The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-11
sfnseruourse with enc sonshwest.

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The friendly disposition toward this cit
Of Che consolidated line from Bristol {
Norfolk under tho direction of General M
Eoan b gratisy ring, and entities the Geners
20 our thanks. With o iine such as hi
consolidated with no reference to this city
he might ovcrslaugh us altogether. W
have always expressed trust in him, 1t
true, she chief article he has recently brougil
sO us is wheat. which cannot be consume
anywhere else In Virginia, and must b
brought TO this city or kited through t
northern cities. The General, ofcourse, pre-
fers that Il shall be brought to Richmond
In which he b perfectly right, and perfectl!
consistent as Tirginian.
Now, with the continuation Of this COZ
aial intension. afser the construction OF th'
direct road nom this city to Lynchburg
what may We not dof We shall have thl
wheat, OF course. And then weAsnaii d
able to divide the travel with the, Orans'
and Alexandria railroad, since passenger
may be brought from Lynchburg to Rich
mond in three hours. They will here fine
several routes northward, and may spend
few hours in Richmond without loss Of
business time in the prosecution of their
journey to such northern cities as they may
desire to-yisit. At present we know thai
the travel leaves the consolidated line
at Lynchburg, and Is thus lost to Ken
mond and YIryinsa? Therefore, since the
diversion OF the current Of travel by the
Piedmont line is injurious to the great in
terest it was the avowed object of the con-
solidated line to protect, the direct road
from Richmond to Lynchburg will become
the most powerful auxiliary of the CONSOLE
dated line which can be brought into the
field. It viii assist greatly in the patriotic
struggle inaugurated by General MALONE;
it will be the JoLUs to the consolidated
HERCULES in the strife with the power
which the General has depicted in form
and venom, as another Hydra.
In viewing the situation in Virginia
every sensible man must see the important
part the g straight shoe" has to play in
the future commerce of the State. Its
great forte viii be its control over travel.
It will restore the social and commercial
intimacy between the greatest city in the
State and the teeming Southwest. And
without this restoration of former social in
tercourse we can have no extensive trade
with our southwestern fellow-citizens and
the people of East Tennessee, Northern
Georgia, and Alabama. That road makes
Richmond master of the situation, and
it will become, rs we have already said,
powerful auxiliary of the consolidated line
in the protection of our local commerce. /
Nor must we forget the important rela-
tions Of this road to the plan Of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad Company-viz.,
the construction of the James river branch
of their road from Clifton Forge to Lynch
burg. II our road is not at Lynchburg to
meet this James river branch, we leave the
deatiny of its immense transportation to
uncertainty. We lose by default the golden
opportunity of giving it direction alto
gether In our favor, and leave it to take
such course as circumstance, or accident,
or possibly prejudice, may give it.
The very fact that we should lose such an
opportunity would be seriously to our. in
jury in the minds of all shrewd and practi.
= col ,,aan nv. -.----.e,LI .anGt reasonably say
Apeople who would permit such a chance
to slip from them certainly have not the
energy, sagacity, and tact to profit by it il
it had been conferred upon them without
cost
AssuredlY, no step this city can now take
will prove more clearly the forecaste and
commercial enterprise of her people than
the building of the "straight shoot :" from
Richmond to Lynchburg.