The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-02-13
James River and Ksnawha Canal.

preparation has been made for them.
James River and Ksnawha Canal.
In our article yesterday, while comparing |
the length Of the routes to Cincinnati rs
centre, we neglected 10 institute COMPARE |
son OF prices. The report Of Mr.. PAIL fur
nishes the means OF supplying this deficiency.
The average freight from Cincinnati to New
York, by way Of the Erie Canal, is % per ton.
From Cincinnati to the mout tn of the St. Law
renee IL is $40; TO New Orleans, $ll per tom
The same tariff on tonnage would give ~ so
Der ton to Norfolk The advantage in favor
of the james River and Kanawha route
would be, over New York. - so ; over New
Orleans, "a. so over st. Lawrence, So so. In
cheapness, then, shortness of route, absence
of danger, and capability of transporting the
greatest length of time during the year, the
superiority of this route is immeasurably
great. Let us recapitulate. From Cincinnati
10 New York, ], os3 miles, So tonnage, seven
months navigation: TO st. Lawrence, l 900
miles, a11 tonnage six months navigation TO
New Orleans, !, 72I miles, $40 tonnage. naviga-
lion all the year, but business only active for
about nine months Norfolk. 1872 miles, - so
tonnage, navigation clear eleven mon thu, bust
ness active all the year, no danger from snags,
storms, or ice. Can any one fail TO see the diff
ference at glance1 Is 1t not clear that this
route is the shortest, the cheapest, the safcstE
What, then, is TO hinder il from commanding
the larger part of that trade which now flows
TO New York, 10 New Orleans, and to the
mouth of the ST Lawrence? To our mind
there cannot be doubt upon the subject
Open the line--let it be properly regulated
let the canal be deep enough and wide enough,
and we shall see gold take the shape OF cotton
and accom- plish the famous prophecy OF Col.
BExroS. by flowing up the Mississippi in a
perfect deluge. We shall command the cotton
crop of Alabama, of Mississippi of Arkansas,
and of lower Tennessee. Why should we not -?
A large portion of il is already going up
stream, and finding a vent at New YORK
This, we presume, arises from some SUPERIOR /
~ of that route over the passage down the
Mississippi coupled with the passage around
Cape Florida, in getting ont to the Atlantic
If we offer il a better, shorter, a safer and n
cheaper route, why will it not come to us p
If we offer it a route one-third shorter
than the shortest of the other three, only half
AS expensive as the cheapest of the other
three so superior in safety that no comparison
can be made, navigable nearly twice as long
a. two of them, with country at the terminus
that does business all the year, in the name
of heaven why should il not come our way
Because say some New y ork and New Or
leans and Montreal have the capital, and the
shipping Well, how did they get it? Did
some mighty man of wealth-some RoTHs-
CHILD or BARING-set himself down at either
place and offer money to all who would bring
business in that direction? Was the capital
there before the business came? Did the cap
ital make the business, or the business make
the capital? Ii is silly TO ask such question.
Men who had their fortunes to make set
tied there because they found them good
places for business They carried on bust
ness-it mcreased-money came with it
people focked in-they became great com
,nercial places. Let it be- seen that Norfolk
offers good point for business-let il be
known that its route is the shortest, safest,
and cheapest 10 the Great West--let it be
found out that it possesses advantages, over
every other for carrying on an enormous COM
merce-and see how quickly capital will seek
it, 1t makes not the slightest difference
whether she has ship or not. Ships are COM
merciaI speculations. They go where they
can get cargoes and quick trips. They crowd
now TO New York, because they can always
get employment there. They will come in
any numbers to Norfolk as soon as they find
they will not have to wait for 4 cargo. They
do not come now because there is nothing to
load them with. 1t is cheaper TO send round
10 New York for ship when it is wanted for
The occasion. But once let Norfolk be the ter
minus Of water line down which annually
pass several millions of tons, and she Will
be able to command all the ships 1t VIII re-
quire 10 conduct her business
We have been frequently told that we Qn
yirrinia) cannot become great commercial
Il,
lies not in that direction. We are an agricul
tural people, IL seems. We have not the pa
t,ence, and the prudence, and, above all, we
are not addicted to the sea. We cannot have
a commercial marine. We have not the ma
terials for sailors, &c. Now hold this to
he sheer nonsense. JuLIrs CESAR certainly
understood the elements of human power as
well as any other man. He said: - Give me
money and will have men, and (ecoarersO)
give me men and Twill have money" We
parody this famous declaration of the great
General and statesman. We say, give us ton
mage and we will have ships sailors, mer-
chants. every thing necessary TO carry on vast
commerce everything that New York, or
Liverpool, or Glasgow has. Tonnage makes
sailors, and builds ships for them to sail in
Tonnage creates merchants, builds cities, ac-
cumulates capital, rules the world. Give us
tonnage and free access to the sea, and
we will answer for all the rest. What is
IL that has built New York? Tonnage
What liz it that is building Baltimore
Tonnage. To obtain it they have upturned
the Continent and reversed the very order of
nature. Nature says, Is the tonnage of the
great West shall glide down the Father OF
Waters which i have placed here for that
purpose" No such thing" say Baltimore
and New York g it shall come this way
And they enter into contest with nature, in
which they fairly beat her on her own ground.
Now, If we can get this canal through, we
shall command five times as much tonnage as
New York and Baltimore combined. Every
body outside of the State can see this. New
York has already expressed her opinion
through her Engineer. Baltimore gives vent
10 her apprehensions through her press.
Heretofore, il has been believed that we
should never have the enterprise TO carry this
improvement through We do not believe
ever should. The offer of this French
Company is 4, God send, and for Heavens
sake let US make the most of it.
Tho De- In ami (ga1,i af sc