The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-30
srne Prospect for Richmond.

rhe Prospect for Richmond.
white we would not excite anybody 20
,ook forward with a confidence ana aao'i-
lance that might divert his mind ana e eng
pfes from the present, gposi which OF. Y. ii! =
,owcr and effort should be concentrated,
Mo cersa;nly do desire that the people Of
picbmona should be pleased with the pros
MOOT. and encouraged to submit to present
s,iscomforts that they may be here fighting
The battle Of hie at the near future OF the
better fortunes and increased prosperity Of
this most neutrality-suspicious. CITY.
Richmond has had q cheguered career
She has had warm and able friends, yet the
public works have been OF character anc
under a direction INT did comparatively
little for her growth and wealth, Millions
have been wasted, with no great advantage
70 her. Some public works contributed 70
her welfare Cor time. but they were eoun'
serac,ed By others that tended to her disae'
vantage.
She has always been impelled to hope
largely, and ever to find hope frustrated
Yet. still, she found hope revived and ap
parently refreshed by her very defeats
With her is truly realized the poetic adase
IMAM never is but always to be blessed"
The physical conditions and geographical
advantages OF Richmond were what nave
always kept hope alive and kept constantly
almost in sight of her people the realization
Of her good fortune.
The Inflated canal has wrecked some OF
her most sanguine hopes. 1t kept her pay.
ing and hoping. and stiIl paying and hoping,
even against hope. @Fhere never was a
work whose real worth was so oYerratcd,
and which was so patiently supported ana
maintained for so long in the very face OF
the proofs OF its failure.
The day when the public voice WIFI
one accord pronounced 1t a failure was
happy day for the people OF Richmond, to
whom it had been such burthen. On that
day they were set free, and on that day be-
gan the labor OF righting the internal-lm'
provement system OF the State. The work
has progressed under all circumstances
wonderfully. Had Virginia. at the period
when railroads were accepted as q success,
built a railway along james river through
the Blue Ridge gap at Balcony Falls, and
there sent off branch roads-one for the She
nandoah Valley, aud another BY Salem to
Southwest Virginia, she would have main
taired her commerce intact, and her cities
and towns would have fourishcd. That
work would have established the system OF
Transporting lines centriag at the heart OF
the State and compacting her energies ana
resources. Richmond would now be great
city, indeed. and the public debt would not
be felt.
But we are in fair way to build this main
trunk along James river, and thus begin
the work OF correcting our railroad map, TO
the immense advantage OF the State ana hcr
people. Long rs has been our detention
by great errors and bad administration, we
may now feel that our advancement VIII
soon be accelerated.
Long years ago the late Mr.. RlTCHIE
made very enthusiastic speech at the feS-
tive board, il which he spoke with pride OF
Richmond. He spoke o! her grand canal,
but did not forget railroads. He dubbed
Richmond ..the triple railroad city OF Vir-
ginia." That was boast in those days.
The three roads were the Petersburg, the
Fred ericksburg, and the DanVile road.
The remark excited "great applause"
Then the canal was the great work, and had
the railway then taken precedence and the
money that was running away for public
works as water through II seive, these times
would now display an amount Of prosperity
and power in old Virginia that would
hardly be equalled in the land. But little
good comes from regrets for lost opportu-
nifty. save when it eXcites to increased ener-
gies and wise measures to repair the mis-
takes that have worked disaster.
Richmond is now city of five railways,
and let us hope there will soon be one more
added, and that one Of the best, il not the
very best, in the blessings it will confer upon
the people.
But then we shall exclude from our boast
the canal, and that will put Richmond vast
" ahead OF the Richmond Of Mr.. RITCHIE's
time. The canal has been {" the old man Of
the sea - to Richmond: Day in and day
>out, and year out, too, q fearful burthen.
Yes, we now do begin indeed to right
Virginia and to right ourselves. Let us all
take fresh hope and firmly stand where we
are ready to participate in that flood OF
prosperity which time will soon bring upon
our noble city.