The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-18
Richmond the True City.

We invite attention 60 the letter published
hv ma this morning from the venerable
wySpHAn ROBERTSON, Of Washington coun-
II. with regard to the extension Of the wa
ter line to Clifton Forge. Incidentally; Mr.:
ROBERTSON touches upon the relations Of
Richmond to the commerce Of the State, In
which he pronounces that city the "true ma.
:ural metropolis of Virgiuis." So important
and so true are his remarks on this point
that we repeat them here. He says:
$50 near New York as Norfolk is, :ts bet
Ger water, but inferior conditions in so many
other respects, Gao never admit OF its being
raised to rivalry; but 1t may TO great respec.
liability as q seaport. But even thls point
itself can never be reached till Nirginia,s
true national metropolis, Richmond, sbsli
attain iss Just national dimensions, aGd
Lrnchburg and other well.sested interior
towns theirs"
Andsthese results, he thinks, may be best
a,.aiaed by the proposed junction Of the wa
ter and steam lines at Clifton Forge. Inc
"cheapest" form of transportation. MIR. Ro
sEnrsoN says, Gin the worlds history has
ben, and is, water" and We believe sewer
shall be-"
The views here declared, that Richmond
is the "true natural metropolis of Virginia.
and that Norfolk can never DE the rival Of
New York, could not be entertained by SO
wise and patriotic q man as MIR. ROBERTSON
save upon the most deliberate inVestiga-
ton. Upon matters of such magnitude be
Is not the man to be biased by local preu'
dices.
We conjecture that the public generally
are about ready to concur with MT. RoeERT-
SON after the long experiment through the
Atlantic. Mississippi and Ohio railroad. IL
Norfolk has been materially improved by IL
we are unaware OF the fact. The truck
farms In the region about that city have done
more for il than have the railroads, and we
do not believe that Petersburg claims to
have received any great benefit from consoli-
dation.
Now, bad the Virginia aud Tennessee
rtad-as it was called origlnally-becn con-
tirued TO Richmond, very different result,
so far as Virginia and Rchmon are con-
ccrncd, would have followed. But it was
consolidated with the Southside and Nor
folk railroads, and naturally the regular
operations of the road, as well as its inter.
ests, constrained the freights upon it to 20
through from end to end. In this way it is
unavoidaoy alien to this city. Richmond is,
therefore, in good degree deprived OF
commercial intercourse with that garden OF
Virginia Little Tennessee" and rich por-
tion OF East Tennessee.
But the point is that the " consolidation y
was projected to accomplish work that has
clearly failed TO build up great city by the
sca. This consolidation has become drain
upon the State. obstruc.ing the growth of o
q city that, according TO Mr.. ROBERTSON and
in the opinion of nearly all practical men, is
the "natural metropolis Of Virginia." while
i, has done little or nothing for any other
town in Virginia.
Mr.. ROBERTSON hopes that tue extension
of the canal TO Clifton Forge will do some
thing great for Richmond, and, furthermore,
help out Lynchburg and the interior towns.
III that be is right. But nothing will give
u, back the trade to which we are entitled
trnn the South west but q road from Rich.
moud to Lynchburg, which we do not des-
par Of seeing.