The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-08-25
The Anpropr,atiops for the West.

The New Berne Times IS greatly eXer-
cised because there are two appropriations
for the benefit of the West, amounting to
eleven millions. 1t makes this the ground
upon which to demand the consolidation Of
the A. & N. G. R. R. and the N. G. R. R.,
even when the stockholders of the latter
road have declared against consolidation by
an overwhelming majority. We fear that
the spectators who control the Times are
more anxious for their own pecuniary bene-
fit than for the welfare of the people of the
East.
These appropriations are 100000 to
the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford
Railroad, from Wilmington to Asheville
and 81 100000 to the road from Asheville
to Ducktown, connecting with the Missis-
sippi Valley, and thus commanding the in
exhaustible trade of Asia. This will be the
nearest road across the continent, and will
undoubtedly be the great through route
from San Francisco to New York
Where is all the vast amount of freight
which will be brought into North Carolina
by this route, going to stop? Will it stop
in Asheville2 Or at Charlotte, or at Sails
bury, or Raleigh, or Goldsboro'2 No, it
will go to Wilmington, or New Berne, or
Morehead City, or Norfolk. 1t will make
them great cities, and enrich the country
that surrounds them.
We happen to know that in 1852 Hon
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, Gov. JOHN NJ.
MoREHEAD, and Gov. HOLDEN, then editor
of the STANDARD, had frequent converse
tions upon the subject of the shortest route
to connect the Atlantic coast with the Mis-
sissippi valley, and from thence running to
the Pacific coast. After thorough examina-
ton of the maps they came to the conclu-
sion that the nearest and best route for the
Asiatic trade would be from Morehead City
to Salisbury, thence by way of Morganton
to Asheville and thence to the Mississippi
valley and thence to San Diego in Califor-
MIA, this being the great Southern Pacific
Route and which would be open and unob-
structed by snow the whole year.
For many years it has been the cherished
wish of Gov. HOLDEN to divert the Asiatic
trade to the ports Of North Carolina. The
Pacific Railroad has been built and the Asi.
| attic trade will henceforth flow across the
American Continent. The Pacific Railroad
will do the Asiatic carrying trade for Eu.
rope, and in the future not one vessel will
round Cape Horn for each hundred that
passed it last year. CSC, ~ '-ve vf.
The shortest route from the Mississippi to
the Atlantic will carry all this vast freight
across the eastern part of the continent. The
| shortest route will be by the Western North
Carolina railroad. Hence this road will moi
only benefit the West, but will also greatly
benefit the East.
Therefore for the eastern people to oppose
these appropriations would be the veriest
folly, for it would only injure themselves.
tits for the West to benefit the rest of the
State. She can do this simply by increasing
her own poverty developing her vast re
sources, and sending her products to the sea
ports of the East Thus the whole State will
be the better for the pIosperityaof the West
There have been incendiary fires in Sails
| bury. The incendiary is unknown. The
Salisbury Examiner calls upon the citizens
to form vigilance committees to ferret out the
criminals and look after suspected parties
The proposition is more than wrong. We
can make allowances for the excited state
ofthe city, but there is nothing which can
warrant such course of proceeding as that
mentioned by the Examiner. There is a city
government in Salisbury, which can and
| will do all that can be done to protect law
abiding citizens. No citizen, no body of
citizens has the right to take the law into
their own hands. Vigilance committees
are themselves provocative of crime, and
often commit crime and unlawful deeds in
the name of justice. We hope that no such
course will be allowed to prevail. rs
Since writing the above we learn that
our fears have come true. A man suspected,
aud only suspected, of being the incendiary
has been threaten with violence by themob.
The city officers are almost unable to pro-
tect him, and it is evident that be cannot
have a fair trial. We urge upon every good
citizen Of that city to respect the law.
| Otherwise the law will assert its powers