The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-18
THE DISP A TIC r.
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- xsspNTNS, .............. MARCH - u


nA,n,e Cities do not nov adatssto" w
...tar;,v-.hey do not depend 20 mncn "poa u""
~, .av.ntsxcs a. In ancient Gays. Tue spi" "
.',Arrr,,e. Of Improvement nS'a'"'u ."' aN
-.o,ss nv tndemitabie energy saa sooe !uas"ee''
-. indispensable for the building up OF gfea,
are -. nIovment OF steam for the move.
cities ,,meroe upon the water, and the 10.
mem v sr .i,roads, with tie same motive power.
ssneoa .s,sa . great commercial revolution.
as.e .,.os n 10 the power Of communities &c
IT., -, The course OF trade--they enable inland
and river cities to triumph over obstacle.
a., "a bye-seue days would have kept them hope.
,a,,,x aiminutive and feeble.
n the active employment OF these great modern
sanc,es are necessary TO the building Mp Of great
s,,,es. they are equally necessary for their de.
fence and protection. That city which falls to use
,hem With proper energy and liberality must
zee iss trade gradually drawn away and must soop
.xhih;s signs Of downward career that will make
the men Of real enterprise leave 1t as do rats
sinking ship ,.,
These general propositions we suppose none will
- ye. there are in this city men of intelli.
sance and infuenoe who act a. though they pu,
,.,,h in them, and believed that all tina. IL /.
necessary for Richmond to do Is to sit quietly
- amend no money, make no exertiou, and
,a,e" let others build railroads, saw .bsx
lie, others run steam ssass-iet the river wall
-, ont. re want no 'un'productive a,oct. :,
,vh., ve want are good teuants, high rents, qu;e,
,iyes aud low taxes!
This i. the sweet lullaby with which these gen.
,,.meu wouu wish to be sung to sleep, and which
..,nss s,ilf delightfully."- In their az in their
a.y dreams they move about asleep to all else but
.,s,r own peculiar interests; and they but see
,,-o,sh a glass dsrkly even ss to them. These
o...,n,bu,ists. combined with party Of aspirants
q, r,.e.. Who take up the demagogicsl cry of low
taxes. have retarded and we fear will yet rstaro
this city, by REFRESHING its enterprise and ressrc'
Ing the proper nse of the expedients of the day
which control commerce and build up cities; but
nevertheless there are growing up party of young
aud ising men In Richmond, who are st
.rrk Tor the welfare OF the city in the right way
and they are destined, we hope and believe, to
sehisss some impor tabt triumphs for the general
.,,od The SonpambultsfS will reap their share OF
,be benefits that will row from them, as they have
airssdy derived advantages from enterprises which
thew had neither the energy nor the liberality tt
aid. En-. this sort Of distribution Of benefits upor
the deserving and the uSdessryipg is only par
IF the inevitable Law of that Providence whiet
ssp.ss the gentle showers Of its mercy to descent
alike upon all
prt. shaiI we build a ctyl Richmond Ia,
reached point now, from which Il Is clear sh'
may achieve rapid aud certain advance 10
Mace among cities Of great magnitude aud con-
sequence With this view there are enterprise!
r. he spstained and TO be devised. We must brins
"a their aid tact energy and liberality. Our citi
cans must combine their eyertiOns tor the com
mon object of increasing the commerce and til,
,onuation OF the place where they have cast theil
lots. and where they hope to prosper. They mus
M. forth their energies and their means literally
They must not be afraid OF Taxation. The benz
ct, TO snsue will be an ample reward. and an il
creased population will help to diminish individua
burthens.
Que &c the nrst and most important subj ects tina
at present demaDd our attention, is the deepening
Of lower James river aud the removal Of the bed
Of stone which obstruct our port. This work W
described fully yesterday. Until the beds OF ston'
are removed We cannot deepen the channel to ou
wharves more than eleven and a half feet. Afte
that important work is achieved, We have every
reason to believe that the current, aided by The
active commerce OF the river, will deepen 1t gen'
orally. The vessels themselves keep up constant
dredging process, and as the beds OF stone below
Rockets are believed to be the only barriers Of
tha. kind in the channel from Rockets te City
Foint--pay, to Hampton Roads-this daily dredg
ing operation, aided occasionally, possibly, by q
dredging machine at particular points, will main'
tain general channel of at least fifteen feet at high
water up to our wharyes.
The removal of these beds is, then, grand OBJ.
,ect. and IL worthy of powerful effort. Ii has
been ascertained that II the city proceeds with the
undertaking, it will cost about 100000, and take
two or more years at the rate at which the work
has heretofore proceeded. A reliable contractor
proposes to finish the Job in about fifteen months
for $4,000. The difference in favor of the con.
tractor is great; and if, We understand, he 10 a
reliable man, and his contract 10 properly guarans
tced, We cannot see how there can be any hesita-
ton about accepting Incorporation. But accepts
ed or not this great work is one of the enterprises
which Ia demanded to help this city in the pow.
erful struggle of the dsy for the government and
concentration of commerce.; and the Council ought
to do something at once to ensure its vigorous
prosecution and speedy completion.
The advantages to 10 secured to this city by the
opening Of channel fl ftsen { ct deep from Rock.
etis to Hampton Roads cannot be exaggerated.
Ne need only mention of the effects which we
have good authority for saying will follow such
contamination. Gentlemen Of capital and enter.
prise intend establishing line of packets between
this city and Liverpool, as soon as that is DONE
They intend to build ships upon the best model
for speed and strength for this purpose. We hes.
ttate not to say that, Immediately such channel
lie secured, new era will dawn upon Richmond
Can those who legislats for ito welfare, hesitate
moment as to its interests, and their duty In the
premises,
Let as thes 20 on to build up the city. Let us
deepen our river and extend our connections with
the interior. Let be judicious, liberal and en-,
etgetic In measures for these purposes and
Richmond will grow and Its trade will increase,
end it will become q city worthy of the name
Ten years, with such policy, will work won
derfui change In its condition. Shall We not mum.
her 100, 900 population in that time II we but
Use the proper exertion we certainly can. Let the
wideawass citizens go to work in the right way,
and by that time, the Somnaabulids" may open
their eyes indeed to look upon A CITY.
William and hiary-Prefessor Rodgers,