Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-29
RICHMOND WHIG.
AN IMPORTANT PU BLIC WoRK-AN IMPERATIVE
MILITARY NECESSITY ARE TIE CONGRESS
AND LEGISLATURE Asleep

AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC woRK-AN IMPERATIVE
MILITARY NEIESsITYI-ARE TIE CONGRESS
AND LEGISL AZURE ASLEEPf
To the Editor of the Whig:
Tho time has arrived when the Virginia Legislature
and the Government Of the Confederate Safes will show
themselves to be utIly blind to the most important
aud pail able interests of the country II they do not
take immediate ps to complete the rail road between
KeysvilS aud Clnks;ille II a wise policy, doubt
less for the Confederate Government 10 appropriate
million of dollars to the construction Of rail road from
Danvile to Greensboro The importance of this link in
ocv chan Of rail roads urdiTuted But the enter
prise is acvum opus, the route itef is yet to be cur
y,yod the sl is Jet TO be felled, the first spade
5f earth 10 yet b, tbrosn, the distance s fifty miles
or more ths Necessary expenditure is at the least mill
icu and the completion of the work, within less time
hsn twelve month, is regarded ipprscticsbe Is ma
be and most prObsby will be- that year hence the ne
cesy which has inaugurated the enterprise, will have
passed away.
We want q connecting link, NOr not a year hsHes.-
The disaster at Roanoke Island i. is admitted has put
rev phase upon the espect OF sairs. The bridge at
WslGom is longer Inaccessible to bold forGy@ the
emmy Its destruction would be small calamity TO
nec!ioa between Richmond and Wilmington and all the
soltI Atlantic Coast would be thus interrupted. To
such calamity, remedy may bs provided. Ne, not
remedy There is preventive at hand cheap cary, Ger.
tain il the State and Confederate Government will ory
do tleir duty Lot lock the little Let US
submit few facts to candid anl considerate public.
The distAres from Keysvlls on the Dlnvile road TO
ClAIksve the termruI Of the Roanoke Valley road is
81 miles-no more. The proposed connecting link Of
road is more hIs half fli,hd. At C,arksvlle the
stone piers OF the bridge the Roanoke com
peie. AZ that terminus also a full mile of grading is
finished beirg the hesvts. the Whcle line. At the
Ksys,Ile terminus 10 miGs Of roadbed are ready for
rask laying. Three miles already laid With the best
rl. Toe thos route from KeysVille 70 Clarksvie Is
cleared Of fofes. timber and abundant ss cut bswed
aud seasoned lying all along the track ready to form
The superstructure Tie ony hiy and rugged portion
Of tho route has been graded Ga the balance of the
route tho excavation now to be done is comparatively
sh,. The depots evsn have been constructed 1t some
ponts The road in a word Il than half finished
Prompt and energetic dct,H i di gats force VJHd
pct il iS rHSni,g condition in three m,nihs. The ser.
vices Of man, knora 10 TIC vritcr thoroughly
competent TO 90 the uufbshed work, with all possible
Save and free can he hired on terms favorable beyond
al precedent 1t is rot unlkely 10 view Of the recent
o, cupaucy by the enemy Of North Carolina territory,
that any number Cf slaves could he brought from the
co .st counties of that State for tie kspng provi
ded could be giyep that their labor should be
applied TO the patriotic important and necessary purpose
Of constructing this Toad--and thereby Of connecting
the Atluutc Sesboard of both the Caronas with the
Confederate Cap al Ia say event tie rtqDisi;e labor
can be bad on the bes: terms.
With an ssus # Confederate or State Treasury notes
to te amount of s25OOOO the completion Of this iu'
valuable work would be secured to Virginia and the
COLfsieraey within tie brief space Of three months
Thus a railroad link would be made. whereby through
freight and passengers could be transported from
Charleston S. G., to Richmond, Va, without break Of
bulk as TO tho former and with scarcely rdnsfsr Of
baggage as % the latter The bridge the Roanoke
at ClArksville, bcipg sixty miles above Weldon, would
be secure against any possible ncurson Of Yankee ma
raudeTs
The statements here mad, are truths. They are W /.
poytdnt truths They truths so plain and OF such
import in Til, present national crisis that shall dare
npute to the public authorities ate Confederate
utter bindDGss WaDton neglect il they fail 10 see
and be controlled by them.
When the enemy already, by their bold assault on
Roanoke Iland and by still boder advances up the Ter
see river the region Of great Southern
Apls have no if ID u.s. in the most unmistaksAble Ian
guage that Il is their purpOee If possible to break up
and destroy utterly ell the railroad connections between
the different sections OF the Confederacy When they
have eesayed to teach u.s. by distinct and dis
asers that cutting aaunder main lines Of inter-
communication is the policy which they have adopted
ard which they specially cherish, il Be possible that
lcsson taught by such dear experiences, shall prove
Of 10 utility and Of no feet.
palmer proposition than il here put forth
submit,d to a rational, thinking people. more pal
ptoe m2craive necessity thrust itself upon the
CO si3eruon of a vse a-d prud,nt government.
The irt,res'a Of N.rM Cr.l.na and VrSinia espe.
ci y ard yet scarcely les interests Of all the Con-
fedSIae Sats cry aloud in this pressing emergency for
the immejias completion Of this half finished road. l.
can be coupl ted in short tims aud the ben,S inevi
able to accrue immeasurablJ beyond the insguif
! clnt liz e sum required for the work.
The writer, an humble cidz OF the South, himself
profoundly impressed with tho truth o! what he has
herein stated makes this earnest appeal TO the sound
Judgment wisdom patriotism and prudent forethought
of the tublc authorities State and Confederate, with
the hope that they will at iess; give the sct fair
Investigation and that tbsy may be led without delay TO
Institute steps to compx with all possible despatch,
rrea, public enterprise SO essential to the general vel
fare. SoJoukSER'
West Point on York River.