The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-11
r,o Coming Union with the West.

Tho Coming Union Wath 1he "es''
Ths long delay of complete commun'ca-
.;on between the Virginia tide and the Mis-
sssippi Valley has ir,bued the minds OF our
reople with q kind Of despair from when
it is hard to arouse them. Hope deferred
ave. for some forty years-haS caused 'i'e
public If not to grow sick 10 relapse il'o
a state Of indifference ana mcreao''S
which is detrimental to enterprise ana par
alvzing to hope. So we almost lear INA,
there will be no general resurrection u"'ii
The fact is ccomplished-untll the cars.
with the stains of water and earth from the
Ohio itself, arrive in the city and our peo-
ple put their hands upon them.
But. long deferred as it has been, II Is near
at hand. We are to be in communication
with the Upper and the Lower MISSISSIPPI
and with the Gulf States; also by railways
of the first dignity, and that in 4 short time.
Already Gen. MAHoSE's line reaches, with
some intervening twists, the Mississippi.
Time will straighten these. The Danviile
road opens the way to the Gulf with twist
in south Carolina and Georgia, which Is
soon to be Strengthened at saving OF 100
miles in distance. With these lines OF COM
munication with the southern and western
interior, what have we to fear? Can we
not build up here very great city: Can
we not at least equal the river towns OF the
West which have run up to their 300, 600
and 100000 population! Undoubtedly !;
and we ought so to know, and we ought 10
be looking about us, and preparing for the
new dspensation commercial so near at
hand.
At the late dinner Of the Tobacco AsSo-
citation in this city toast was drunk IN
which it was said that Virginia sucked the
northwestern States in their infancy, ana
they must feed her now. The idea was
just, and it was piously poetical. Virginia
was indeed their mother, and in her day Of
adversely and distress it would be entirely
consistent with gratitude and justice that
they should sustain and cheer her. How
beautiful it is when physical improvements
harmonic with these ennobling sentl'
ments
Those northwestern and western States
are soon to have an outlet for their trace
through Virginia. The ships from the Nlr-
einia shores will bear abroad their pro
ducts and bring back the foreign goods Tor
their consumption. Richmond will be Il
main point of transhipment for them, since
the seagoing ships bring in their trelgats as
far as is consistent With ease and safety OF
navigation, and the land transportation is
cut short at the nearest point to produc-
ton, water transportation being cheaper
by all odds than land. So we shall sec here
great change. Not that the mere matter
of the shipment or the delivery of goods
borne upon the water ever builds up a
city, but the process of the business Is
enlivening and stimulating to the public
energies of town where it is going
on. Richmond's great prosperity must
be its manufacturing. Commerce VIII
come along with that but the bust
ness of shipping away staples and selling
imported goods alone never made great
city. And nobody need to hope that that
will ever make big city i'll Virginia.
Now. then, bright day is coming for this
city. Notwithstanding the enthusiastic
satt.;rater men, not on the north side OF
James river nor on the south side thereof :
not on sea-board, nor bayou, nor bluli, nor
sand-bank, is there to be 4 greater city than
Richmond anywhere east of her in virgil
mia. Powhatan settled the question. Here
il to be the city Of Virginia.
In ancient days, in the East, there was
M idea that bath Of infant blood would
restore to old age youth and vigor, and the
kccne>t sense of enjoyment and observation
to all the faculties. 1t was sometimes tried,
and decrepid and lettering kings were i'm
mersed in the bath of blood. But Of course
sad disappointment ensucd, and the
wearied and exhausted old men de-
SPARED and died. That was the re-
juvenization with blood. But there Is
another that is unbloody, through the
infusion Of the infant vigor and spirit
into the body Of the aged aud cntccblcd.
We are to see it realized in the case of Viz
ginia. The West, torn from her bosom in
infancy, is to send the currents of trade and
commerce to her, increase her prosperity,
strengthen her energies, and hasten the day
of contamination Of that physical power
which will be equal in dignity to her fame
in war and in the councils of the nation.
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