The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-23


Virginia Legislature, instead OF ir'',eflas
away the money of the people upon ra'itoau
enterprises intended 10 build up rifa' CUES; =,
had concentrated all upon R'caliono, -
would have raised up tGcie an iu
CITY. and at The same time benehteo o.u.'
localities. which in cndeavorin@ 10 ''!u'e
nor hive nv no means aided themselves
7, is truc thu, Richmond Is not at the gate
way Of The ocean; neither Is Baltimore no.
phil,delrbia, Paris nor London. IL Il ho.
essential 10 the growth OF great clties that
tLcv should BIZ ~ near the sea as Nollolh Vi
Ncw orleans. The farther into the interior
thc fluctuations of coast extend, whether
h, river or bay, the cheaper and better II IS
for general purposes Of commerce. we con-
tc.s III { to make this proposition Eo.d en-
tircly good iu regard to Richmond the james
river ought to be greatly deepencd. or. what
is tar better, sbip-canal cut from Richmond
to York river. We have repeatedly recon-
mcnded this plan, and if it Is ever tilec'en
the commercial prosperity OF Richmond VIII
be secured.
Wclad hoped that the late war had e''
faced all sectional and local rlvalries IN re-
.rd TO Richmond. tt was always oeau'-
ful city-thc pride of all tue Firgnia,'s-ouI
| il has now been consccrated by the ne>'
b,,Gd Of the South, and as the theatre OF lsc
| greatest military events that nave ever W
curred on this ccn,ineut. We trust toat IL
m,y became as renowned in the battles OF
ne,re as of war. Every measure when
tends to lis prosperity and advancement
should be dear to the heart not only OF VIZ
yiuia. out Of the whole South. Ouf own
| CITY Of tic IIiil,extcnds Only good wishes 10
| Rrhnoud. We expect TO grow ana oecoue
| great ourselves; Du: we intend 10 40 II W
| virtue of our own enterprise anu energy,
ard nv ayailirg ourselves OF our unSuFpaaseu
natural adyan,ages-not by seeking TO de.
| tract from the fame or check the progress Vi
any other city.
The Halifax (Vlrginia) Record Of yestcr'
day morning mixes the following dmcnde
houuraIle TO Richmond for some unfaVora-
bic comments which crept into It's columns
in the absence Of the editors:
plcuMoNp AND THE SOUTHSlDE.-"c dcep'y
rcorc, that an article, alike untavolabe ana
,u,just as we believe TO the businessmen OF
RH.nniond. appeared in the editorial columns
AZ Tho RecorG last week. The article was
rrNtcn by i gentleman distinguished for bis
literary and scientific atlalnmcnlS, who by our
r.oup,t kindly consented to furnish some
editorial matter for our columns during our
absence with the Virginia press excursion
lists in Baltimore. Philadelphia, and New
York. TO condemn what was thus
done as favor is most un-
gracious duty. but justice to our,
selves and TO the businessmen of Richmond
leaves us no other alternative. The article
is wholly inconsistent with our oit-eEpreSsed
opinion in relation 20 the duty OF our PEG.
pie to encourage our own home markets, ana
Richmond particularly as the commcrcs
METROPOLIS OF the State. We have watched
with the deepest interest every movement
calculated TO promote the growth and pros
pcrity of our Chief city, and have reJ0lced 81
every addition and Improvement to its lines
of communication with the great west ana
other great markets OF the world, and 1t has
ALWAYS given us pleasure TO bear testimony
to the energy, enterprise, and worth OF It's
people. In proof Of this we reprint lew
paragraphs clipped from our editorial col
urnrs. The following extracts are taken
from our leading editorial OF March IS, 1873:
"Tne enterprise of the businessmen OF
Richmond Is worthy Of all commentator.
Fex cities have suffered greater calamltles
than Richmond; none have met such ca!sm
tiles with noGler spirit.
nAIyeady Baltimore is alarmed at the pros.
u G. OF having Il large proportion OF her
wfsern trade transferred TO Richmond by
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. The
alarm. we believe, is well founded, ana the
II tnre rapid growth of Richmond is assl: ed.
J here can be no question that she Will here
alter secure a large portion Of the western
an southern trade, Of which, by means OF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, Baltimore
has heretofore had u monopoly.
THE prosperity Of Richmond will add to
the prosperity OF the whole State, furnish
ing the best market for the surplus produt-
tiors OF our people, ana selling them cheap
gooGs in return"
TIE following is the conclusion of our
leading editorial of April l, 1874:
"TGc citizens Of Richmond arc dis,in.
puishcd for their intelligence and hospitality.
Its merchants and manufacturers are enter
| prisirg liberal, and accommodating, and we
REQ 70 reason why they cannot sell their
wares, Is they profess to do, as cheap as they
can be bought in any northern city. Our
merchants will, Of course. purchase their
goods where they believe they can get them
| cheapest, but they are too prone, from the
| force of habit, to believe, without any eXami-
nation or comparison OF prices. That this can
be done in the cities north OF Richmond. Men
are so mach the creatures of habit that 1t is
very difficult to get them to make Il change
even when it is 10 their advantage TO do So
We fear, therefore, that they do not give
RichHoGd even the advantage of a fair trial
when they 90 for their SUPP lies for The coun-
try trade. We advise them TO consider
whether such c0utsei is not both unwiSe and
unjust, and hope they may be induced by
their ref c ions to give the Richmond mer-
chauts at least the benefit OF fair eXamlna.
ton and comparison Of prices.'
The above extracts, which could be easily
multiplied by clipping lrom our columns,
will suffice TO show the feeling OF the Record
toward Richmond and its people. The SEN
timrnts expressed in them are still enter
tanned by Us. and. We believe, by a very
large majority of the people Of Southsde
Virginia. l, is undeniably true that men
will get their supplies where they think they
can get the be,; bargains: but it is equally
true that they continue TO be carried oy tue
force of habit in the old channels of trade
long after the advantages which gave rise to
| the habit have ceased to exist. The business
men of Richmond only ask fair trial, and
the continued aud rapid growth Of their
manufactures and wholesale trade IS the best
| evidence that they offer such advantages as
| to overcome even the force OF an adverse
habit.
| When Chicago was laid 10 ashes it had the
sympathy and The active aid Of the whole
couutry-almost Of the whole world; but
when the great condagration of 1865 swept
over Richmond her war.wasted and i'm.
poverished people, with the heavy hand OF
the Federal Government upon them, had TO
depend upon their unaided pluck and enter
prise 10 rebuild their beautiful city. They
we're equal to the trying occasion, and Rich.
nond has risen f. ON its ashes more beauli.
full than ever. A people who have accom-.
pliShed so much in SO short period of time