The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-14
The Washington Railroad Meeting.

benefit. as they should do, and not Tor ours
and. in advocating railroad from WASH.
;nc.on to connect with the Chesapeake ano
Ohio. they do so with view only 10 'hei'
own interests. The speakers were nuni''
ous-Radicals, Democrats, and Grant men,
4 ;sa favorable indication for our railroad
that Washington should have made a move
&C this kind. The influence OF th'' Guy
ought to assist us in procuring ara 'foA'
Congress. In fact, the merits OF the ohes''-
oeake and Ohio route are so great 'ns'
arr lind Of agitation of the subject must
ros,,,. q ;ts benefit. The western mem
hors Of Congress ought to be brought up to
the support of this scheme. CINCINNATI
louisville. St. Louis, and the southern parts
If Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois, ought TO
present united front in its favor IN the
House of Representatives.
After reading several columns OF the
proceedings Of the Washington meeting, we
are not able to tell just where the proposed
connection with our road is to DC maze
That. however, is not material. Let II De
where il will, we shall have the influence
os WASHINGTON to assist us in procuring
from Congress material aid in constructing
She road from its present terminus to the
Ohm river. Some Of the utterances were
rather amusing than otherwise. One
sneaker was looking for the time when
Baltimore would be the mere shipping
noint of Washington. Another said that
whatever might be the advantages OF Flr'
rinia ports, he believed that the great trade
Of the West might be made to seek its tide
water destination in Washington. A Mr..
WRIGHT said the Orange and Alexandria
Company is owned By the Baltimore and
Chic railroads. remark which indicates
that the Washington people do not expect
to reach our road By that route. The best
speech was made by Hon. JosFPH SrGAR, of
this State. We quote from the report IN
the National MteRigsncer:
Loud calls were made for Hon. Joseph
Segar, who was present, and ut the invita-
ton of the chairman he came forward, and
said he had an instructive reluctance 10
being counted out when railroad meetings
were about, and so, when invited by few
friends few moments since to attend this
meeting, he could not refrain from attend
ing, at least to learn something if he could.
1t vas profitable sometimes to see what the
devil was about and so he had slipped in
10 see whether the project meditated by the
meeting was antagonistical to the great
railroad lines OF his own State. He thought,
perhaps, the branch proposed to be en-
grated Oh our main trunk linc-thc great
central line Of Virginia, or to be addi-
tional to that line from the District of Co.
lumbia north, might be antagonistical to
the railroad system of his State but after
hearing all that had been said, and concur
ring heartily in all that had been spoken
In regard to the grasping propensities and
cormorant appetite Of that great and power
full monopoly the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, he saw nothing inimical to the in
terests Of his State-nothing TO excite the
iealousies or apprehensions OF Yirginian.
He was not alarmed by the statistics Of the
gentleman over the way, which gave 10
Washington city, commercially, the advan
liSc pHtl LUG ttlt NdANi IANIIs VI ' II
for the western trade. Virginia feared 10
competition bat that of Baltimore, and that
fear would finally subside. The God @;
nature had been NEST kind 70 his state.
She had all the minerals in abundance that
ever came out Of the bowels OF the earth.
Coal and iron underlie almost her entire
area.
The Creator of the universe had given
her the shortest ana cheapest railway transit
for the western trade, and 4 wa,er-line
that would pour upon her seaports all that
vast tonnage which the Erie canal had
flooded upon New York, and would shed
upon her the like glories. With these ad-
vantagcs she could weed her own row -
work out her own salvation. So far, then,
from feeling any jealousy of the effort now
making here to get competing line to the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad hence to New
York, and connecting the national metropo
lis with the great West, no matter how, he
would rather encourage the effort, and would
give its authors and supporters aid and COM
fort. First, he would inform the meeting
that the Virginia Central railroad, now
called most properly the Chesapeake and
Ohio, was already fully in operation from
Richmond to Covington, two hundred miles
that provision had been made to extend it
by July next TO the White Sulphur Springs,
and that in few years it was confidently
expected that this great thoroughfare would
be extended to the Ohio river. The friends
of the road, and the national men of Vir-
ginia-indeed, all Virginia, without distinc-
ton Of party,-intended to apply to Con-
gress for aid to complete it, either by appro-
priations of public lands, or by endorse
ment of the company's bonds; and he
thought the appeal could not be resisted.
Virginia, at a perilous hour in the Revo-
luton, had given away to the United States
an empire, or rather several empires, OF
territory-made the great sacrifice on the
altar of colonial harmony and liberty-and
yet, though all the western States had re-
ceived large grants Of the lands to build
their railroads; though Illinois had received
forty millions worth to build her great Cen.
trail railroad through the length aud breadth
Of her domain; and though Congress had
donated one hundred and twenty -four mil
lions of the public domain TO the Pacific
railroads, Virginia, that gave these en-
pires of land away, had rot received an
acre! He did not object to this vast sub
sidy to the Pacific railroads; for he had
voted for the magnificent enterprise while
in Congress, and he thought the lands and
other aid granted, great as they were, were
the wisest and most bene6cent disposition
Of the national means possible to be made.
This magnificent railway, and all others of
national bearing, would be SO many chains
to bind all the sections Of our vast country
together by the hgaments Of commercial and