The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-16
THE CINCINNATI RAILROAD.
An Interesting Letter from the Hon
George A. Trenholm.

An Interest1nR LeStor non aAe AAoAA'
George A. Trenholm.
We have received permission to publish the
following private letter from the Hon.
George A. Trenholm, in which is discussed
With grest clearness and ability the whole sub
ject ofthe advantages expected to be derived
BY Cincinnati from her proposed railroad to
Chattanooga:
FLAT ROCK, N. c., June 8, 1859.
John B. Lvitte. Esq:
on the subject OF our railroad interests out
West has been read by me with great satisfac-
ton. It is lucid exposition OF the advan-
tages offered by the connections we'propose
and recommend. As to the immediate ques-
ton under consideration, namely: whether
Cincinnati 10 her projected Southern Railroad
shall 20 to Chattanooga or Knoxville, I never
have entertained doubt and do not Indulge
one now. Cincinnati is obliged to get TO Knox
Vile: she cannot do otherwise. The consider
aHons urged in favor OF Chattanooga are for
mida Die in appearance, but IL is in appearance
only. 1t is said 'that there are $500 miles OF
make it the centre Of trade In the South" That
it is ian air line to Pensacola, which ls only
1s hours runs from Havana That by con-
nection with Pensacola, Cincinnati ought to
s'coutrol the sugar trade OF Cuba, and the coffee
trade Of Brazil" That "within ten years Thy
the CHATTANOOGA connection, sae ougnt 70
command the trade Of the Gulf OF Mexico al
most the entire trade Of the cotton States,
aud the trade Of South America"
These brilliant expectations appear TO me
devoid of any substantial or practical foundar
ton. The advantages III Pensacola as fine
hsrbor were as we'll known and appreciated
nearly half a century ago as they sre At the
pok for ha n
It has no long tributary rivers, 1T never has ha6
any commerce. Now it is proposed to subsd-
tute railroads for rivers, and thereby to force
q tr ide to it-raih Dads. whose chief design
and Office it is, at the present day, to overcome
the disadvantages ofcarrying to the Cult those
vast productions OF the West that are des-
tined for the Atlantic coast. With the TWO
great cities OF New Orleans and Mobile already
on Il 9 Gull, possessing everything in the way
OF railroads that is proposed to be done FOR
Pensacola. and possessing, besides, what never
can be given to Pensacola, the finest rivers IN
the world. what use is there TOR another city
on the Gult2 To say notLirg Of the vas:ness OF
of its achievement by the means proposed,
its utter inability condemns 1t. Pensacola has
no population, either in OF around 1t; it has no
return In the way Of trade to offer. 1t is to be
the creation OF Cincinnati, and place
for the exports and imports OF q distant
aeople. Why should this remote popu.
lation carry their commerce TO the
ried there now, makes clrcuitlous and expen-
sive voyage to get out OF it, crosses again the
latltudss from whence it came, and on It's
way to market passes ports on the Atlantic
nearer to Cincinnati than either Pensacola,
Mobile, or New Orleans. Railroads are built
not to promote, but to prevent these circuits.
Why should machant in CINCINNATI, having
fnr ROat0n
Liverpool send it by railroad t. Pensacola,
instead OF sending it to Charleston, when
Charleston is nearer to Cincinnati than Pensa-
cola ls, and nearer bv fifteen hundred miles OF
ocean navigation to New York, Boston and Iiv-
erpoolp But what need ls there Of arg gument?
NewOrleans and Mobile are already complaining
Of the decline of their commerce, through the
powerful diversion towards the Atlantic ports,
caused by railroad transportation. What eff ct
will another city on the Gull have in aIrestlng
this powerful and natural current?
But it is said, that possessing the port OF
Pensacola. Cincinnati would coutrol the sugar
trade OF Cuba. Who controls it now Z Oid
established houses in that island, OF large cap
ital and extensive credit in New York London
and Hamburg. They make advances to the
planters, and take mortgages not OF their LANDS
and negroes alone, but OF their growing crops
as we'll. The sugar crop is thus brought en-
tirely under the control of these houses, and 1t
is sent to New York, London, Hamburg, &C.,
in obedience to financial and commercial laws,
as regular and certain in their operation as are
the laws Of nature. How the control OF this
commerce is to be taken out OF such hands,
and drawn away from its patural channels, 1t IS
difficult to conceive. Nor is It any more oDVl-
GUS how the coffee trade OF Brazil is to be con-
trolled. But if to be done, why from Pensa.
cola Charleston and Savannah are both fully
two hundred miles nearer to Rio than Pensa-
cola, and besides, on leaving them ships are a.
once in the open sea, while from Penaacola
there are at least thirteen hundred miles OF
intricate and dangerous navigation before the
broad Atlantic 10 reached.
1t will be said that the claims Of Chattanooga
do not rest on the merits Of Pensacola, and
are not impaired by what is said. l admit
this but cannot admit that Chattanooga ls to
become q great centre VI trade BY reason
OF its extensive railroad connections. Inc
mere convergence at Chattanooga OF rail.
roads that cLpnect remote regions, OF
country with each other and facilitate their
exchanges, must not te mistaken for system
OF railroads growing out OF, or contributing TO
the commerce OF Chattanooga itself. She has
no trade and, hemmed IN by mountains, never
can have any. Look at Atlanta, on the con.
trary. Here is population, production, trade,
prosperity; it is such places as these that Gin
cinnati is desirous Of reaching by her Southern
railroad. Chattanooga has no ADVANTAGE TO
Ou6r, DUI 5upcIlOi !dOitLsiSo AoA AS"'A.o -
But even in this respect it is not superior TO
Knoxville. It must be borne in mind that
Knoxville has direct communication with
Chattanooga by railroad; all that Cincinnati
can gain BY the proposed road, and indepen-
dent route by way Of Ohitwood, is reduction
of 8 miles in the'distance, namely:
Cincinnati to Chattanooga via Chitwood. .S5S
Cincinnati to Chattanooga via Knoxville. .8S6
Difference. .....: .:..";.......;. rs
This appears to be the only substantial ad-
vantage offered by the Chattanooga noute.
Let us consider what it will cost:
The distance from Cincinnati to Chatta-
noosa (as already stately is. .....:.: 1858
or thus there is already constructed aod in
operation, the road from Cincinnati to
Nicholasville, namely. ........ ..........l liz
Leaving OF new road to be built. .26
But in going 70 Chattanooga by way OF
ChItwool you leave Knoxville 23 miles on
your left, and connection with Knoxville
being admitted on all hands as udispen-
sable, q branch must be built from Chit
wood to that place. .............,....... 2S
IOtal. ............. -. 80 'IVV
To reach Chattanooga then and Knoxville
BOTH by the direct liue as it is called, you
must build 269 miles CT new road. Let US now
see how many mlcs of new road must be built
to reach Knoxville. and obtain thereby per-
foot connec,ion wit Chai tanOooa also: % miles,