Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-04-02
COMMUNICATED

I0HDHluR nlltSiN S'PpNN r'H ~
which is true, and for that reason wholesome
food for both friend and foe, which hope you
will be good enough to reproduce Tor greater
publicity's sake.
have often thought that Virginia ard her
pcoplc might with much proprlety not only
thank Baltimore and her railroad for the sever
ance of West Virginia, but particularly for The
severance of Berkeley and jefferson counties
from this commonwealth.
II seems strange that not ono foot Of that
great road was nermittc1 to remain under the
Jurisdiction of Virginia. The road itself could
not be removed bnt Virginia, poor and de-
r~nucctcss, could be, should be, severed Ia twala
So by a rude blow Of the political rapicr, keen
IRON the grind.stonc OF corporate aFaficr,
aimed and delivered when Virginia stood shorn
Of her power, just 50 much OF her body was
struck from its home as was necessary to place
his far reaching cancer beyond the control OF u
State which it is sought daily to make trlbu'
tarv to My Maryland" her one city and her
onp railroad by and through the means Of rail
roads, &e., chartered in Virginia favored
with the advantage OF home Institutions. but
helonping to or controlled by foreign interests
and unfricndly influences.
Whilst not in iavOr OF NoIfniS rs against
Alexandria, yet, US a Vireiniap, am III favor
If Norfolk, or any other Virginia town or city,
As against Baltimore, or any other outside
rlacn' whose prosperity will lot tighten our
burdens Of taxation whose population will not
swrlI our representation ia Congress where
mower is uaeIcd-whosc wealth will not Ia
crease our powers Of attack or deienc: Ill the
treat commercial and political struggles which
are upon and ahead OF US. CAl'ERl'
"OUn COMMON ENEMY."-The city Of 3alti-
more has votsd to subscribe one million OF dol:
= g fhn | - ~ n III ar 81 n n
Dsnvills Railroad. This railroad WI! finish
the connection of Baltimore through the State
| OF Virginia to Dsnville. and to Colulnbis, south
Carolina; and to Atlanta, Georgia. 1t is 2 line
by which the city of Baltimore divides what il
left of the STAG Of Virginia into two parts
For the city Of Baltimore now oulsotcs the
Stnte Of Virginia in the Orange md Alexendria
Raill Dad, and virtually owns that work
2 Virginia has once before been blsec!co by
5 Baltimore The State cf West Virginia Was
cut off and made a separate State by the action
p of Baltimore. Hcr Baltimore and Ohio railroad
"A powerful corporation-did tue work. III NJ
evil hour, and under tho industrious lobbying
Of agents who dispensed largo monies, Tone o.
them sued the company for $50, ,00) the Logls,
. lsture of Virgins allowed tho Baltimore snC
Ohio Company to mako its railroad for hun
dreis Of milos on our territory between Cum
borland and Wheeling, and between HrIftor
and Parkersburg From the moment that mi:
l ~company placed it.: contractors and ia5orers or
the soil of our State, there Was fishtf,cti)n in
: West Virginia towards Virginia. And wheI
the war broke out, We,t Virginia wAs made tt
secede and to form q State BY herself, under tn,
> powerful influence Of the bsltImo7o ana Ohi'
:, Railroad Company. That Stale nay, indeed
g be called the State OF Baltimore.
But the greedy city and its gre dir corpora
= ticn is not done with VIrgiria.
y "Insatiato archer, will not ono SUFFICE"
n The concern have road I'm !cr construction
running up oar Valley from Harpcr,s Ferry
~, = Il H., Pn;lrh,I NJ M;,boo JV,r
man, who has been much Of lac in Baltimore
if he docs not now belong there, is tho Presi
dent OF the Valley Railroad. II Is well mig
completed To Strssburg, and will he encr!eli
cslIy pushed AS far i: Salem, i'll RoHHoko co =
1hc object of Baltimore in constructing III.
0 work is - capture from Virginia her noble
. Valley rs she did her Trans-Allosh:ny Goa
0 fields and magnificent Ohio slope.
y Ma, she is not content thus to rob Virgin:
0 of this precious co:nnin Of thr Valley. Sh,
= = asks more. Her motto is al, all: And SO she
0 hes invaded tho PiedmonL region. Sno In.
y placed her foot there and said this is fine prop
u erty and il shall ba mine. She ms bought W
y the Orange and Alexandrl" Railroad. and now
U deGes the State vote in the meetings Of thnt cor
U p~orat:on. Not cCutent with going - L:nch
U burg, she is determined 20 push her dominion
on 10 the fartlcres Southern boundary Of The
: Commonwealth; and in one or two years hc'
3 CATS will DO 1t Danville com peting thore. ont
7 hundred ~nl :orty miles in thn rear ~ Rich
/ mond, for the trade of Richmond.
Wi! ths. satisfy her? WEI sha be coctcn
r to run hcr Valley road to Salem. and her Pied
mont ro%d TO Danvillc? Oh, no. :iho la
I agents here TO prevent the construction Of
railroad from Alexandria 70 Fredericksburg
in order to prevent The capital Of Cur State iron
having Il cUntIEuou5 railroad OIL p s:rais !lt line
4 to the capital o. til. (Ihi,ri :tatos. she ms
| tho inscls nee ard arrogance to say that Fir
! ginis shall not permit y railroad to hA made 0r
l the only ground necessary ~ DC occupied now
& to mako u straight unbrok-n road from Rich
mond to Washington.
But she In: vcnturod upon Il greater pieco y!
insolcncc. Seeing that shn has robbed Us u
I West Virginia; tha. sho is rapidly occupying
} tho Valley TINT sho has trsversch the whole
: breadth of Piedmont with her railroads, there
arc some true Virginia people who want 10 save
10 the State the Virginia and Tennessee rail
road, running from Lynchburg to Bristol. and
projected to Cumberland Cap They see the
necessity OF ~rescuing this road from the ciutche:
. of Baltimore, and making it 2 part Of Il Great
east and west road across the whole breadth o
tho State, from Cumberland Gap to Norfolk
If tho road between Lynchbu-g and Bristol bt
not thus appropriated to tho beneti. Of the
State, Baltimore, which Is buying largely q
stock IN that company a so, and already Uxcr
cises q fatal Influence in the Virginia Lesis'a.
ture, will, ere many years, havs control Of thai
important railroad, and vii! usc il 10 carry al
the trade of our southwest, and coming through
our southwest from the direction Of the Mis-.
sissippi, OF TO her W counting rooms and
warehouses;.
Are there not enough loya! sons oEpNirginis
with heart and courage 10 resist this SLOW rlur-
der Of our mother? Is she to be torn, limb by
limb, to pieces before our faces? and is there
70. enough spirit in Us to stand forward and to
prevent ;hs brutal proceeding? arc we to be
longer checked in our effort TO save something
for Virginia by the wooden heads Of Richmond,
who arc waeing WAT upon Consolidation. which
is salvation to tho State?
We think there arc men enough in the Lcgis,
laturc, and out of it. with spirit, and honesty, to
secure to Virginia ut least one grca! line of road,
which shall work as n Virginia road for the
benefit Of Virginia cities, and fcr The building
up OF State prosperity.
Lot us savo something to our State. Jet us
not permit her TO be wholly ~dismembsrcd: Let
US narrowly watch the movements OF the lobby
which is so active against her, End the motive
of the men in her seals Of legislation who Hra
SO fruitful and full of rcason5 and arguments
that mako for tho ruin OF our State, md the
building up Of Baltimore.
Wo must have one line of road devoted 10
Virginia and her interests. II al others
orr, h,tuuht I'm sn6 maya sold thrmsc yns