The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-09

We take the iOlloWing afllcle from INC
Cincinnati Commercial Of the Sd inst
Military Road to Cumberland Cap
The project Of military road from
Lexington 10 Cumberland Gap has. not
been abandoned, though II is likely TO
become, in part, at least, work Of in
dividual enterprise. Major Ridenour
who has had an extended experience in
the Transportation Department, has re-
turned 10 Kentucky by invitation Of in
fuential citizens, who design TO co-ope-
rate and 90 assist in securing operation,
in The work Of constructing road Of
present vital military Importance, and
one that, in all time 10 come, would have
great commercial value.
Major Ridenour's plan, in brief, is TO
construct road one hundred feet wide,
on the most direct practicable route from
Lexington, or some point nearer TO the
Ohio, to Cumberland Gap, and thence TO
Knoxville, in East Tennessee--the timber
TO be cleared for three miles on each
side, or rather felled, so as to form an
easy obstruction TO cavalry and guerrilla
raids, and to prevent ambuscades.
The project is certainly one that COM
mends itself TO every sensible man. With
such road our armies could at once oc-
cupy East Tennessee and the line OF
communication between Virginia and the
Mississippi The rebellion would be
pressed back TO the borders of the Gulf
States, and Knoxville and Chattanooga
become the base of series of operations
which would result in the occupation of
those States and the final overthrow OF
the rebellion. Commercially, il would
open communication with a grain-pro-
ducing country, and one that is rich in
undeveloped mineral resources, The
means which Maj. Ridenour proposes to
employ in the construction of the road,
as well as the Notifications which would
necessarily be built along the route in
such positions as to secure its safety and
military rendezvous, are available. A
hundred thousand negroes could find en-
ployment on this road, and secure colo
mzation upon advantageous terms in the
end TO climate and country more con-
genial than this.
The enterprise, we understand, meets
the approval of distinguished men, with
out regard TO politics, in Kentucky and
the Middle and Western States, and there
is to be powerful effort made to put il
through under the direction of Major
Ridenour, who has given a patient and
careful study to all Of the details of the
work.
We see no reason why the railroad pro-
iect, which was SO strongly urged some
time ago, by Governor JOHNSON, while in
the United States Senate, and which we
are glad TO see the President still favors,
running from Danville, or Nicholasville
to the Gap, should not be adopted at
once, in preference 10 the scheme spoken
of by the Commercial ALI the hands
needed for the work could be obtained
from rebel slave owners, and the Govern ::
ment could devote the wages il might
choose to give, to defray the cost of the
colonization of the slaves, at the compile
tion of the work. The road once COM
pleted would be one of increasing and
permanent value, for commercial propos-
es, 20 say nothing Of the vast importance
of our being in immediate connection
with the noble people of East Tennessee,
the Switzerland of America, in its devo-
ton to freedom. We doubt not that the
millions Of money, swallowed up in milf
tary transportation already, with the
millions which must be engulfed in the
same vortex, would more than suffice to
construct the road We hope this matter
will again be pressed upon the attention
of Congress.