The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-09
The Great Route from the Ohio to tne
Atlantic,

"a u0utkGs
The great water line connecting 'he
river with the Ohio was the eoas 80.
GYoRaE wAsHlxorcS, and recei'.. -
ton Eof JoEx MAasHALL's power IT,,
tia, mind II is the shortes. a''" iU -
route from the great valley oi '"e .~naa
70 the Atlantic seaboard. HAVING o".e - ~
tho Ohio, II places US In connceo. o..
."e o s, improyemen,s of Kentucky, Ohio,
,.sna Illinois, Michigan, and, by theii
Ian. with Missouri and Arkansas on the
80, % tho Mississippi, together with Kansas
aud the boundless regions Of the far West. The
communication of the Ohio with the Missis.
sinni will open to the canal the whole cotton
regions of the Mississippi, Che Red river, and
Texas. We shall even have chance for TIT
trade of California by the California railroad
which will have its eastern terminus Al -.
Louis. On the east, we have the great port %
Norfolk, the most capacious harbor on NV
continent with the exception OF san FRA"
cisco The cons Traction OF the CoVingtoh ano
Ohio railroad, \ bill for which has passt" .h'
Legislatures Of both Virginia ana west
rinia. will give an additional impetus 70 INT
trade ami transportation OF the canal, rs mas
been illustrated in the internal Improvement
experience Of both England and America. The
Rridgewater canal in England, was IN unpro'
titable work till the railroad was built along.
side of il. and since the New York and Erie
railroad. with its double track, has been built
on the banks of the New York and Erie cana',
II has been found necessary TO enlarge tha'
great work. 1t may be doubted whether nan
= dozen lines Of improvement on the SNORT ana
straight route from the West 10 the seaboard
through the centre of Virginia will be more
than sufficient TO accommodate the enormous
and RAPIDLY increasing trade of the Mississippi
Valley.
1t is not surprising that sagacious French
capitalists and commercial men have appre-
Glazed the immense profits which the posses
sion and control of the James River and
Kanawha canal could be made to yield. ana
the admirable field which it afforded for
investment and enterprise. The harbor OF
Norfolk, connected by water with the ONO
river, is the key TO the centre Of the trade and
commerce of America. A line of steamers
between Norfolk and ST. Nazaire places us in
communication with the Great West by q
safer, cheaper, and more direct route than any
now existing The French company, more
over. owns immense coal beds and other mine
raj lands in West Virginia. which will render
rapjdly increasing, independent of England
for a supply of articles essential TO her indus
try and progress. These facts explain the
,andable objects Of Messrs. BELLOT BRo-
TIERS in those negotiations with the James
River and Kauawha Company which resulted
in the contract of sale and the legislative
charter TO the French company granted before
the war and the energy and emphasis ex-
contest to prosecute their enterprise as soon
rs the war ceased. In conformity with their
urgent solicitations, certain amendments
which they desired to their charter Were
adopted by the Legislature at its late session
in this city, and the Legislature OF West Nir'
ginia, which has lately adjourned, has also
passed charter, so that IS soon rs this iesis'
lation is accepted by The company, nothing
remains but TO commence operations. Colonel
ELLIS deserves the pubic gratitude for the
promptness and activity which he has eXhib
tied in procuring the passage of the amended
charter in both Legislatures
We know of no obstacle which now remains
10 the consumma ton Of 4 work which VIII 40
more TO build mp Virginia than all other
improvements together, and which VIII confer
immense commercial advantages upon france
except the contingency of war between inc
United States and that country, which we
have never regarded rs probable. From the
beginning, this journal has given the coid
shoulder TO the spread eagle articles on thal
topic which certain newspapers, pahaerihS
to morbid appetite for sensations, have, from
time 10 time, given 10 the public, The speech
of the French Emperor to the Corps Legistdtif,
odd January, 1866, exhibits towards this coun-
try the most friendly sentiments, declares that
no IL coming to an understanding with the
Emperor MAxIMILIAS 10 fix time for the
recall Of the French troops from Mexico, TO
the end that their return may beehected WIN
ont compromising the French interests which
they have to defend in that country. Wehave
no reason TO doubt the righteousness ana
good faith of the Emperor towards ms ancient
American ally nor If we could suspect MIN
of duplicity can we find any consideration
of French policy which does not render the
preservation Of friendly relations with Anne
RIGA more important than the permanent mill
tary occupation of Mexico. A war with the
United States would postpone for an indefinite
period that commercial development which II
has been one Of the leading ideas OF the En-
peror TO secure for the French nation, IL would
enormously aggrandZe the existing CONNER
cial ascendcncy Of Great Britain, and would
deprive France of that alliance In the future
with a great naval Power which she may
otherwise expect in America, and which is
essential to the limitation of the naval supre-
macy OF Great Britain. We do not need,
therefore, the declarations Of the Imperial
speech Of the 22d of January TO assure us that
war Is not the desire of france, and that II the
Emperor withdraws his troops gradually from
Mexico, 1t Is simply that the military suscep,i-
bilities Of his nation may not be wounded,
nor their interests in Mexico compromised
On our own side, the public interests
equally demand q pacific solution. With
an enormous national debt, we cannot go 10
war for any cause not vital TO the national
honor, and none such is involved In the Mexi
can question. Every American who is in
terested 10 the value Of a dollar in the public
credit may be relied on to resist measure
which will lead to reputation. Nothing can
be found in the acts Of our Government which
warrants the idea that il contemplates any
other than q peaceful solution OF the Mexican
question, and ii is 10 the acts Of our Govern