The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-07

ten and unknown latherland, or the Jew
= TO Jerusalem, and that the Indians woult
: come back to hsrbarHe Virginia and Penn,
sylvania.
The Enquirer has nothing about oul
= local railroad rivalries this morning, but il
. has very interesting article on the mar
row gauge system for all railways. Speak
/ ing of Mr.. Frailie's plan, which 1t de-
scribes quite infinitely, our contempo-
rsry says:
Mr.. Fairle's idea seems to be not only to In
troduce a system of lateral roads, with very
the main lines but he believes that the main
lines themselves ought to have guage OF three
feet instead of four feet eight and half inches.
). The vast revolution which will be effected in
our railroad system, if these views are even
partially realized, it would be difficult to COM
pute. If some of our own people who are SO
much exercised with regard to the subject OF
railroad facilities would tap one OF the main
lines passing through the State with a road on
the plain of the narrow gauge Welsh ROADS,
they would get out of the woods sooner: we
should like to see such road attempted from
| Harrisonburg to Gordonsvills.
The cost of construction of this mar
| row gauge road is one-half that OF the
broad gauge, while its capacity for carrying
freight and passengers would be increased
and the expenses lowered.
The Enquirer has a progressive political
article, in which it appeals to all men to
bury dead issues, and join in a patriotic
effort to restore good government every
where in the country. It says:
The chess-board upset in the midst Of the |
game would more easily be restored-the hands |
of whist.players rudely iumbled would more |
easily be re .arranged-than could now be set
up and identified the parties that in old times
struggled for the mastery. Nor, indeed, is
there much more wisdom in trying to raise
from the dead those defunct giants or in hud-
ding our people within the same old lines of
party in new strife, than there would be in
the endeavor to restore to entireness the cats
of Kilkenny, or with loaded heightened stock
ings to divide ourselves and engage in the
time-honored struggle of the 0rangemen and
Ribbonmen.
Since the war began we have lived long,
long life. An age has been compressed into a
decade. And the area of our country from
narrow borders has spread over continent.
stances, in every conceivable respect, have been
changed. Many who once earnestly opposed
free trade, honestly advocate it now. Many
who once opposed United States bank, APP
prove it now in different shape. The high
tariff has been tried to the nausea of its earliests
1Hu UiUst ueFuttu iTieuuss A Cdlm anu
Ful observer can now only mark the oldest
]waps-the oldest combinations--the oldest
and the oldest antagonisms that
aver Knocked poor blind humanity.
That's so. We are all pretty much at
lea now, and parties will have to look !
around them for new material out Of which ;
o manufacture platforms; and in their
construction, we trust the advice given be-
ow by the Enquirer to its Conservative
riends will not be lost upon the Republican
Iarty, which has also been playing the $,
hid, aud showing lamentable want Of q
manhood, particularly at the South. o
losing, the Enquirer says: "
In Heavens name, then, dear friends, let us 9
Use to an appreciation Of the times we live in "
II us dare see, know, and be coursgeously y
rise. When we were children we behaved,
bought and understood as children, and now m
lat we are men, tried and matured by the les pl
'ns Of adversely. let us put away childish CO
rings, narrow and selfish ideas and low aims,
nd acquit ourselves before the world as high
iinded men, as lovers of truth, and as Virgin
INSIDE our name what it will