The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-18


Tha hherality nanifssaed by the present
l.nRsshsars TO he principal works Of internal
tmprevsmsns are cheering in high degree to
al tAs frtsads Of progress. whether In the Sta .
or out Of Il aad will give IN impetus 70 thsNd.
vance OF virsiaia which will b felt In all sec.
tieas Of he State and in tho many leading de-.
partasnts Of enterprise. Among these works,
nons 10 more important than the Covington
aad Ohio Railroad. Although we could wish
that IN amount had been appropriated SUN.
cieat 70 ensure the entire - well as speedy
cempls1on Of the work, stiil. notwithstand-
lag thu gradual features Of the programme
adopted BY the Legislature, two millions and
hail. added 70 the amount appropriated at
prsvioas ssssions, give An earnest that TINS
Commonwealthi Is now fully committed 70 the
complstiou Of . work which, win the single
exception Of the James River and kanawha
CasaI, il the most important improvement
ever devised in Virginia. The object should
b 70 push II TO the White Sulphur Springs
win all expedition, and when once there, a
tsnth Of the distance is accomplished, aud the
greatest physical difficulties Of the route are
surmounted. when the Alleghanies are once
crossed and the Kanawha Valley tapped
schemes Of enterprise and development Will
start mp - II by magic, the whole OF that grand
country, 90 rich and varied in it, resources
will begin to teen with life and industry, and
. fresh impetus be given to the noble improve
msnt which will greatly hasten its completion.
Every advantage that the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad possesses for success, the Covington
and Ohio Railroad will possess in higher
degree, and - the Great West becomes more
developed, 1t will be found that there Is more
than business enough for all the roads uniting
the Ohio and Mississippi Valley and the sea-
board that Maryland and Virginia combined
could construct for the next quarter Of a CEN
fury.
Next to the commercial benefits of railroads
uniting Virginia with the Western and South
western States, are those which will result
from drawing closer to each other the people
Of the South, especially those multitudes who
have gone from Virginia to build up other
States, and whose sentiments Of affection will
b strengthened BY the new ties Of concord and
contact which our railroads will afford. Nor
are such roads as the Ohio and Covington,
Virginia aud Tennessee, &C., to be sneered at in
. military point Of view. 1t il. easy to see that
Of two neighboring and hostile States, il one
possesses q system Of railroads which will
enable her to throw vast bodies of men upon
any given point on the neiyhboring border in
. few hours, and the other has no means OF
Transporting troops to her defence but mud
turnpikss, the former will be constantly able
70 annoy and overrun the other, and this
danger 10 increased if the latter State has
property and institutions which provoke the
eupidity and aggressiveness of her neighbor.
This 10 the situation Of Virginia at present
with only one iron band of communication
with the Southwestern States, and compelled
to rely In the late memorable raid upon Har-
per's Ferry on the courtesy Of a railroad line
In another Commonwealth