Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-26
Al met with Mr.. .Johpston's relentless opposi

sion, 10 give tneIn q lalr opportunity W aNaA
themselves of the will of amajority. And al
ter o called session had enabled u vote Of par
tial appropriations, Mr.. Johnston, with hi'
Eastern anti-improvement allies, had al
ready taken steps of most noxions 9Th
cheney, to prevent the application Of ever,
appropriation which passed. Not onl.
WAS the tax OH State Bonds retained
but orders were issued TO the Commissioner
of the Sinking Fund Ia go into the market anc
shave up the States own bonds at a discount
Every step which would have been ruinorlS tc
private credit, was employed to crush the more
delicate machinery oil State credit for tht
sake Of withholding from the West all power
to develope the riches of her mountains ant
valleys. her rivers and coal fields, and prevent
ing her from pouring the whole bounty Of hei
developed riches down the streams Of The
Roanoke, the James, the Piankatank. the York,
the Rappahannock and the Potomac, instead d
restricting less than n 1.-THE TO the Patapsco
and leaving the rest still buried and useless
4 ~lifcleSs incubus.
Look at these facts, look at the State politics oil
the Eastern men who are urging John Letcher
as the only man fit to be chosen from the
West for Governor Of Virginia; then look at
Mr.. Johnston's anti.improvcment resolution
and the whole mystery Of his unusual bitter
ness which John Lctchcr's name has evoked
in the East, becomes at once apparent.
The Eastern politicians, who for the last two
years have been pledgins men to support the no
minatiou of John Letchcr, are the d~ati-inpr9re-
ment politicians. They are assisted h!y a few
politicians of the satisfied intcrrst'-the allies
of Baltimore and the foes OF every section 81
Virginia--to be found in the extreme North.
west.
The movement for John Lctcher is not dictated
by any regard to his claims or mcrit.-Stilll less
is i, dictated by any mere ininical feeling to-
wards Gov. Wise-though that statesman owes
all the malice and all the opposition which he
has encountered from enemies Of his own par.
", to his answering devotion to the equal
rights Of Western Virginia, and the advance
men, Of internal improvements. There is some
thing greater at stake than the malice Of poll
ticians, or the interests Of any individual, how
ever deserving.
.Iohn Letchtr is tie dntitntrmai imnrore-
ment candidate for III. Democratic n0minatt"n.
This is the whole secret Of the otherwise unac-
countable efforts now made in his favor.
We have unainchingly stood guard over the
internal improvement interest, rs the great pre-
vailing issue in Virginia. We will not prove
recrcant now. We appeal to every section and
to every district, to crush this attempt 10 give
the ascendancy TO n narrow and suicidal State
policy.
We appeal to the extreme Northwest. We
10 not believe that the MASSES Of that section.
like some Of their politicians. are bound body
and soul to the interests Of Baltimore. Hancock,
Brooke and Marshall--Preston, Taylor, lIarri-
son, Doddridge, Richie and Woodland the in
tervcning counties have not ccascd 10 be
part Of Virginia, in feeling and sentiment
and common interest, as well As in name
We appeal to the great body Of Southern and
middle Trans .illeghany, where produce rots
on the ground for the wan, Of mud turnpikrs
to convey il to market We appeal to the
! hardy sons of the Valley, and Of the mountains
which encompass the Valley, who are left
! equally destitute. Weappeal to the busy mart
of Lynchbure. TO the great manufacturing and
.-..I ..,ts. &c D;.k,nnpi tn ,b. .ptn,-
prising emporium Of Petersburg, each cf which
Nature requires to strengthen their multiplied
! and extended lines in every direction. We APP
peal to the magnificent harhor and tho town
of Norfolk, where the navy Of the world might
ride at anchor-and where n population Of some
Is, 900 is allowed to lansuish for the
which leaves its natural channel to swell the hun
drcds Of thousands Of population, and the mil
lions Of capital and Of trade, at Baltimore
We appeal to the city Of .Alexandria-the great
port Of the Potomac, needing only a contini-
Gus connection with the interior to rival the
ancient glories Of its na,ncsake. We appeal
to the finished town" Of Fredericksburg,
hemmed in, as she is, by lines which carry
away her share Of from her very door
and left without competing lines of her own.
| We appeal to Yorktown, the ancient sea port
of Virginia, now looking eagerly for the reS,o-
ration, and more than the restoration. Of her
old commercial importance. One and all. we
ask you, fcllow-citizens Of every section, shall
the fruits Of enterprise and commercial activity
be snatched from your lips by the nomination
of the chosen candidate Of the anti.progress
party?
Look to it, gentlemen-you who are solicit
tious for the prosecution and extension OF the
James River and Kanawha Canal, the Coving-
ton and Ohio Road, the Central Road, the Alex
andria Loudoun and Hampshire Road, the Or
ance and Alexandria Road, the Manassas Gap
Road. the Fredericksburg and Gordonsvillc
Road, the Norfolk and Petersburg Road, the
South.Side Road-all the many iron connec-
tons which are to bind together sections, dis
tricts or neighborhoods-all the enterprises for
the Improvement of navigation-every turnpike
too required for present necessity and destined
to pioneer the way for more important improve
mcnts. Look to your own. John Letcher $
nomination will prove the severest possible
blow to all your hopes and all your enterprises.
The most astute and uncompromising OF all
the enemies to internal improvement have not
leagued together, caucused together, labored
together, planned, clcctionecred, pulled in
newspapers. packed county meetings, Dragged,
clustered and managed in an organization more
compact than that Of the Essex Junto.
without On eye 10 the main object to which
they have hitherto devoted the accumulation
Of all their energies and resources--the utter
annihilation Of State enterprise in public