Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-09
LYNCHBURG, MONDAY MORNING, MAY .. 1859.
Daily TiroiniNn.
The James River Canal.
RosELANp. May |. 1889

in urging yon haze frequently ut late done, that
the immediate extension al the Canal to the Ohio
river, should he made controlling test IN tho mp
proachn, elections for thr Legislature Tho star
ting Of this idea, nnd the propagation off hy some
of tho leading presses Of the Stnte, have already
| fear done inina mischief; aud 81 i"aring, |
hrg TO hold with you brief hut friendly cammu-
nion N the Important subject
No one. | am very sure will venture to dispute
my friendship for the Canal. was Among its
earliest advocates. But tw" of our pphlic men.
that know of, we're ahead ol mo in adyotacy of
this grand s.hcmc ol State improyemcnt--Josep
{. Cabell. The Dewitt Clinton "t Virginia, aud
Richard q. Morriss II delegate from the County
of Gloucester, bath of whom preceled me many
wears in the legislative Councils at the State. At
the session :" 81. 3s. when n delegate ilom the
County # Northampton. | made an elaborate
argument ir 1t. Al u Commercial ton,cn.
ton hrlH in Norfolk in the fab of 1888, nj
tempted to dcmonstrnie that Norfolk had
deep interest III the James river and Fanawhn
impro ocmcHl hat my views excited, then, o,cn do
risian.
In M Argument madc in the House Of delegates
un the Nirglniu n Tennessee rall,,ad hill spoke
n follows. in ,!ndieaton OF the water luc, poll.
ry:
Il certainly do not presume to maintain. Mr..
Speaker that. for the sn'rtation of bulky mr.
ticlos or !ur hrtt revenue upon tho original cust,
railroads can cs,iully eonipete WITH canal.
And the reason is obvious. 1hr coel # rain;nin-
ing railroad is much greater than that of keep
ing up canal that If the latter is comparatively
trilling. The ratio ui annual outlay IL annual IN.
come. is much greater IN the one case than in the
other: and tl" cSlcns. oi the one for repairs com
n,cures from tlo starring oi tho ilr>t engine, while
the other may,Ae used for considerable time with
but iueonsidemhlr expenditure h'r rrpalrs. Tho
materials OF the one are all fcrishahe, while those
If he other arc not. The one decays from the
la,ing down Of the first sccicr while lapse Of time
but improves nnd strengthens the other Nor, un-
til some im)ru> clncnt IN the railway shall he de-
viscd that shall greatly reduce the proportion If
expenses to receipts can we ever cNp"ct railroads
to rival canals, as II mode OF cheap trnnsporta.
ton,
Sir. | am not of those who hecye that canals
are 'bchina ihr nge." Experience conclusvcly
reIutes the notion. The Erie canal, with cemrar-
ativcly an inconslemblo charge for expenses,
rrnlises IL t,' If more thnu three millions nnl II
balf. while six of the English canals pay to the
siockholdrrs nett dividend If nurc than 80 per
cent, annins about per cent on rai'rpn'l invest
mcnt. With such results a these continued Tor luug
period of time. and sti! existing. am not prcpar
ed To discard canals ns belonging T." an age that is
past. rcgarl, them rs furnishing the cheapest
possible mode ul transportation tor heavy freights
and. Of course n capable oi mpnrtlng the high
est stimulus. he.ausa conferrng the highest h'un
ty on prnlur,ion: aud holding this opinion, look
hleJ as that mode Of improvcuicnt most likely +"
draw to the cities oi Virginia tho trade which
now passes uif hy rival lincs to the cities Of the
North
In speech delivered in 1857 | paid this tribute
t. the Cnuul:
Sir | am ~ it must be we'll known, nocncmy
or ,,e .Jam,~ River Canal. \ faster ireud it has
not within the broad limits ul the Commonwealth
1t shall have my unrcluc'an vote for !, many
millions n shall be noaliui to effect u injecting
of the waters ol the kunnwha and the Jamas.-
1t Is, in my Judgment. Me Improvement Of all our
Improvements. II y to Ms, or ought 10 be- what
the grand Erir Canal is to the State OF New York.
1t is to be the great ie.eare improvement Of the
Stnte Millions and millions Of income are in it.
future history. Clouds. know. hang around it
now hut for unc snail never desert i'- fortunes,
until those cloud, that u ~ impcnd it shall hnyn
either burst in all their fury npon IT and swept it
from the thing, of earth, or, having spent their
impp,cut rage, shall break and vanish Ike tie
mis,s ui the morning, leaving / this nohle i'm
prrycmeGt clear sky. and II destiny as bright ns
the ralian. beams q. truth and success can make
it,
As chairman If the Committee Of 2l. in 1852.
made another most elaborate >inGicntion II the
merits %, the Canal. ~
In an Grafton pronounced on the occasion of the
celebration Of the opening of the Danyie railroad
and The laying Of the corner stone Of the Tuns'all
monument ! said
And Oh. if we could but finish the canal.
What MAGNIFICENT trade should not draw
from the Wr.i. We should then have from the
Capcs to the Ohio, continuous water line. the
cheapest, and far the cheapest transportation
known to the world aud that would for m i'm.
mense portiu.o: the trade Of the Ohio and iribn-
tares absolutely defy competition"
Indeed, ] have never lost an occasion to keep
in publr remembrance the claims Of this great
public work Of Virginia. often, from my seat i'll
the legislative hall, defending it against unjust
a>pc,sion and never reliuquishng thr hope Of its
extension to tho Western waters, until it had not
thirty friends left in the legislature, and it became
absolutely necessary for the friends olhe Internal
Improvement cause to turn their attention to some
other plan tor tipping the great West.
thus put in ny past history in reference to
the Canal to show. that, in taklng ground against
the present extension OF the water i,hc TO 'he
Ohio, do 5, in no unfriendy spirit to the Canal,
and from no change in my estimate Of its val
ne.
And now as To the point wish 10 raise with
you which i. this: Mat IL is he Mghest mpoiicy
10 opea n0,c tie question of an Immediate extension
ofMe Canai To lie Ohio rirer.
And tn, reasoning of the case is brief and plain:
The Canal is resting under so heavy weight of
Odum that il will require many, very many years
ofunremittins effort. of enlightened illustration,
and Of .'sobcr second thought" 10 put it in such
state of public favor to raise the slightest pro-
babity uf extending it to the Western waters.
Indeed, an firmly per suadcd that no amount
of ;,rgugcna.on. no lapse Of time, will ever avail
to redeem tho .'big-d.tch" from the overwhelming
disrcpute wLieh hangs blighting incubus upon
it.
A legislative experience of ten years continuous
service enables mc to measure accurately the
odium that bears down the Canal. 1t is intense,
uncompromisng, ni.uppcasable, and AIN n":
unaware Of the reasons The people-if the
ton of their representatives te any index to their
senti,nen,s-haye no confidence in this improve
ment. They have looked upon it with constant
ioalousy as they still do. because they regard il