Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-05
rHR OG.sTITUTIOE-srATE RIGHTS.
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RICHMOND WHIG.
TUESDAY mORNaNG, JAN. :. tSs4
The Rail Road System.

sourees 10 supply hem-become the great SUBJECT ior
consideration. We must bear in mind constantly, that
the war must. be worked opt as well as fought ou.-
The detailing of the best overseers from service to Sd
pe,iuteod plantations would doubt accomplish in,
couably more for the general welfare by the increased
amount Of provisions that would result, than the SER
vie,s Of the same number of men. in the camp. An
army Of aEals also should be recruited and organized
who can contribute more to the g:OdO the cause by
their mechanical skill ia The Workshop than upon tie
battle Aeld werrOpese only to submit at this tine
few facts and suggestions upon the present condition
and wants ofrour Rail Road System.
The sufficient supply OF armies in the field at AL
lines WITHHOLD clio hing and munitions OF war is IN
dispsnsable to success WITHOUT these, military OPP
eralons on an OK ended scale must inevitably ce4s.
The basis OF the transportation Of such supplies is our
railroads forming it were, the great arteries Of ouT
country: Connec.ed with these are those le:sr Gig
trioutng agencies the Geld Transportation, oss effect
seness depend almost altogether upon the cOn ion OF
the former. We are now drawing mucl of the sup
pies for our large armies from distant points If cue
railroads are not kept up serious cOpsIQ leuces must
los. Tner present ldtion is scarcely less preoA
rious than that Of our currency. Some prompt and de-
eidsd action must be taken in the case IS well as
the Other or both will soon become worthless to US
The continued reduction of the rates Of speed on
our railroads together with the frequent failures to
make connections, is sufficient proof OF their constant
decline. Many of our Railroad Companies have sppa-
raaty abandoned all idea Of keeping Their roads in re-
pair and are looking rather rebuilding them after
the war than keeping them up during its continuance.
Aud who can foretel the duration Of the war; Nearly
all our railroad supplies formerly drawn from, or
through the North These eus of, some attempts have
be n made to obtain thep from Europe. Bat these at
temps have in the main proven failures and the chances
for the future from that lessening daily
We have bus one resource lett, to produce them st
home. and We must set to work at to this end.
The eaousies Of rival roads and the sel6sdness Of
individual interests have thwared all efforts heretofore
for the pshment Of SYSTEMATIC cooperation in our
tra1spo taton facilities Some nucleus around which
aose who ae disposed to act to the cad could rally has
5een greatly needed The Government perhaps only
flraish this nucleus Bail Road companies should re-
al zs that the public Interest vested In them is Of too
important character TO DO tri6ed with lt'Woud be
npotic for the Government TO interfere with private
eaterprEss when judiciOusy managed But every such
interest must yield to the public interest during lie
geat struggle We are noN engaged in We do notpro-
se TIA; the government shall interfere directly with
ne msnsg Working Of railroads, unless in ex-
IRENE cases public interest demands it. But such &C
on might be taken advise with, aid and suggest
new des Of obsiniI railroad supplies and operating
adVantsg eously. Tae present condition OF our roads
proves the necessity of such action. The prevailing ma
MIA formoney- makir has also seized them. They have
all become rich and are in measure out OF debt, Their
patriotism should now mpel them to regard the public
eress as the highest consideration. Whenever this is
Ignored the strong hand of law should be made to bear
upon them.
What, then, is to be doneP Boiler iron, tire iron,
sheel, aIes, castings &s needed 10 large quant-
ties and if not suppl ed within six months much of
the rolling stock in the country will be ussleII Balls
must be rerSlFed, cro1s-ses supplied roads bslAsted,
&C. There is bu; little hope that these things viii be
done as things are now managed By property Organz
log and eoononizng the skill and labor OF the eouAtry
they can be accomplished. In addition to making ef-
forts to secure such skin and labor from the country at
lrge, judicous details from the army and reqasiton
for the able-bOded male negroe6 of the border
ties Of States now invaded would probably be a sui-
Gent force To diree: this immense work, we suggest
taat a Railroad Bureau be formed. Had such Bureau
existed from the commencement of the war; our rail-
roads would probably now be in 6ne condition, well
supplied in every way, and ready to transport our
mics promptly from point to point for strategic pur
poses at the rate of twenty Eve miles "a hour, in
stead Of irom.6Ve to eight Who estimate the al
vsnsages which would thus tavs been given u.s. moving
on the shorter base Nor would be selling at
4 =. LII. O..
to fifteen in Virginia Tee valuable railroad stock rock
lessy destroyed would have been looked altr and
saved New railroad iron would not have been con
vsrted into plates, 80 when old could have been OBJ
taueJ. HoS much could have been done't i ussle.s
now to surmise; how much may yet be done is mat
ter for Congress, by proper action, to show.
The enemy. from the beginning. of the war, have
based their hops Of ultimate conquest in great
ure on toe deficiency Of mechanical ang smens
aud ingenuity and the consequent breaking down of
our railroads aud other internal improvements. 1t
Qires the consideration of Congress to foil their cal
Nations in this as in other things Oar ARMIES are
the limbs Of thsbOdy pOlitio-our means Of defence
but our internal Improvements and agriculture are the
body itself
The Railroad Bureau which We propose should have
an Inspector General with the rank OF Colonel or BFi.
gadier General as its chief It should have four
sistan, with the rank of Colonel or Lieutenant Colo
mel they ought to Outrank the Presidents Of rail-
roads, who, by act Of Congress, rank Majors Each
assistant should be assigned t0A department of the
ConiederaOy, with two clerks ranking Captain and
Lieutenant Toe departments should probably be a.
follows: Isl Virginia and North Oarolins I'd. South
Carolina, Georgia and TENNESSEE; Sd. Florida, Az
Dsma and Mississippi; 4sh TIE Mississippi De-
parment It ,hOuld be the duty of each assistant to
be constantly engaged in inspecting the roads within
bis Jurisdiction and 10 visit each at least every three
non rs to make arrangements for receiving and dis
bursting railroad supplies for manufacturing them; to
unish cars motive power and eansOf transportation
% the ol4r.ermaster's Department; aud to make
quarterly epOrt stating the condition of road bsds roll