The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-23

The following extract from the Brooklyn
Times of the 18th inst, will be useful reading
to those of our citizens who fear that we have
embarked too largely in Railroad enterprises.
1t shows the viewsof an intelligent outside OBJ
server of our capabilities for advancement and
for rivalry even in New York in the shipping
of western produce.
New Western Routes, Rivals to New York.
While New York is sitting quietly down,
confident in her Erie Canal, and two great
trunk lines of railroad to maintain her supre-
macy OF Western trade, it might be well to
look around the country to see what other
coast cities are doing to steal her carrying
trade to Europe away from her. Baltimore
threatens rivalry, and, with her Ohio railway,
has really started quite competition, and is
expecting large benefits from the new Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad. Philadelphia also
anticipates largely, but both these cities are
really too far from the Ocean proper ever to
be real rivals of New York. Boston would
be, if it had first-class harbor, but as harbors
arc not made to order we have little to fear on
that score. The only really dangerous rival is
Portland, which with literally the finest har-
Dor in the world, has as yet been but of the
third rate in commercial point of view. But
the only defect in this place has been lack
of easy Western communication. Our Yam
kee friends, however, are go-ahead people,
and step by step they have been advancing
their Western lines of railway. Last week a
little celebration took place in Claremont, N
H., on the occasion of opening another link
in direct through line from Portland to Chi
cago. Sixteen miles more will carry this line
to the Rutland and Burlington Railroad,
where direct connection West is made, either
by the way of Troy or Rouse's Point, or via
the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's
railway, now extended from Schenectady to
Binghamton, on the Erie Railroad. An
other gap of thirty miles will be constructed
between Concord, N. H., and Rochester of
the same State, and the through line will
then be completed. This last link is under
way. Freight and passengers from the West
and return can theE be transported from the
West to Portland, as speedily as the devious
way South to New York, and delivered on
the Atlantic seaboard at a point 1854 miles
nearer Europe.
1t would be well for the New York capital
lists to look into this matter, if they wish to
retain the time-honored prestige of that city.
GRANT GREELEY AND LEE.-Gen. Grant, in
his report, after reciting the splendid cam
paigns which eliminated in a victory for the
Union, thus speaks of General Lee and of the
debt which the nation owes to that officer S
manly and honorable course after his surren-
der:
"Gen. Lees great influence throughout the
whole of the South caused his example to be
followed, and to-day the result is that the ar
mics under his leadership are at their homes
desiring peace and quiet, and their arms are in
the hands of our ordnance officers"
These are the words of just and brave man
who respects truth, and whose patriotism is a
thing not of words but of deeds.
The Tribune, in the face of this language of
Gen. Grant speaks of Gen. Lee as can ex-rebel
charged with having abetted the Andersonville
infamy."
These are the words of journal which whin-
field, aud which strikes hands to-day with cor
ruptionists to sell the highest municipal offices
of New York.-N. Y. World, Dec. 8, 1866.