The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-15
Tne capital of Yves. virginia.
Ellitors InteNiQeneer:

L
borders and population, are not nor
what they should be, nor what they Will
be in future.
Nature has made the Blue Ridge
mountain the proper line of coterminuSS
of our State and that OF Virginia. Anu
the people Of both States regard II ia, -
the proper line for their division anu
separation. And our State caPltal
should be so located that, from IT'S pro1-
unity to the Blue Ridge and the people
of the counties this side OF that noun
tain. it should attract their attenuon
and invite and dispose them 10 unite
with MS. The prejudice which at this
time NAV operate to prevent their wish
IN he with us, can and should be re-
moved by internal improvements
which will do away all opposition to
our coming together as members of
this State. Heretofore their commerce
and the disposition OF their products
have constrained them to look to the
East alone for market and for the
promotion of their welfare. But let
them see, as in few years they will
perceive it, that the internal improve
ments by canals, rail and other roads,
(and the other highways by land and
water which the constitution of the
United States gives to the people of
each State the equal use oil, will make
il their interest, and give them the OPP
ton to trade with the North, East,
South or West of the United States, or
any other part of the world.
These improvements will be but eX-
tended streets, highways and avenues
of the cities of the United States, TO
accommodate their travel and COM
merce to any part of The compass, lead
ing TO and from any other city or point
on the globe. And our State will in
time have its Lowells, Birminghams,
Shetfields and Pailsleys, from its super
abundant water and steam power, from
wood or coal, "for where the body is,
there>will the eagles gather together to
partake OF it," This will give home
market to the products, and supply
OF all things which can be manufac-
tured to the country, thus comforting
on each of these classes "A reciprocity of
advantage, and IA benefit on all the peo-
Pile of the State. II the view / have
just given be properly weighed in the
scales of your judgment, then your
attention will be directed to another
consideration which will influence us
in deciding upon location, and which
will direct us to "a section of the State
which for salubrity of climate, beauty
OF scenery, the necessaries of life, for
~ 'alI flesh is grass" nowhere can IL e
latter be found of better quality, or
producing better mnscled men, cattle,
sheep, horses, &c, and vuriety of min
their agency in recuperating and reno
waiting the body, if equalled, cannot be
surpassed by any others found else
where. Thousands of persons visit
these waters annually, including not
only those from every State of our
Union, but from all the States of South
America and the nations of Europe;
representing the elite, the expert, the
scientific, the ingenious, the gifted and
the practical, comforting much valua-
BILE instruction and important adYan-
tages on those who will observe their
manner, or listen to their converse. y
visit and brief sojourn to this section
would be considered treat and benefit
received.
The James River and Kanawha
Canal, and Central Rail Road
which connect the travel and trans
portation between east and west from
the north of the Chesapeake Bay to the
great bend OF the Ohio, where it comes
from the north to 20 west, at the
mouth of the great Kanawha, will pass
through this section; and other i'm
provements OF the same kind, and
water communication connecting with
these, coming from the north and
the south, and the rivers of the great
west can be USED to concentrate all
their advantages in the same section.
We have already chartered IA Rail Road
from Grafton to the same location, and
another should be made from the last
point to connect with the one at the
Salt Works and Plaster Banks on the
Holston River.
The cost to the State to be incurred
by her and private stockholders in
making these roads, will be more than
counterbHlanced by the additional
amount OF revenue which will flow in
to our treasury, caused by the enhanc-
ed value of lands, &c, given by these
roads. If improvements such as these,
will give private stockholders asatisfac-
tory interest on the amount they eX-
pend in making them, the State as a
stakeholder, will, with them, be equal
ly gamer, and besides gain whatever
comes into her treasury from the en-
HANGED value of lands through which
they pass. No other policy which
could be adopted would more sntisfac-
torily conciliate, pactfy, satisfy or ope-
ratio to attach to the State the people OF
that section, or purge out the leaven of
rebel propensity, or lessen the influence
of reasonable Vaccinations which too
much prejudice the minds of our peo-
pie, than to make these roads, and all
the people of the State would be great
ly benefited by the accommodation to
travel and transportation OF plaster,
salt, iron, coal, timber, Sc., oversthem.
Let them be made, and our impressive
people of this region will cease to
listen to the reasonable intimations of
gambling politicians, and their respect
and devotion will increase for her, in
hueuced by this evidence of her pa
rental care for them.
The point to which l have invited
your attention is the centre of what our
State should be in territory and populn-
tiou, for it is equally distant from the
Blue Ridge and the Ohio, and from
Tennessee and our border on MARYLAND
mud pnnnzyly-nnfa mr.
its most distant extremes, say from
whore the lines of Virginia and Ken
lucky meet on that OF Tennessee, to
Harper's Ferry, and where the lines OF
Tennessee and North Carolina meet on
that OF Virginia and the most northern
point Of our State, the centre will be
found on the same section.
In England it is common to say when
going from any part OF that country to
its Capitol, although every mile of the
way is down hill, that they "are going
up TO London" that city being ON tide
water and the river Thames.
The elevation of the cuitiUGted plains
OF Greeubrier in the section of country
where L advise you to lind a site for our
capitol, If You place it there, from its
attitude will enable US not only to see
bnt overlook in every direction the val
leyS and mountains as far as the vision
aided by the most powerful glasses, can
extend, and persons from all other por-
tionS of our territory will speak truly
when they say they are going up" to
the Capitol OF the State. In proof OF
this, the main tributaries of the rivers,
Mouongahela and Potomac, the James
river and GreeubFier start from this
section on their way north, east, south
and west to the ocean.
Let US put the Capitol there, and look
ing from its top, we can then say like
Alexander Selkirk:
I'VE are monarchs OF all we survey
Our right there is none to dispute.