The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-14
rTor Prospects.

80 advantages Is graphic, practical, anu
Nc, nrehensiye, and It's Views are hDefai
and iudIcious. Upon such an ars'cie' "na'-
ever our past differences, we can all unite
10 the trne Richmond platform, Us 1t IS the
ground OF justice to oil and the ground y,
defence for the commerce of Virginia. Auo
n these views direct line for Richmono'
connecting her with the thrifty sonsn"es ga
sho, Garden Of fruitfulness and beauty-anu
fine strengthening up and completing ou
ynutbern conn ectioBs via Danviiie anu No
Io;ob &C.. and we have Richmond f'h.
c,ted and completely defended, WITHOUT ~
fIcting mi j, tice npon any community. With
IN csc consummations, she will become wba
she deserves to be: very great CITY,
amongst the first, if not the very first, in.
land city in the United States. The Wing
thus speaks:
"R1cHaoND CITY.--Richmond as vii
LACE. town, or city is probably 15J years old.
II reaches far back beyond the period of
DIR first revolution. 1t is increasing in
populaton, in business, and in buildings,
and it's citizens are intelligent and refined.
For the romantic, poetic beauty of its lOca-
ton it has not probably a parallel amongst
The cities Of America. Its magn; ficently
uudulating landscape, the historic river
upon which it stands, and the sublime roar
of it's waterfalls, strike like inspiration
nnon the mind Of the observer. 1t teens
also with associations of moral grandeur.
In the earlier years of the Republic Rer
capitol, which crowns the brow OF the no.
blcst Of her hills, was the workshop and
the school Of statesmen. Often within the
once baIlowed walls Of that venerable pile
has the voice of wisdom and Of patriotism
been heard in defence of liberty. And
here still, from granite base, the monu-
mental brass lifts heayenWaTd the memory
of Washington.
OF the climate of Richmond we may
truly say that it is delightful. 1t is to
remarkable degree moderate, genial, health
full. There are no pestiiential marshes-no
nurses Of malaria--to poison her atm0s-
phere. Yellow fever cannot he propagated
within her limits. The latitude of the city.
the conformation Of the land, and The RAPID
motion of the waters Of the james, COM
bine in an eminent degree to cut on CDe
conditions of disease and protect the health
Of the citizens. This hygienlc tribute 10
Richmond is sustained by observation, ana
needs no other proof; and it is al element
-
upon which she presents her claim to cor
tinue to be the commercial and the poilti-
cal metropolis of Virginia.
Richmond is-n0t merely to become, hut
is already-a commercial centre 0i no neon
Sidefable magnitude. It is the terminus OF
the Richmond and nanyile, the hlchlDoha
and Peters burg. the Chesapeake and Ohlo'
and the Richmond and Potomac railroads. |
And il is the terminus Of the great James
Eiycr and Kanawba canal. III Is lrue Ina'
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad COM
papy may extend their road through h'ch-
mond to Yorktown, Newport News, OF
other point on the peninsula, ana tneE niay
stablish there q nominal tern'HnS Oh lua1
road but such terminus. however au- !
yontapeols, cannot etfertualy resist claims :.
and advantages assigned by nature and rea- i
son to another point. We frankly admit
that we do not believe that the claims OF !
either of these points are such as to wholly !
exclude those of the others. We do not /,
perceive that Richmond and Newport |!
News and Norfolk will notall become large |
importing and exporting cities. Nor do we
believe that either Norfolk or Newport |
News will be exclusively the great city OF
he coast. They may coeXi>t and DIVIDE |
commerce like New York and Brooklyn.
But Richmond, without excluding their
claims, has certain advantages which are
not possessed by either OF the others.
Another great source OF wealth anu lnnu-
,nce to Richmond is the water. power OF Tue
James river at that point. The tails OF Tue
liver here are six miles long, ana Tue ue-
scent of the river i'll that distance Is eignly
S0l feet. We conceive that 80 great and
yradnal n fall of such volume OF water as
3 here discharged would more than move
all the machinery Of all the manufactures
IF Virginia. The possession OF such
power needs no commentary. :
Last. but greatest Of 0l The tributaries OF
Richmond, is the james river and kanawha
canal. This great thorou.hfare, when COM
pleted-as at no distant day, we believe, IL
will be-to the Kanawha river, Will beal>!o ;
this city millions Of produce, to ne SOLO III
her markets or shipped to foreign countries.
Abundant capital will he here to purchase
it, or sea-worthy vessels to transport IL
abroad. Suppose it to be practicable, RS 1t
NAV be, to transmit these products,
brought upon the canal beyond Richmond,
to Newport News; still, we ask. wherefore
should It be done! Gu bono? Ii market
be wanted it will be here.
If shipment abroad be desired, that
object can be as effsctualy accom-
plished here as in Norfolk, if We re-
alize the depth of water promised
bv the engineers. And thus it appears
that the products Of the western and
northwestern States, at least that portion
of them transmitted over the james River
and kanawha canal, would for the most
part have their market here, or from this
port he shipped abroad. And similar
reckoning would probably be more or less
true of the products transmitted over the
Chesapea and Ohio railroad.
Impressed by such considerations, we
are compelled to believe that Richmonu 10
destined to become great city, CONNER
cial or manufacturing, or both, and that
her proportions will be commensurate
with the great advantages which nature
mas bestowed upon her."