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


| Inverts her rod, and what she did defeats"
Say, what charm, what conjuration, and
mighty magic has been at work with the
WAig, to call back to life its late editor, to
oppose what he SO recently advocated.
Truly, the times change and we change
with them and change makes change.
Only last spring, the Wing was the most
redoubtable champion of the all-rail line to
Washington, and of progress in every
form of railroad improvement that coulo'
in the renotest degree, aid in state
development but now we find the same
gentleman, who then SO loudly proclaimed
such broad, liberal, and progressive ideas,
coming forth from his retirement to
bring discredit upon his own teachings,
by denouncing as impolitic and ruinous to
the best interests of the State what he
then announced to be the true means for her
salvation! He was then in favor of grant,
ing all the privileges asked by the Alex
andria and Fredericksburg road, and
would willingly have permitted the ex-
tension Of their line to Richmond. Any
thing to be relieved of the Fredericksburg
monopoly, which was lettering and Grip
pling our trade by its obstructive and de-
structive policy.
1t is q most strange conversion, for which
we confess we cannot discover sufficient
cause in the explanation of the editor.
There is not single reason now existing
for opposing tho construction Of this road
by the company seeking the charter, that
did not exist then, and it is rather
humiliating confession Of stupidity on the
part of the Wing to admit that it has only
Just discovered that the 4" Pennsylvania
Central railroad has not acted frankly and
honestly with us" that;
at has pretended one thing, while seeking
another;while protesting to desire only to reach
Richmond, its agents or members have been
actively engaged in buying up our own roads
and our Southern connections so as to have alb.
solute control of the roads which pass through
the State. It acted thus clandestinely, and dis
passengers going through our State without
stopping or breaking bulk would dry up and
extinguish all our seaboard towns, and it natu-
rally supposed that even Southern Legisla.
ture, if cognizant of the facts, would not be
stupid enough to grant it such destructive
privileges.
- Great hevings," as Augustus would
say are we to go back again to the old
fogy ideas of the days of stage coaches.
road wagons and keel-boats? or have steam
and electricity been of any benefit to the
world? Are we to keep our productive
capacity down to our carrying capacity ?
Must we raise no more produce and do no
more trade than Mr.. McCreadys line of
steamers, and Moncure Robinson's line of
steamers and the Seaboard and Roanoke
railroad can carry for us to Baltimore and
New York and shall we have no cheaper
or quicker means of travel between the
North and the South than this grand COM
bination, with Peter V. Daniel added,
shall, in their pride of power, deign to
favor us with? Out upon such Bourbon
ism What matters it to the people who
1t is that may own or buy these roads :?
They certainly will not tear up the rails
and carry them away. They will have to
use them right here, and spend the earn
ings of their roads here, too and even
were that the only benefit we received
from them, it would be SO much gained.
But that is not all. Our business will be
increased at once. Richmond will be the
principal city on.a great highway of travel
and trade between the North and the
South. Hundreds will pass this way
then, where we have one now; and if
some of them do not stop here, it will
be the fault Of our people in not making
their city sufficiently attractive to stran'
gers. 1t will not dry up and extinguish
all our seaboard towns. unless we admit
that this section is finished, and is incapa-
BILE Of further development. Those who
are young enough to hope something from
the future, expect to see trade enough in
few years to build up all our towns, and
keep all the railroads and steamships we
can construct in constant employment.