The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-30

It will be seen by the report Of the pro-
ceedings of the Chesapeake and ONO haii.
road Company at the annual meeune y
Saturday that General WILLIAMS {. WICK
HAN. of Hanover, was elected the President ff"sn'
Of that company over Colonel +. FoNrAlISs'
who has so long held the position. Inns
result has been foreseen for many weeks
mast BY those who knew the arrangements
to secure Il. The friends of Colonel ron
TAME have displayed their devotion TO TINS MS
worthy gentleman during that time by their
earnest exertions to effect his reelection. !
I, ia bu. Just to Colonel FoSTArNE to cay,
unon his retiring from the Office, that no
man could have exhibited more zeal and
untiring energy in the performance Of his
duties. His unfagging pursuit of the dar-
ling object of his anlbition-the completion
of the road he had in hand to the Ohio
hos hardly allowed him time for rest or re-
pose. Lately he has quoted the objections
of many who had been distrustful of his
physical ability for the great undertaking.
He has moved with the activity of YOUTH
and been stirred by hope that seemed
fired with the spirit of early manhood with
long term of life in prospective. lie de-
serves honor for his services and for the
integrity with which he has administered
the important trust conided to him. '
1t is due to frankness and truth that we
should say that We would have preferred
that this change should not he made. But
the question was settled when the issue
between the old President and the new was
first mooted. We deemed it useless to write
about matter already disposed of, and we
felt that the great Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad was so important an undertaking
that the incoming administration should
not be exposed to embarrassment and pre-
judice by supererogatory discussion.
General WICKHAM, the newly-elected
President, is gentleman of education and
taleut. He has energy and strong practi-
cal sense, and combines with these quail
ties that physical strength and capacity for
endurance of labor and fatigue which are
highly important in his relation to the
great work now entrusted to MIN. Indeed,
apart from the contest between himself and
Colonel FoNTAINE, the main objection to
General WTCKHAM in this community is his
political record since the war. The prose-
cution and early completion of the road is
matter worthy Of his highest ambition, or
that of any man in the land. We wish him
every success In the discharge of his re-
sponsible duties, which involve the deepest
Interests of this city and Of Virginia.
The friends of General WICKHAM, in
pressing the change by which the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad has been placed
under his chief direction, ayerred with
great positiveness that under his manage
ment the money to build the road would be
promptly obtained, and that the work
would be finished in short time-as, in
deed, it may with the money at command.
Let us hope that there may be no relaxation
Of exertion Of those from whom these
promises came until they are entirely re-
deemed.
We take the opportunity Of saying just
here that we know Of no railroad company
which has in its service corps of officers
who are more efficient or more distinguished
for their polite and accommodating dispo-
sition than those in the employment of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. We trust
that there is in contemplation no such thing
as sweeping change in the Offices they
hold. Such proceeding would be great
injustice, and cannot be done, in our OPT
nion, without detriment to the interests of
the company and those of the public. Worse
than this, it would only tend to inaugurate
with increased force and bitterness mea-
sures for ousting the new administration at
the next election.