The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-09
Virginia Cities.

ran her into the folly Of making cities oy
law. In truth, we hardly think there Is
,,,,ec within the borders of the State that l.
entitled to the name city. But win 'nose
who are pleased with the name where tne
reality is wanting there is an endless grat'h' |
cation sfforded In Virginia for no State Id
the Union has so many cities as she has.
And still the CRY for more Is set up; WIN
what reason let the failure to raise those '''"'
now exist to the real dignity oil ci''es an
swcr. With regard to the locality ana Tue
growth Of towns In this country-or, more
appropriately, the towns IN the a''an''
States--tbe history Is remarkable. our an
ces,ors who located those towns showed
yreat degree OF sagacity. Originally to"ns'
or rather headquarters, were selected Win
q view to the wants of the Colonists-thelr
geographical situation. rs the settlements
extended and grew, many OF these places
selected only as temporary necessities -werc
deserted. MANY of them still bear their
names, and some OF them were, at one time
and another, places Of some consequence
Jamestown and Hauovertown, for instance.
But when the Territory was gotten tole'
rably well in hand, towns were located that
have continued towns aud that have STOOD
the tests of speculative schemes most sue
cessrully. These towns now flourish, and
prove the practical wisdom of our ancestors.
Look at every great city at the North, and
at Richmond, at Norfolk, at Charleston, &c.
They still stand superior in their sphere, and
promise to do so. In the forty.odd years OF
railway activity, the relations of the towns
in the Atlantic States have not been mate.
rally changed, except that Baltimore has
passed by Boston, which fact IS more ateri'
butable to geographical situations thah 10
railroads.
Railroads appear to have followed In the
line of former modes Of transportation, Ia
cilitatipg business and travel wonderfully,
but taking them in the old directions and ill.,
creasing the animation and life OF the former
marts. We have seen no new towns on tue
Atlantic. Where trade had formerly sought
cities high up on tidal streams, the railway
continued to take it there, and only in few
cases attempted to convey it TO places nearer
the ocean aud to secure what is called" deep
water" 10 no iGstsEcc has such an effort
succeeded in rcazng the expectations OF
those who made it. A noted instance is
the attempt m,de in North Carolina TO
concentrate trade ut Beaufort, on the sea
where there was a good port. The town
there was mere hamlet but North Carolina,
hoping to cultivate 1t into great city, gave
it the honorcd lame Of It's distinguished
Governor gave TO the cause OF i'm
provement an impulse greater than it had
before received Morehead. 1t was Il credlta-
BILE act in North Carolina, and all right
thinking and generous persons desired that
the scheme should succeed. 1t has proved a
dead failure.
1t is clear that our ancestors, taking conye.
nience OF location, advantages OF water and
Eater-power, and pleasantucss OF scenery,
and general heallhiuess for their guide, made
In the main the very best selections OF sites
for towns and cities. In almost all cases
those that were towns in 1915 have remained
30, aud all attempts to build up rival towns
have failed to il !lict disaster upon them.
e What shn,ild these facts teach the citize Il
and the statesman! That ii is better to noursh
the towns We have than TO waste the pub
lie energies upon visionary pluns to make
towns that cIL'i be mad :. Ii is equally idle
nav more SOTO undertake to transfer sl-
premacy from one city, whose advantages and
energy have won 1t, to another for which
neither time, nor energy, nor nature has been
able TO command it. The process involves
the preparation Of gross wrong upon Il
large and meriorious population, by the
taking from them that which they have fair.
ly earned, to give to others. The State thus
appears in the uugracious light OF shachlng
the natural advantages and the energies OF
one community, and e>>aying to make up for
any deficit that may exist in the means ana
appliances Of another by throwing its power
into the scale. This is both unjust and un.
wise, and never succeeds except so far US to
impair the prosperity of rival places.
If a calm and retl"cting gentleman will re.
collect the events OF the history of the dis
1onted improvement policy Of Virginia he
will admire the constant appearance Of great
cities on paper. Railroads were projected
with the widest ideas of making cities.
Every town had its ring and its lobbyists,
and impossible things were attempted. Nir-
gina, with Il bias unfayorable to commerce.,
found kind of rural delight in encouraging
the inflated concet of villages in clover, and
and showed rather satisfaction than mortifca-
ton at the success of schemes that were either
detrimental or failed to be auxiliary to that
clearly-defned commercial interest which
was unquestiouably superior to all others.
Do we not AL remember how villages set
themselves up TO be great markets. Each Of
them had q seaport. Spout-SprinX its City
Point, Concord the Cathode, and Biacks,and-
Whites its Meherrin. Tobacco was to be
sold at 10 o'clock A. NJ. and shipped before
supper. Glasgow, said they, once bad only
twoand half feet water. She has her Greenoek
for shipping port, and now she has 400, geo
population. That is true; but nevertheless
our rural neishbors have not materially
progressed that we know of.
And so Virginia in her simplicity and ere.
dulity-her indifference to commerce her
love of clover and "rural felicity" CHATS
our inhrmity,) went on neglectins the grea.
policy which was to become vital to her.
frlttered away means that might have made
for her great city aud 4 massive commerce,
anu where Is ShcI Had she built q really