav Ia mako tba Nnl.v