The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-02-21

! COuiO AVE UcGtt Doiu ~ pEOpOSc
levying duty on freight would have been
secuted as public enemy. The policy of
PENNSYLVANIA especially, indicated the
wisdom of her founders. In the first
quarter of the present century, she sub
scribed vast sums of money to turnpikes
leading to the West. Her Franklns,
Morris, Clymers, NJ Keans-all the faith
ers of her freedom, founders of her great
ness-had passed away before the modern
contrivance of taxing civilization by a
tonnage duty was ventured on.
The differences between the savage and
| the citizen arise from, or tend towards,
! separation of individuals. The former
lives by himself and for himself. Sole
despot of his solitary family, he knows no
community of interest or action, except as
sometimes impelled by hunger in the chase
or by passion IN war. His wants are few.
| because his knowledge is limited. He
needs, for his frequent travel, only the
sun, the stars, the course Of streams, to
guide his steps. Roads and intercourse
are inconsistent with his wild indepen-
dence. Improving on the slow process of
taxation as means Of impairing efficacy, he
would at once destroy what he disapproves,
and Danish roat makers as intolerable nui-
sances. This is the absolute reign of ig-
norance and selfshness.
When the ring of the woed-chopper'
axe resounds through the forest, the first
| blow has been struck for intelligence and
intercourse, The work proceeds, houses
and barns appear, fields and pastures TEEN
with grain and cattle, school and churches
are built, towns and cities spring up
During al of this, another process has
been going on, at once dependent upon
and aiding the progress of man from his
lowest to his highes5 condition-cr
Of means OF 1tercourse-building brid ges,
making roads, &c.
Without these facilities there cannot be
ready communications, which are essential
to social combination, without which, con-
centration of effort is impossible. All re-
inement results from this union of many,
in their several parts, for the comfort and
convenience of all.
As early as 1884, GENERAL WASHING
TON wrote to Governor Harrison, in antic-
ipation of the trade Of the West and the
competition for it: GA people who are
possessed of a spirit Of commerce, who see
and viii pursue their advantages, may
achieve almost anything. Ia the mean
time, under the uncertainty Of these un-
dertakings, they are smoothing the roads
and paving the way for the trade of the
western world. That New York will do
the same, no person who knows the tenn
per, genius, and policy of these people
can harbor the smallest doubt. Common
poticy, therefore, points clearly and strongly
In he nj I'll he
Udatoges a0hich nature and our local situation
o6ord as, and clearly eyinces that unless
this spirit could be totally eradicated in
other States as well as this, and every man
be made to become either cultivator of
the land or manufacturer of such articles
as are prompted by necessity, such stimu-
lus should be employed as will force this
spirit, by showing to our countrymen the
superior advantages we possess beyond
others, and the Importance of being upon
an equal footing with our neighbors -
Time developed this predicted rivalry
of our northern neighbors. The compile
ton of the Erie Canal gave New York
such supremacy, that Pennsylvania was
compelled, in selfdefence, to enter, on
large scale, upon the construction Of ca
nais, and subsequently of railroads Thus
our State debt expanded to forty millions.
Our canals, free from tardhon, lost for
the State, many millions of money while
competing with those of New York for the
commerce Of the West; as is evident from
the fact that the State debt continually in
creased, while the very year after the Main
Line was sold, it began to decrease. xThe
disadvantage of political management was
common to both States: and as orr officers
were not less honest and competent than
theirs, the loss on canals is to be imputed
to their peculiar construction and disad-
vantage of management, Notwithstanding
the rates then charged were higher than
those now charged on competing lines
But the policy which projected and execu-
ted these works was sound. Public credit
partially developed the powers of the com
monwealth, anl secured her position as a
trading and manufacturing community
To accomplish this gigantic result, private
capital was then incompetent. The evil
of the State entering upon commercial
enterprise was tolerated, rather than incur
the impending and greater evil of loss of
commercial equality or ascendeney.
The acts for canal destroyed the value
of stock in competing turnpike lines, and
the Commonwealth lost large amounts
which had been thus invested.
AS turnpikes were partially supplanted
by canals, after while canals were still