The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-04-27

ginia was lost TO virginia. When
an opportunity occurred for splitting
the old State in twain, the Baltimore
4 Ohio Railroad company was the
entering wedge; and the Northern
Methodist church was the hammer
that drove the wedge home.
We cannot recover the territorial
rights that we lost by the division
Of Virginia into two States, grumbls
as we may. We all know, of course
that that State was erected in CON
temptuous disregard of that section
of the Federal Constitution which
provides for the formation of new
States; and that the Republican sec
tionists who committed the crime
were fully aware of the fact that vir-
ginia had never given her consent to
the erection of the new State OF
West Virginia. The wrong is one
of those which can never be righted.
But we need not surrender our
commercial rights. We need pot
turn over our interests in West Vir-
ginia TO Baltimore, and sit with fold
ed hands musing upon the outrages
which we have undergone in the
past. We can contend amicably for
a share of the trade of the new State,
and in the full assurance that the
daughter sympathizes with the
mother as thoroughly as Canada
sympathizes with England.
There ought to be a railroad lead
ing from the northwestern part of
West Virginia to Richmond-say
from Grafton via Philippi, Beverly,
and on through Pocahontas, DC, till
the Chesapeake 4 Ohio Railroad is
reached. 1t would run through a
country very rich in natural re-
sources, and would bring large sec
ton of that country as near to Rich
mond as to Baltimore, and some of
it nearer to Richmond than to Bal
timore. There is railroad which
has covered part Of this line, and
which will creep on, we trust, in this
direction until that lovely land which
lies beyond the Alleghenies shall
become at least partially tributary
to the prosperity of Richmond
Whilst we are waiting for rail
road to be built along the line we
have mentioned, one crossing West
Virginia further south will be ac-
ceptable. Indeed, the Black Dia-
mond railroad, as it is called, would
benefit Richmond and Virginia more
than railroad leading hither from
Grafton. The TaHey Virginian
learns from the papers and "other
sources" that negotiations have been
consummated by which the neces-
sary means to construct this impor-
tant railroad have been obtained.
We quote from that paper as fol-
lows:
1.-THE Black Diamond starts at
Parkersburg, on the Ohio river, and
runs east across the center of West
Virginia to Webster county in that
State, and thence through Pocahon-
tas, Bath and Allegheny to Clifton
Forge, to connection with the
Chesapeake & Ohio and Richmond
and Allegheny roads at that point
The proposed route will plough right
through the heart of the coal and
timber lands of West Virginia, and
open up a maryellously rich virgin
country which is now isolated. 1t
will accommodate an extensive graz
ing section, Astounding in sheep and
cattle, and adapted as well, to corn,
oats, tobacco. and all kinds of
grasses"
This road would open up to Rich
mond, one of the finest regions in
the Union. Parkersburg is one hun
dred miles farther from Baltimore
than Grafton is. The proposed new
road from Parkersburg, if it makes
straight for Richmond, will pass
from the western line OF Wood coun-
ty to the eastern line of that county,
and then onward through Writ 1.-THE
oil region), Calhoun, Braxton, Web
ster and Pocahontas counties-all
in West Virginia-to the west line
of Bath county, Va. This is re-
gion of fabulous natural wealth, and
it affords us much pleasure to know
that there is good prospect of the
opening of that region at a day not
very far distant.