The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-27
The baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
its European Connections.


operation between Baltimore and Liv-
erpool-not as complete line perhaps
as some that run 10 New York-but
with regular semi-monthly arrivals
and departures. The steamers of the
line carry out U. S. Mail, and have
been doing fair business in the way of
passengers and freight to and from each
port. We infer that the enterprise is
self-supportiug and gives good promise
:or the future.
An other and still more important
line is to be opened up between Balti-
more and Bremen. The company
known as the North German Lloyd"
have contracted with the railroad to
put on a line of their steamers,
taking one-haIf the stock and the rail-
road company the other. Bremen is
the most important port in Europe to
the Baltimore trade. The to-
bacco business alone between the
two cities is extensive. The
passenger immigration over the line
promises to be still more important
element. Bremen is one of the princi-
pal continental outlets for the tide OF
German immigration to this country.
a close connection between it and Bal
timore must divert great deal of i'm
migration from New York, and cause
it to pass over the Baltimore and Ohio
road to the West and Southwest, in
stead OF over the New York roads, and
the Pennsylvania Central, as hereto
fore. And West Virginia must thus
become more and more of high way
and of a stopping place for this immi-
grafton. Once the line is in full ope-
ration we may expect TO see thousands
where there are now only hundreds of
foreigners passing over the Baltimore
road.
The City of Baltimore undoubted-
ly offers inducements to immigra-
lion by virtue of its midway sit
uation on the Atlantic coast and its in
land and water connections with the
South, and its great road to the West
and Southwest, that none of the other
great Atlantic cities can ofrer. 1t must
become Il rival in this respect to New
York sooner or later. The Northern
roads, before the war and before the
abolition OF slavery, had almost mo-
nOpoly OF European travel, butalready
the opportunities for advantageous set
Element and investment in the South
and Southwest are beginning to be
understood abroad, and the future will
show that the most inviting fields for
the toiIing millions OF Europe are in
those sections of our country.
The opening of these steamship
lines indicates to us what II power
in the land the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company must Ill
timately become by means of its nu-
Inerous connections. Its resources,
great as they are now, will grow and
increase every year. Its affairs are
--'-"inistered by n man of far seeing
sag"ci'y' anu - - lives ten years he
will make it the great road on ~ ,,--...
try. Hence the wisdom of our Legisla-
ture in refusing to make perpetual
contract with the Company. No man
can foresee nor foretell now the taxable
value of the Company's property in
the course of IA very few years. 1t be-
comes us, in view of its certain future
magnitude, to hold at least the balance
Ofpower in our hands. For, as Mr.,
Schofield, of. Pennsylvania, said in
Congress last Saturday, the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad seemed
at this time we'll nigh capable of
defying the Government itself in the
Inutter of adverse legislation, alluding
10 the fruitless efforts on the part OF
Congress, for several years past, to es-
tablish a second or rival line between
the National Capital and the North. If
the Company's power is so great now
over the Congress ofthe whole country,
what might it not become over u sim
gle State, were that State to concede
away its proper power OF self protec-
ton. 1t is to the future of all such
great and progressive corporations that
statesmen always look in framing their
charters or granting peculiar and ex-
elusive privileges. The tendency of
modern legislation is to become more
and more Guarded in making such
grants, for their evils have been sorely
felt by the public for long time past.
In the Legislature Of Ohio they are ag-
itating bill to restrain the arbitrary
will OF some OF the roads in that State,
so as to compel them to mako prompt
and convenient connections, and to ac-
commodate more literally the local de-
mauds of their patronage. The dispo-
sition of the times, in other words, is
to.contrsct, not enlarge, the grants al
ready made, even where those grants
have been considered hitherto iuviola-
BILE. A sort of new question has arisen,
as towhether the legislatures of other
days, not anticipating the full extent of
what they were doing as regards the
vital interests of the public, could bar
all future remedy. And it is n very
grave question in view of the facts as
we see them around US every day. els
the giant to be bound forever by his
swRddIing clothes?" Is the great pub-
lie interest, growing now at rate
never dreamed of a generation ago, to
be irremediably and hopelessly fetter-
ed by restrictions that never would
have been granted could the present,
and, still less, the future have been
toreseen?
Immigration.
Since our article yesterday in regard
TO the possible immigration to our