Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-04-12
Baltimore and the Virginia Railroads

The favorable response of Baltimore to the re-
cent appeal of the people of the Valley of Vir-
GINA for aid in building the Valley railroad
seems yet to be having the curious effect Of pre-
JUDGING our city in the opinion of that portion
of the Richmond press which represents inter-
ests that are assumed to be antagonstic to the
Valley railroad, though We cannot see Why there
should be any rivalry between them, nor if
there is, why the Valley should not have the
privilege, as well as any other section Of the
State, Of selecting its own road to market The
Richmond Wing and its political antagonist,
the State Journal, the republican organ, seem
to be allied upon this subject, and the latter has
a long article on what it calls Lady Baltimore S
new domain, in which it expresses the opin-
ion that Baltimore will buy up all the State of
Virginia that is for sale, though it admits that
"she is not to be blamed she pursues her own
interest. But somebody is. Tine men that sell
out TO her are the ones to be blamed She has
got khe Valley, and she got it cheap" sc. The
Journal then goes on to predict that the result
of all this will be the further disintegration of
Virginia, charging Baltimore with stealing away
West Virginia from the State, and predicting
that before five years are over the Valley will
be c!amorous for splitting eff from Virginia and
joining West Virginia. The leading Valley
gentlemen who advocate this improvement, in
Guiding. We suppose, Gen. Lee, are accused of
treason TO the old mother" Virginia.
We are sorry that the willingness which Bal
timore has evlnced to acce&e 10 the requests of
some Of the Virginia railroads for assistance has
drawn down upon those portions Of Virginia
assisted thereby such harsh judgment. W. real
~ supposed that. IN giving them our co-opera-
ton, we were doing good action. We DO not
claim any sanity exemption from AT apgrecia-
ton Of cur OWE interests, but we thought We
49,
and the sections Interested by the assistance our
citizens rendered 10 the Orange and Alexandria
railroad and that which We expect to give 10
the Valley and the Lynchburg and Danvilie
improvements. In regard to the last we must
correct the mistake which the State Journal is
constantly making ia the statement that Ralti-
more has subscribed 81 900, 600 to the Lynch
burg and Danville railroad What has been
done here is to indicate a willingness to endorse
the bonds OF the road to the amount OF $780,
900. 1t it is the Valley read TO which the CITY,
in response TO the appeal Of Gen Lee and other
Virginians of the Valley-who visited Baltimore
to secure our aid, has subscribed million No
thing could have been further from cur inten-
tions than to draw down upon these interests
the Walls Of wrath which have been uncorked
by the Richmond State Journal aud Wing
These journals seem to be fighting the Valley
over the head of Baltimore, though the Valley
is no doubt able to defend itself, and we dare
say viii make ont a very good case La view
Of the network of railroads over Eastern Virgin
Ia, II does not seem presumptuous to outsiders
that the most fertile section in the State sbonld
desire one railroad leading through It's entire
length to its natural market. That ii sboud
perhaps conceive that it has rights in this re-
gard, and that it should suppose that, among
other rights, it had the right to come to Bali
more for assistance, is not, on the whole, the
height OF human audacity The Valley does
not complain OF the Sonthside combination, nor
Of the cities which it builds Rp, and If thew
choose to make connections with It's improve
ments, they have the right to do SO. Yet. the
moment that the Valley seeks to get a. direct
outlet to market, it is accused Of treason to
Virginia, because that outlet is to Baltimore
As to what the State Journal SAYS Of BaIti
more having stolen away West Virginia. our
contemporary ilvst be joking, la times past
Baltimore had long and hard contest TO Get
permission to run over portion of West Vir.
glna territory, and if that section was aliena-
ted in feeling from Eastern Virginia before the
war, it was rather because it had never been
granted the facilities to market enjoyed by 9TH
er portions OF the State, than because those
facilities were after long struggle, to lin
tied extent reluctantly granted The journal
speaks of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad BIZ
'sectng, that is, cutting into two equal parts,
Western Virginia. Let any enc take map and
see the kind of dissection, running along the
northern border Of the State and bisectiue the
pan by cutting off the panhandle and a
few adjoining = leaving untouched the
rest OF that es mass Of territory. And
that is the onlyzF6ad West Virginia has to this
day, and it is fair 20 infer, from the fact that
the Valley has no longitudinal railroad, and
that the proposition to give her one is so bitter
ly opposed, that the " est would nor have had
one even now If Baltimore had not rendered it's
aid, The journal declares it "cannot say far
how many years and how earnestly and vigor
ously the members of the Legislature from
Richmond, and froul all the James river cities
and the eastern counties. fought the extension
Of the Valley railroad beyond Stanton Does
the journal suppose that such 'dog-in-the
mauger policy" prescribed by one seofisn of a
State to another, can be successful in this day
and generation: Ii processes to apprehend that
the proposed Valley railroad will bring about
the secession of the Valley from the State
Such an event would appear much more proba
bic II it is denied railroad facilities than if il
obtains them. If the Valley had such depth
OF Virginia feeling that it chung to the State in
war, Notwithstanding neglect Of it's railroad in
terests, it is not likely that the land Of the
Stonewall brigade and the home of Gen. Lee
will be alienated by being accorded its lust
rights. -Balinaore ,Sasa