Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-12
CNNsOI. DATION-WIL,lI
CU.AUu.

believe, in which the consolidation Of
the North Carolina Railroad with some
other has not been proposed in
some shape. We have, in every
single instance, opposed these schemes,
and We have been always sustained by
the action Of the General mbiy.
Heretofore it has only been pro .,osed
to consolidate the North Carolina
Railroad with the Atlantic and North
Carolina Railroad. This proposition
vas so unjust t. our city and section,
and so useless as great State measure,
that it has never met with much favor
or very serious consideration.
The present effort, however, has a
larger scope, embracing both the
Eastern and Western extensions of the
North Carolina Railroad in the con-
.solidation, being an effort to complete
q continuous railway from Morehead
City to the Tennessee and Georgia
lines. The accomplishment of such a
work, ut least the completion of rail-
roads through our mountains, con-
Meeting our own ports with tie Mis-
sissippi and Tennessee Vallies, is an
object worthy Of the best efforts Of our
legislators. Until this is accomplished
there can be no important seaport on
our own coast, and there can never be
any great success to our lines Of rail-
way running East and West.
Besides, if North Carolina owes any
debt to any cla.s or portion of her
citizens. it is ~ailroaT facilities to her
Western people, sf years before the
war they have consistently voted APP
propriations to Eastern railroads and
other works of Internal improvements,
and paid their taxes with patience and
hope. In turn the represent tat'ves OF
the East have voted appropriations for
Western railroads, but unfortunately
the war interrupted the first efforts,
aud thieves have stolen the later ap-
propriations. Now their only line of
railroad, completed to the very foot of
the mountains, is bankrupt, and
further work has been stopped. The
State is in almost as bad credit. She
has not the financial ability to lend
further aid. Without some assistance
the road must be sold, and the States
interest therein sacrificed, if indeed 1t
is not already worthless.
Before the Legislature passes any
bill looking to the consolidation OF
these three lines Of railroads there
should be certain guarantee that the
legislation will accomplish the pur-
poses intended. A mistake will be
fatal. Ii these lines are consolidated,
and the credit of the North Carolina
Railroad is not sufficient to build up
the credit Of the other two and COM
plete the Western North Carolina Rail
road at least to one of its Western
tsrmini, all will be sacrificed togeth-
er, and the State will lose almost the
only valuable work of internal i'm
provenent nov owned by her.
These considerations, however, have
doubtless occurred to the members of
the Legislature and will nc doubt be
amply provided for. The unfortunate
experience in railroads in this State
will make our legislators very careful.
Another mistake would be criminal.
But we are willing to leave the ques-
ton of consolidation with the General
Assembly, hoping their deliberations
will be guided by the best interests OF
North Carolina, as We believe they Will.
But indirectly We have very great IN
terest in the question-an interest too
founded upon the highest grounds OF
Justice and right. We do not think
that this great work, to be prosecuted
with common property, property
which our immediate city has contrl-
buted more than her full share to build
ND to its present condition, ought to be
managed hostile to us. III we are to
have great line OF railway from the sea-
board TO the mountains, to be built upon
the credit of the great work to which
Wilmington has contributed go m"cn
to build, our city ought not by adverse
legislation to be deprived OF all advan-
tases therefrom. We ought not to be
shut out from its benefits in the vain
hope of building another city at our
expense.
Why do we set up this claim for our
CITY .? We do it upon a ground much
higher than mere expediency. The
fact that we now have city with quite
twenty thousand inhabitants, and a
foreign and coastwise commerce al
ready we'll established and very
extensive, is sufficient grounds upon
which to base claim to consideration
at the hands of the Legislature. But
we have higher grounds THAN tins. We
ask it as a right which We have acquired
our efforts in behalf of internal I'M
provements, an especially in aid of the
North Carolina Railroad.
The history of Wilmington in con-
nection with internal improvements is
most honorable. When the Whining
ton and Weldon Railroad was projected
the subscriptions to that work in this
city amounted to fifty thousand doI-
Lors MORE than the entire assessed rat
ne of The real estate arithh, the co17'o-
,.ot., limits. And when the work was
completed, in great part by the hber-
ality of the citizens of this place, s'
,cas the longest railroad ia the "orld,
and remained 50 for scrcn years, and
was then only exceeded i'll length by 4
railroad built by the Car of Russia,
who built one through his domin;ons,
using the vast resources of his Empire
to do SO.
The city in its municipal capacity
| subscribed one hundred thousand dol