Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-02-17
CHESAPEAKE AND ONO CANAL.
For the Montoomery County Sentinel

For the Montgomery County Sentinel.
Mr. EDIToR: notice, in your issue
of last week, reply from b, to an
article written by me in your paper Of
the previous week, in relation to the pro-
position, emanating ostensibly from the
corporate authorities of Alexandria and
the District cities, to sell the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal.
Whilst | feel indebted to ''B" for the
information furnished in regard to the
various liabilities of that work, and which,
| presume, is substantially correct, yet |
must beg leave to dissent from his pre-
misses, that the measure in question is one
for the relief of the creditors of the ca
nal. If such was its real effect, | GER
tainly would interpose no objection. But,
if | understand it, a large class of the
creditors of that work will view it in
quite different light, and agree with me
in opinion, that its true purpert is to con-
vey the canal, its rights, privileges, fran
chses, &C., to the possession md control
of one class of boud-holdcrs, to the utter
exclusion Of another class, whose claims
are equally just, and, apprchend, whom
ever the question is tested, equally emit.
tied to legal protection
Now, | am not willing 70 rob Peter tc
pay Paul. If Qeayiag out Of view the
States iotcrest) the proposition was tc
consolidate both classes Of creditors, de-
! ferred as well as preferred, the measure
would be Invested of at least one seriou,
objection, for 1 cannot admit that because
the State waived her liens upon the reve.
nues Of the work, in favor of certain
class of creditors, and the expedient fail
ing to afford the intended protection
that they can, by virtue Of such failure,
now base a stronger claim upon the lib
erality Of the State than the scrip-deb
credltrs, who were not included in thai
measure Of security. But, apart from
this, | am not one Of those who yield W
all hope Of proper management of that
work under the States control; on The
contrary, believe the State coull anC
should correct those evils, which are at
tributablc to its present and past misman
agement, (and which offers the only Sc
rious argument for a sale Of the work
instead Of embracing others over which
it is proposed to deny her control.
Although it may be Improbable t.
afford immediate relief to the just credi
tors Of the canal, yet, rather than sur.
render her rights and those of a large
class Of creditors, which are now sough
to be showed aside for the benefit of
privileged monopoly, letthe State chang,
her policy 10 the management of the ca
nal ; let her disrobe it, as far as possible
of its political drapery; let her consoli
date the Offices CT President aud chic
superintendent in the hands of practi
cal man; let her cut down the salary o
the former to a standard less attractive T.
the eyes of mere politicians let tn
States agents appoint a board Of direc
tors from among the host Of praetco
men with which the State abouuds, an
= not deal out these positions as rewards t
partizans who are about as fit to direC
such work as they are to revise th
moral law; let this course be pursued
and the canal, and all interests connectc
with it, will emerge from present chac
and dependency, to tangible eflicienc
and hope In short, see nothing i
the promise of better management unde
the control Of foreign monopoly, tina
cannot be accomplished quite as well b.
the people of the State, through the RICH
sort Of agents. p.