Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-02-24
For the Yindicator.l

SO long delayed
Thisquestion, more or less deeply, concerns
the vital and material interests Of vast region
of country-nor can its answer be void Of
interest to any classification Of our people
and yet it might be difficult without expos
ing faultiness in parties which it might for
tho present be we'll to withhold. We shall,
therefore, deal with it, with the charitable
endeavor to infect no unnecessary wound.
1. We assume that this, to very many.
perplexing and painful delay can certainly
not be due to any reasonable conviction in
the public mind, that out material interests
would not be directly and largely promoted
by it. That it would not be great public
benefit, is an assumption that no sane cltl-
zen of Virginia will ever dare publicly to
make; or which, if ever made in the great
Valley of Virginia, ought to doom the per-
petrator to lifetime probation in tread
mill. On this point we are all agreed-it is
a great public want.
2. Their is no want of means to build it.
The great Valley, which for four years fed
the Confederate, and ten thousand Of the
| Yankee army, and sustained loses by fire,
and other barbarous acts, that would have
sustained as many more, can certainly bear
the burden Of building at once this great
public convenience the wants of which
gives to the enterprising busy thousands of
the North, North West. and West, advan-
tages over us in, the markets of the world,
that will keep us poor and in debt until
dooms day. Expenditures equal to those
entailed upon as by the late war, will bring
us into daily trading communication with
Baltimore and double our present material
wealth in FIVE years. Shame on the power
ty-ridden spirit, which pines ami wastes
un Ter the burden of taxation, and debt,
which could be removed by the means lying
loose around. Such people deserve to be
i'll debt, to be heavily and grievousy taxed
Ito make mortar aoithoM struw. A man
said to us a short time since, ''if could
sell out, [ would go to Missouri" We re-
piled, can't you sell out He replied in the
eegative, and we asked, if we had the Val
ley Railroad, don't you believe you could
"sell out p Yes, was the reply, ''but l
don't know that I would want to them
We then told aim that Missouri was not
the State for him. "What one then p he
asked. We again replied, the State of
Misery was the place for him and all the
apposers of the v r. R He looked blank,
and left az he was one Of those well-to-do
farmers who was opposed to the trifing in
vestment we desired to make to secure the
construction of the Valley Road.
| The delay Of this great public improve
ment. cannot be occasioned by any reason
able hope that our condition will be improved
by time. The truth is, we have no other
way Of improving our condition, than that
proposed by the important Railroad enter
prise now lingering on our hands. The
great grain growing regions of the West,
and North West, are now in advantageous
competition with US in our own markets !;
and every passing year is increasing their
grain growing capacity, and multiplying
their transportation facilities. Public ina
provemsnts all around us are inviting and
engrossing capital and labor, attracting
population, and stimulating enterprise.
These advantages have all been gained,
not by sitting down and waiting for the
suspicious day, but by snatching the pre-
sent day. and actively employing all the
means now at hand. Let our people wait
| for the good time to come, as trey have been
doing for years, and withhold the means
| and endeavours necessary to the full and
proper development of our almost exhaust
less material ,,esources, and the day of
packsaddles will soon be upon US with all our
al treasures. The people who can and will
sit down in country rich as ours, and wait
until outsiders shall furnish them with the
Distinguishing public necessities of the age,
richly deserve the luxurcs of packsaddles,
and wooden moldboards, and ought to have
them.
4. Nor is this delay, owing to any want
of qualification, or any shortcomings of the
men officially charged with the conduct of
this important enterprise. From tho begin
ming until late day, it was in the hands Of
that man of iron nerve, and indomitable will,
Col. NJ. G.. Hartman, whose energy and
perseverance, labors and sacrifices in its be-
half challenge the admiration and gratitude
of every citizen of the Valley. His success
sor, the beloved and lamented Gen. r. r.
Lee, accepted the Office with his heart set
upon the speedy completion Of this work
and how he estimated its importance, is
shown by his consent to add to his already
burdensome duties the labors necessary to
the furtherance, and completion Of the en-
terprise, IN cennexion with his often recor-
ded testimony. just six days before he was
stricken down, he said in letter to the
writer of this, II am willing to do anything
in my power to secure to the people of the
Valley this Railroad, for l think it is the
only sure opportunity they will have for
years of securing Railroad along the whole
Valley, and believe such Road is indispen-
sable to the proper developms LIT, and con-
tinued prosperity Of our section of the
State The burden of this office, in pass
ing from the shoulders of this beloved en-
bodyment of every attribute which concerns
the wellbeing of our people, did not fall at
random, but, directed by skillful and prac-
ticed hands, settled upon one, in every way,
the man for the place. Cool, clearheaded,
earnest and unfaltering by inheritance, his
peculiar associations and surroundings pre-
eminently qualify him for the conduct of
this important undertaking If this work
fingers in Robert CARROTS hands, it will
not be for want of tact and skill, stern re-
solves and persevering effort, directed by
the wisest counsels. 1t must be considered,
that he is the dutiful son Of that man, who
has shown, beyond all gainsaying' that if
Corporations Gas is sometimes affirmed)
| have no souls" the head of the institution
sometimes has, soul broad and compreben.
sive as it's country. and its devisings and
plannings, rich inheritance to millions
The question, why fingers the V. r. r