The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-08-31
Our Great Lines.

to that region Of the completion OF 'he
James River and Kanawha canal and the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad Whenever
she shall be fully aroused, these magnin-
cent undert akings will soon be hnisheo.
Congress appropriated forty Eight Thousand
dollars per mile to that part Of the Pacihc
railroad which traverses the Rocky Noun
,ains. It could with much better grace ana
for more potent considerations appropriate
the few millions that are needed to make
tho two Virginia lines we have named the
crowded channels of an inland commerce
snch az will never pass over the Pacific
railroad. Twenty millions.af dollars would
suffice to open river from the head Of ma
vica,ion on the Mississippi and the Missouri
p; 70 Norfolk. The James River canal would
he worth more to the Northwest than q
dozen railroads. Such canal can bear upon
its bosom almost any quantity of freight,
and at rates which would put from ten to
fifty cents over the present prices into the
rockets of the northwestern farmers for
every bushel Of wheat thus transported.
live did not so sensibly feel and deplore
the unaccountable want of enterprise on
the part of our own people which has here
tofore characterized them, We should be
disposed to express establishment at the
apathy of Cincinnati and St. Louis in re-
gard to these great lines Of improvement.
Those cities alone are not only abundantly
able to construct them, but would derive
such immense benefits from them, that we
cannot believe that anything but inatten-
ton to the subject has hitherto prevented
those wealthy communities from lending
helping hand TO them. Whilst they are
watching Chicago with q jealous eye, and
profess to be planning projects which will
prevent that mushroom city from over
shadowing them with the multitude OF It's
population and the magnitude Of its COM
lnerce, they seem to have their eyes closed
to a line of improvement-the James River
canal-the opening of which would cause
Cincinnati to grow more rapidly than Chi
caco has ever done, and would produce I'M
paralleled prosperity in St. Louis. Indeed,
this canal is the one thing needful to the
rapid growth and permanent prosperity OF
those cities. Why does not the press OF
those cities enlighten the people in regard
to its merits? Where is the boosted enter
prise of the Cincinnati Commercial and the
. Nv
do not need to be convinced of the vast
benefits their cities would derive from such
n work.
There are some men in the West who
have turned their attention to this subject
Professor j. 3. TURNER, of Illinois, who Is
u Radical candidate for Congress, has pub
lished an address to the voters of his dis
trict, in which he comes out strongly in
favor of opening line Of improvement
from the West to Norfolk. The Wing of
Saturday contains extracts from this adj
dress which prove that Mr.. TURNER tho
roughly apprehends the imr""s~""" "e .H's
line to the prosperity of his own section,
and will be able, if elected, to offer such
good reasons in favor of national aid in its
construction as must almost compel all the
western members to vote with him, and
thus secure an appropriation from Congress.
The canal is the work which the West
needs and must have. The railroad would
he great convenience to her people. But
the completion of the canal would insure
the completion of the railroad. Let Con-
gress construct the canal, and the people
will build the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
road. They ought, however, not to wait
for congressional action, but 60 to work at
once on their own account. This city has
already subscribed to the stock of the new
railroad company with large-hearted libe-
rality. Two millions for her is larger
subscription in proportion to her means
than forty millions would be to Cincinnati
and st. Louis; and forty millions would be
more than enough to pay for the completion
of both magnificent canal and an excel
lent railroad from this city to the Ohio
river.