Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-12-23
WlLMINGTON-CAPE FEAR HARBoE

Dear Jour,sGL:-It is with a feeling O,
pleasure and pride that I read, few days
ago, that Mr.. Ashe had introduced q bill
requesting our members in Congress to
use their endeavors to procure additional
aid and appropriations for our harbor..-
As this is matter in which every Will
mingtonian is more or less interested
vote of thanks to Mr.. Ashe from our citi
zens would not be inappropriate for his
td6Ie Efforts in this direction.
As regards this appropriation I cannot
but regret the serious drawback to the
prosperity of our city which is found in
the entrance from the sea into the Cane
Fear River. The prosperity of Wilmino-
ton Is matter of moment to the State.
and therefore hope that all the artificial
means which science can suggest NAV be
successfully adopted to facilitate the in
gress from the ocean into the Cape Fear
River. The public spirit Ct our town has
done very much, and trust the General
Government will freely aid in doing all
that is possible. 1t is important to pre-
serve the commercial prosperity of Will.
miLgton. The State gets the whole bene-
fit of it; for it keeps large and profitable
trade aoiGin NORTH Carolina. We cannot.
however, conceal from ourselves the fact
that a great deal must be done to open, and
keep open, the best approaches that can
be made to the port of Wilmington. She
is fairly entitled TO all that we can do for
her. She first stepped forward boldly,
and that too, when she was small in popu-
lation and limited in resources, to redeem
the State from q depression which had
driven very many of her sons into other
lande. No little spirit of local rivalry
should induce either Wilmington ON the
one hand, to desire monopoly of all
the trade and profits of the State,
or the inhabitants of other localities, Oh
the other, to withhold sympathy and aid
on the noble struggle which she is making
to overcome natural disadvantages. She
grapples with them boldly, and, therefore,
were there no other reason for it, de-
serves support from us ALL
Wilmington tried the experiment of be-
coming prosperous and wealthy by using
the simple means which nature had pro-
vided, and the experiment proved fail
ure. She saw that she must find some
other mode of connecting herself with the
rich country of which she was a part.
mat the connection would be naturally
advantageous, giving to the one O market.
and to the other the materials wherewith
to build up q prosperous commerce was
obvious enough. What did she do :? Win
size reSOloed to build a Railroad. And,
struggling on through insurmountable
difficulties, she at length succeeded in
establishing the Wilmington G. Weldon
Railroad, which runs In a line almost due
Moth and South across the State, and
thereby made herself the largest and most
prosperous town in the State.
We have not roads enough. We want
our State intersected by more railroads,
especially those in contemplation, of which
it is unnecessary to speak here. When
they shall have been completed one
may to-day leave in the breakers of the
Atlantic. and tomorrow stand among the
clouds-on tie mountain tops of the dis
tant West When the whole State is thus
brought together we will then have
North Carolina opinion go concentrated
and energetic that it will become efficient
and give US that consideration abroad to
which we shall be entitled. GLAUCUs.