The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-25
Letter from wyndham Robertson, ESQ
THE MsxDows, NEAR ABINGDON, !
ys October 10, 1866. :
j. A. Co,odrdin, Esq. !:

III 4 * OCsoUpAsASt LOWE
j. A. Co,cardin, Esq:
Dear Sir,-I am in receipt of your obliging
note of the l4th. have no views, or data
here enabling me to form any, worth offering
you In aid of your interesting enterprise to
give Richmond, at length, direct line TO
the interior. The value of 1t, the indis-
pensableness Of it, indeed, to enable her to
fulfil her proper destiny was the earliest OF
my convictions, and the endeayor to effect
it, the earliest Of my public efforts directed
Ia her welfare. Preliminary measures,
looking To . great direct trunk line Of rail-
road from, Richmond to Lynchburg and
New river, thence by one branch, as now,
to the Southwest, and by another along the
New River valley to connect with the Ohio,
was proposed by me to the first meeting OF
the James River and Kanawha Company,
even in preference to the canal, and was the
subject of two days discussion before that
body. They had the support in debate of
Judge Nicholas, of my brother Judge Ro-
bertson, the Jameses, and others, and in
opinion of DR.. Brockenbrough, Colonel
rutherford, and Colonel Munford, though
these lattervoted against them: DR.. Brock
enbrough fas learnt from himself1 when he
found they would be defeated, deeming 1t
his duty, as representing the great interest
of the Bank Of Virginia, to do all In his
power to settle and confirm the public
mind in favor Of the conclusion arrived at
by the meeting; and the other gentlemen,
proxies Of the city, controlled by instruc-
lions of members of the Council absent
from the discussion. The plan had the
high engineering authority also OF Mon
cure Robinson. All views at that time
looked to the converging of all the
streams Of agricultural and mineral wealth
within orr borders, as far as practi-
cable, upon Richmond as the proper great
central emporium of the trade OF the
State. The canal was considered as as
surfing, beyond all question, the West and
Southwest trade, uniting its currents at
Lynchburg. The Danville road was to
bring her the teemiDg riches of the south
side, and the Central" penetrating by
Charlottesville to Staunton, to pour at
once into her lap the hardly Hess valuable
contributions of the north side of the
James, and, later, as means might permit,
by further advances west and north from
Staunton, to open easy and cheap inter-
course to the great body of the people of
that part of the State also, with its chief
political, social, commercial, and manu-
featuring centre. Every system OF circu-
lation, my dear sir, must have its centre
the tree its trunk the body its heart; the
starry system its sun. As well might you
look for tree to flourish Of all branches
and no stem-the living body without its
heart-or the planets revolve in order
without sun-as system Of trade to sue
coed without receiving and distributing
centre. It used to be thought that VIZ
ginia, by her population and her vast agri-
cultural, mineral, and manufacturing ca
pacities, added to her rare facilities for
navigation, both external and internal,
was adequate to have and maintain
trade-system of her own, and Rich
mond was looked to as its centre.
Its centrality, accessibility, healthiness,
nayigable capacities, water power, and
beauty and convenience Of situation, pos
sessed (absit inpidid) in ahigher degree than
by any other interior town in the State,
naturally asserted for it this position-as
almost century ago they were recognized
as Justly emitting it to be the capital OF
the State. 1t is position which should
no more Justly excite the jealousy of other
towns than the heart should that Of its con-
nections, or the trunk that Of the branches,
but rather, all being bound up in COM
mon destiny, and bound together by COM
mon benefits, given. and received, should
draw to it sympathy and cheerful co0pera-
ton, that all might share and rejoice in the
largest attainable measure OF good for each
and for all, which in no other way could
be secured. tits q position to be assigned,
not for the good or greatness of the centre,
greatness of the whole and all its parts-of
Virginia. t.3 ( SF2 -
To return to my line Of remark. This
policy Of increasing the wealth and power
of the State by using Richmond ito digest
the rough food of her trade, and fit it to
meet, most benefcially, the special wants
of every part Of the Commonwealth, has
been sensibly marred from time to time,
so a now to seem almost superseded.
Roads from Norfolk to Lynchburg crossing
/" the DanvilIe" divert from Richmond
some Of the trade from the south side and
some from the Southwest effect to New
York. A road from Alexandra to Lynch
burg crossing the Central" diverts por-
tions of the north side trade from Rich
mppd7-zin effect to Baltimore. But little
rills or It benefit either Petersburg or Nor
folk, or Alexandria; yet. the whole thus
diverted tell, very sensibly, ] apprehend,
upon Richmond, and have disabled her
materially from fulfilling the part which
had been assigned her as the trsde-centre
Of the Stase. She, and the Stats with her,
and, with the State, all the towns and
people of the State, have been By this
homogeneous policy dwarfed and largely
defeated Of the wealth, power, and popula-
don which they would otherwise have been
enabled 10 secure. But for u Richmond
would far more effectively have put In
movement our two great staples wheat
and tobacco, for which its capital and nayi-
cation resources ware fully Adequate, -
we'll - hare enlarged and varied ~ manu-
fscfnrfn1 entArprises would hare a0cJl-