The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-09
Gpeu'ao State gaa'raal.
THURSDAY EVENING, FEB. o, 1871.
SPIRIT OF TIE noRNING PRESS.

tlOD OF cOnSplratOrs Wy i""N "Hu oe"t WI
are trying to buy up Virginia and max
Richmond tributary to Baltimore, throug
the Old Dominion line, the Bay line, tn
Seaboard and Roanoke railroad, and Nj
Peter V. Daniels one-horse establishment
by the aid of Bismarck Garrett, surpas
even the Heather Chinee. In abiding to
rumor, which is not all rumor, that Mr.
Daniel has struck hands with the Balti
more and Ohio company, it says
A distinguished Baltimorean was at the Ex
change night before last. He was closetet
between here and Washington with the presi
dent of the Seaboard and Roanoke railroad
company. He returned to Baltimore via. Pc
tersburg and the Bay line. So runs the story
Is it possible that the Richmond, Fredericks
burg and Potomac company is going to intro.
duce ga foreign corporation. into Virginia
Is Richmond to be made tributary to Balti-
more Are we sold out
These Maryland "vultures" and adven-
turers must be looked after. Eternal Wig
lance is--the price of railroad stocks.
In speaking of the efforts made by the
land.and-water combination to monopolize
all the trade aud travel through Virginia
at its own price, by preventing the con-
struction of the proposed all-rail line to
Washington, and stopping everything at
the line OF the James and Elizabeth, which
are to be perpetual barriers, the Enquirer
says:
1t is disgusting narrow policy of at
tempting to obstruct the public highways.
Why should not the land be as free as the
water Why not give to certain mercantile
firms the exclusive right to navigate the ocean
why not deliver James river or the Mississippi
to a monopoly?
The effort to arrest trade and traffic on our
borders is just sheer madness, besides being
grossly wrong in principle Suppose North
Carolina refuses to connect with the Virginia
roads, and Tennessee with the Kentucky
roads? Suppose we have toll to pay every
time we reach the boundary line of State
Suppose we should have line of custom
houses between all adjacent States? North
Carolina cuts the Virginia roads; South Car
DINA cuts the North Carolina roads then
Georgia, Alabama, &c.--to New Orleans.
We say let them lay their rails, il they
choose, as thick as tiles--only let them pay for
them.
In the same article it says:
There are some IL 600 miles of railway in
the Southern States We ought to have 5O,-
900 miles to bring us up to the average of the
Northern States. There is no danger of hav-
ing too many railroads.
The only trouble is, how are we to get them ?
Where is the money to come from We are
utterly impoverished. We cannot build any
railroads.
Now it does not require great deal of
arithmetic to perceive that this additional 49, |
900 miles of railroad which we need in the |
South has got to be built in the main by |
Northern capital.
That's so. Therefore, we should accept |
all that is offered now while they are in
the humor to offer it, This may be the
tide in our affairs-or, as the preachers say,
the last opportunity" Don't let it slip |
by now, or we may loose it quite. Ii these |
Northern capitalists will buckle fortune on
our back, why let us cen except it, and
bear the burden with what grace we may.
Let the road be built. 1t will be big |
thing for Richmond.
The Whig has slightly changed its base
again. 1t now cries "a plague on all for
egners," and no longer gives even Balti-
more preference. In all roads controlled
in whole or in part by outside capital, it
foresees calamity to the interests of Vir-
ginia and her cities. Three corporations
Of this kind it assails this morning-the
Chesapeake and Ohio, the Pennsylvania
Central, and the Baltimore and Ohio--and
thus restores the contest to its ancient base
on the Southside consolidated line, and
McCready's steamships, against all corners.
This line is all the road Virginia needs, or
rather the only road New York wants in
Virginis.
In its leading editorial it denominates
these foreign corporations the three ''mons-
ters," and opens upon them in this STYLE
from which the rest may be learned:
Three great corporations of other States
appear to have singled out Virginia for
destruction or appropriation to their own uses.
Last year the Baltimore and Ohio corporation
combined all its efforts to wrest from US the |
great line of railroad which connects us with
the Southwest. BY almost superhuman efforts
and the union of the true men of the old Com
monwealth we succeeded in battling their de-
signs. Scarcely delivered from that danger,
new enemy, in the insdious guise of friend,
entered on the scene. The great Pennsylvania
corporation, with profuse protestations OF affec.
ton, proffered to build aroad from Washington
to Fredericksburg, and, if need be, to Rich
mond. 1t was only anxious to spend its money |
in Virginia and aid in developing the re-
sources and restoring the prosperity OF the
Commonwealth.
The Baltimore corporation would have cut
yania monster would confiscate to its own use |
our roads running North and South, and debar |
us all access to the South except on such dis |
eliminating terms as it might choose to impose. |
While the old State is thus beset by force from
abroad and treachery within, another outside |
monster deems the occasion opportune to gain
some undae advantages, and pick up the re-
naming fragments of the old Commonwealth.
The Chesapeake and Ohio company, owned by |
New York capitalists, appears upon the stage
in the following questionable shape.
Here is given the extension OF charter
asked by this company, which is to build |
road from Lynchburg to Richmond, tap
ping the consolidated Southsde line, and |
drawing off portion of the direct trade
and travel to New York 0ia Norfolk to
this city, to which nobody here objects
This bill, the Wing says, is reported to
be drawn and patronized by an eminent
lawyer, then our contemporary reads
us a lecture Oh the immortality OF employ
ing lawyers to lobby bills through the
Legislature. 1t says;
A lawyers personal reputation is not at
fected by the advocacy of any cause, however |
vicious and disreputable it may be. 1t is consid-
cred professional duty to receive fee from |
and to defend the most abandoned criminal, |
and, usually, the viler the criminal the more
eminent the counsel, the greater his fee and
the intenser his zeal. Tnis is the case in the
ord;narv oourta NJ law ia snmathinp new |