Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-07-12
Fayettsv,lle and western Railro.a

themselves in the proposed extension OF
the Fayetteville and Western Railroad, and
to Join our efforts with those of the people
of Fayetteville, to give this extension the
direction most beneficial to the two places,
concentrating ourselves that the interests
of Wilmington and Fayetteville were lden-
tical in the matter. We then attempted to
show that Greensboro was not the point
of intersection with, and crossing OF, the
North Carolina Railroad most desirable or
advantageous to Fayetteville or our own
city. In urging these views, we expressly
disclaimed any ill-feeIing towards Green's
boro or any desire to retard its prosperity
! On the other hand, we expressed wish to
see that enterprising place reap the full
benefit of its energy and public-spirited
hbaraiity. and become the centre OF the
| commerce and manufactures OF Northern
! Central North Carolina and Southern Cen
| trail Virginia. But we were unwilling,
merely for the sake of making 1t the focus
of an additional railroad, and adding more
to its noise than its wealth, to see the pro-
ducts of our own State forced to foreign
markets, which otherwise would enrch
our own people-foster our own commerce,
and lessen the taxes of our own people.
We thought then, and we think now,
that to make the Western Railroad mere
ly an extension of the Piedmont Railroad,
would iniure rs while it would do Greens
boro' 10 good.
We were met with the reply that
Greensboro was the point most advanta-
geous to the road, and to Fayetteville and
Wilmington; but it is difficult to explain
how it will prove mutually beneficial to
Fayetteville and Wilmington at one end,
and to Richmond and Petersburg at the
other. In the proceedings of the recent
meeting held at Greensboro to take into
consideration the extension of this road,
which we published day or two ago, we
find the following resolution among the
series adopted:
! THAT said committee lay before the people OF
| Richmond, Petersburg and Danville the 81 eat
benefits which will flow to their cite by opening
this shortest and most direct route to the eastern
part of North and South Carolina, and offer them
the opportunity of joining with us i'll a work SO
| beneficial to both"
It will be remembered we urged this very
matter as serious objection, alike appll-
cable to Fayetteville and Wilmington, to
the road going to that point, and We're
most violently berated by our Greensboro
! friends even for intimating that it was their
| desire to drain the products OF the upper
| Cape Fear into Virginia, but protested to
| have as their object the diversion of the
productions of the rich valley of the Dan
! in this direction. That the fact will be as
| is intimated il the above resolution, there
can be no doubt. But, for the life OF
US, we cannot imagine what bereht it can
possibly be to Greensboro for such Of her
citizens as have the leisure to stroll around
the depots to see the cars arriving from
Fayetteville ladened with produce marked
through to Richmond, Petersburg and
/ Norfolk A few laborers may find employ
ment loading and unloading the cars, neces-
sary from a change Of guage; dozen
watchmen, more or less. will be engaged to
| guard the freight but the town will not be
even toll-gate upon this great Virginia
| highway. Not by such means will North
Carolina grow rich. We must build up
her towns, bring population within her
borders, encourage her enterprises and
foster her commerce. Let us rather attempt
to make neighboring States tributary to
our own, than voluntarily seek to make ours
tributary to then.
| But if the citizens of Greensboro believe
this direction to the proposed extension
will benefit them, and show the enterprise
and ability to carry it out, we are the last
to reproach them, but will join in praise of
their energy and public spirit If others,
mo1e interested than they, will remain idle
and see their section drained to advance
other people and other States, they cannot
blame those who profit by their istlessne IS
and short-sightedness.
THIS &C opening the shortest and most di-
rect route " from Virginia to the Eastern
part of North and South Carolina, will
possibly injure Fayetteville more than Will
mington. 1t will carry the trade of the
upper Cape Fear and Deep Rivers away
from that place, and give its citizens moth
| VI
travel northward. The injury to this place
will be also very great, but one which will
be more than compensated for in the COM
pletion of the Wilmington, Charlotte and
Rutherford Railroad, which, after all, next
to our rivers, will be the great artery by
which the life-blood will be supplied to the
commercial and financial prosperity of our
city.
We have penned this article with no de-
sire OF intention to complain of the citi-
zens of Greensboro, but only to call the
attention of our own people to what is con-
templated by others, which we honestly be-
lieve, if carried out, will greatly njure our
prosperity, and not benefit that of any por-
| ton OF the State.
General Amnesty.
| General S1CKLEs' observations, since his
residence at the South, have otbeen with
out benefit to him in learning the practical
workings of the Government under the re-