The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-16
.Sitlntond nispath.
TuEspAY.....o OCTOBER le, 1866.
The Air Line to Iynchbu,,c.

The Air Line to Lynchbrg.
], The friends Of this line, whose name Is
lssicn, would elgreatly encouraged ifthey
could hear the warm expressions of sympa-
thy and good wishes in Its behalf which
come nom our fellow-citizens Of South
western viryiuis. They were In FORMER
days not only our friends but our customers.
fhey declare that they will be delighted
10 renew their relations with the people OF
Richmond at any day when the means OF
communication are such Is to invite them
here. The Orange and Alexandria rail-
road has opened to them way to baltl-
more by which they can reach that city as
soon as they can get to Richmond, and the late
railroad determinations gave them freight
as cheap from Baltimore as from Richmond I;
nav, to some Of them the Baltimore freights
were cheaper than those on the same de-
scription Of goods from Richmond. They
present these facts as insuperable obstacles
in tho way Of the renewal Of their trade
with Richmond and the indulgence of their
predictions In favor of city with which
they had so long conducted the most agree
able commercial intercourse. Build the
straight road, said they, from Richmond to
Lynchbarg, carry us from Lynchburg to
Richmond lin four hours, SO that we may
arrive thert. by 10 o'clock in the morning,
transact any business we have, and DC ready
10 leave at 8 P. N. for the North, if we de-
sire TO 90 there, and we'll come to Rich
mond. BY this means there would be no
delay OF business hours in going to Balti-
more. The Orange and Alexandria road
can at best bring us there after business is
closed for the day, and in passing through
Richmond we could reach Baltimore be-
fore the business hours of the following
,lay, and for all purposes Of trade be there
lust as much In time as if we took the
Orange and Alexandria.
Having met and conversed with a large
number Of the solid men of the Southwest
the past week, we but state the universal
sentiment in this conversational report.
They furthermore expressed themselves
most emphstically as desiring to encourage
the enterprise Of Richmond, to assist IN
building her UP as the most efficient means
of strengthening the commercial power
and prosperity ofthe State, since Richmond
was her largest city, and had shown more
energy and capacity to direct trade sue
cessfully than any other.
Z, The influential, solid, and intelligent
men who expressed these opinions were
most decided in their convictions that so
far as the important trade Of Southwestern
Virginia and that of East Tennessee were
concerned, Richmond stood not the ghost of
a chance situated as she is now. She had
the canal, it was true but city without
the most rapid transit that the most rapid
known mode Of conveyance can give her
a city without availing herself OF. the adj
vantage of her position on the map by the
shortest and quickest communication pos
sible between herself and the interior-has
no earthly chance in competition with
cities having the advantage of such inter-
course. She must not only have such
communication, but she must, besides,
have the benefit of low tariffs for transpor-
tation-taritfs of rates as low as those i'm
posed upon freight from any other cities
trading within the sphere of her com.
mcrce. ..... .... ..-,.... Er...
These facts are iudisputablc. Richmond,
regarded in their light, is isolated, check
mated. She has but one move left her to
save herself and retrieve part OF that
richest commerce Of the State of which
she formerly had so large share-the
trade of Southwestern Virginia. That
move is to build the airline road to Lynch
burg. 1t will be to the interest of Rich
mond shield scven-fold thicker than the
>even.fold shield OF AJAX. Build it, and
our Southwestern friends will again visit
ms: abandon it, and we shall never see
their des again. Build 1t, and the re-
stored I'D expanded trade it will bring to
Richmo5d will revive the business of the
canal; dbandon it, and the canal will con-
tinue to Finger and languish, prey to the
rivalry between the Orange and Alexan-
dria and the Southside railroads. Il will
languish ON to ultimate death.
D Never was there time when Richmond
was in so critical Q situation. Never a
time when every motive of pride, ambition
and selfinterest-when, indeed, her saliva
tionfrom impending ruin-demanded SO i'm
perative,y the exertion of every force, pc
cuniary, physical, and intellectual, with
which she Is endowed. II
The Policy and Duty Of Railroads.
The recent meeting Of the stockholders
Of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad was
m the