The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-14


our cofsnon country. STARE 10. tne great
regret which al expeffe1ceE that the. enc,
Magistrate OF our Commonwealth 10 d.sapieu
by sickness from appearing here TO express
tile emotions Of JOY, OF pride, and proiou %
fhankfuIness filing all hearts In Virgluiaat
The grand achievement which we come 10
celebrate; and that lave been suddenly
called in his steadto bear his part in these
|rejoicing5.
The Virginians of this day would be. in
deed. an unintelligent. impassive, and III.
grateful race if they fail TO greet with JOYFUL
rratulations so grand consummation. Whaf
| i, it, fellow.citizens? A complete, comfno-
dioIs, and an enduring highway from the
| waters of the Missouri, the Mississippi, anu
the Ohio TO the waters OF the old ocean! a
safe, !; cheap, and sure channel Of commune
cation. adapted and capable OF stimulating,
serving, and bearing the commerce OF that
great zone of our country which God has
blessed in most munifcent degree with all
the physical clements needed for the wants
and tastes of man. s- ~
Whose mind can compass and whose
tongue can tell the wide range of benehcence
which this national highway will besIoW
| Hoy much of earth's treasures hitherto hld-
den or inaccessible will it not uncover ana
make tributary to mans suatcnance and COM
fort How much of honest industry ana
cheerful toll will it not stimulate and reward
How many wild and rugged ridges lying
now in rude and barbarous waste, how many
valleys vel unblesscd by culture, will 1t Tot
fructify and adorn with the industries and
arts OF civilization!
Who can deny to the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad its lust title to dignity and value us
4 national improvement when for more tllall
\ century the foremost ireelIectS of our coun.
try have pointed to its line As the channel
which the great Architect OF the globe dc.
signed to be employed as the natural and
best route for commerce between the East
and the West? George Washington was the
earnest advocate of great highway to he
made along this route. The sagcs and pa
triots of bis day, and all great and good men
IN Virginia since. have desired and sought
its success, and we are privileged to ssaEd
l here to-day and witness the first fruits ana
evidences that the whole enterprise IS an &C
complished fact. :.
But, my friends, we should fall far behind
the significance OF the OCCASION If we turned
our eyes alone to The material blessings which
must flow from this great work. Depend
upon it that God will employ this artery OF
commerce for bencticent moral ends. y
great poet and philosopher has said that
.Mountains interposed make enemies CT nations
Which else had met and mingled into ONE
i All good people in all sections of our com:
mon country are hoping and seeking 70 bind
ND and retl1ite the sundcrcd cords OF afec-
ton and fraternal intercourse so rudely
severed during the sad decade just past
4 The constant and the mutually profitable
and pleasant intercourse which this great
highway will induce between The people
4 living in widely separated sections of our
country must tend to inaugurate and main
tain better understanding and q kindliel
feeling between them.
Mutual respect, goodwill, and sympathy
will supplant and reign in the places where
prejudice, alienation, and aversion have held
urhappy SWAY. Tie busy movements OIL
commerce, he reciprocal relations OF common
interest, and the kindly influences Of persons"
intercourse which this great Improvement
will create and maintain, must draw il closer
I.,. I,.,,rp aurctl0nUGe DonuS Luc great Slhtes
who will employ it, al
Let us, then, truly rejoice, and let lis nor
forget here to accord and to pronounce al!
honor to The intellect. the energy, tie courage,
aid the worth of the men from North ana
efforts to so blessed III achievement!
REMARKS OF COLONEL JOHN 3. BALDWIN.
Following Acknowledgement Marye,
Colonel John B. Baldwin waa called nrcn'y
the chairman Of the meeting. ard, OF course,
80 true friend OF The road could not hcSi-
tate to respond.
After tie applause with which he was
greeted had somewhat subsidcd. Colonel
Baldwin said that it was no new thing for
hin TO talk about this great Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad. For years he lad been talk
ing and working for scarcely anything else,
and lie was proud to stand here tn-;!ay and
rejoice in the opening Of the main Inc OF this
grand highway. He would not say its can
pletion, for we have only just reached III"
first round-thc startin@-point Of yet greater
things to cone. It is a grand thing to have
Richmond united at all with the great west,
with its tccming products and vast resources.
But now that wc have tie min line, we must
at oGcc look to its branches.
We must see to the Clifton Forge conhcc-
ton down the valley of the James by lynch
burg, and or to Richmond, so that We.ean |
have direct line 10 Louisville, Cincinnati,
Worth-the highest grade Of which will not !
exceed thirty tcet to the mile.
He would also have branches that would |
reach ont in every direction, and grasp all Of
the trade which We have right to control. |
lie would have this, too, the great highway |
of travel between the capital vi tic nation |
and the popuious West.
When all this is done-aS it will be with !
out fail-Richmond and Virginia will then
begin to realize the magnitude Of this great |
work, for the completion OF which we have
been struggling for years.
And when the immense trade which shall |
flow along this great channel shall overflow !
Richmond, and the James shall prove made
quatc to carry it of, then the road will
seek The broad, deep waters of tue bay, and
render strictly appropriate its paine OF Chc5-
apcake and Ohio railroad.
He loved this great enterprise because II |
was a Virginia enterpri$e-one that would
build up this dear old Commonwealth, |
around which our warmcst affections clus- !
ter. For himself, he had been entirely suits
fled with Virginia as she 1rds, and wanted
no "hishcr civilization" than that which
existed in this good old Suite in her paImy
days. But now that all that has been swept
away, and we are forced to enter the race
after material civilization, he felt like the old
Quaker who violently opposed the introduc-
ton of instrumental music into church. but
who, after being oyerruled, went for the
finest organ to he found, saying. "1f thee
will insist upon worshiping God by ma
chinery, then / 60 for the very best machine
that we can get"
If our good old Commonwealth must leave
the old paths and seek her material pros
perity. then he wanted Ter 10 have the very