Year: 1871

"paying" public improvement in the State


and one in which the State has no interest


It is short line ginning somewhere in


Eastern North Carolina and pessine


through the southeastern corner of Vir-


ginia, it terminates at the wharf of the


Baltimore steamers in the city of Ports


mouth, which community receives so little


benefit from it, that mot Of the inhabi-


tants actually look upon the track which


passes down their principal street to the


river IS nuisance which they would


gladly sgs abated, even though 1t involved


the removal of the company's depot to


some point far distant from their city. 1t


pays its few ste ,kholders, all foreigners,


heavy dividends, and IFS president, Mon


cure Robinson's son, good salary, and that


Is all. 1t is of no tsneft to Virginia or to


Virginia cities Although 1t is supposed to


terminate at Portsmouth, its real termi-


nus is in Baltimore or New York, and


nothing leaks out from its ''sealed cars''


along the route 1t might be thought,
| too, that this road wfs great bless
| ing to Eastern North Carolina, as it
carries all the cotton and peanuts,


pitch, tar, turpentne and black-eyed
PEGS of that prolific State to market, and
affords facilities for her pr ople to travel
North by the shortest route now open
to them; but when we consider the high
charges aud the arrogant and overbearing
manners of the naughty monopolists who
control this short road, we think the old
North State pays quite dear enough for
the whistle Of is single locomotive. This
road is gold mine to its owners, while
they can continue to hold the monopoly
of that trade, and that is what they are
now trying to do; and hence the desperate
effort to obtain control of the Richmond
and Petersburg railroad. With this little
road of ours in the hands of their friend
General Malone, the Weldon road would
end in cm de sac at Petersburg. 1t
would come plump up against stone
wall-for there our modern Canute would
stand, waving his ceptre as he of old did
to the waves, saying, "Thus far will l
permit thee to go, but no farther"


1t Is OF the utmost Importance to this
Seaboard and Roanoke railroad, that
through line Of road to the North via
Weldon, Petersburg and Richmond, should
be prevented, apd " ith the Petersburg and
Richmond road under their thumb, our di-
ret and competing line would be cut and
their monopoly perpetuated. They would
no longer fear any inter. option - their
business at Weldon, and eastern North
Carolina would remain tributary to Balti-
more and New York, while Richmond
would in the future, as in the past, be de-
MED all access to that rich s. ction. And
thus we see how this Seaboard monster de-
YOURS all the substance of the south Allan
tic coast to the detriment Of this and other
cities in Virginia. It has been our
misfortune thus far, but If it is permitted
to continue in the future it will be our
fault If not our crime.


We must prevent our little line Of road
from falling into the hands of the enemies
of Richmond, of men who boast they |
can do without Richmond if Richmond |
can do without them,-and place its con-
troll in the hands of our own people, who
will keep it open and fr; , as thorough
fare for all comers between the North and |
the South. So soon as the Richmond and
Washington road is completed, that we
may have a short, cheap and expeditions
line from the gulf shore of Florida to the
North, we will share with the Seaboard
and other companies, the trade and travel
between the North and the South. And
this will be without injury TO any interest,
for the rapid increase of commerce and in
tercour. 5between the North and the South
will require additional facilities, such as
we shall be able to offer by this quick
through line. Our city, standing as the
halfway s.G.tion, will reap untold benefits
from this source, and scatter them broad
cast over the State. We are the heart, and
must send out life and health to all parts
of the body. But General Malone would
cut us off from our true destiny, and d.
vert the legitimate channels of trade to
directly build up outside cities, without
allowing us an opportunity even for COM
peting with them. All we ask is freedom
of privileges and unrestricted commerce
and then if we cannot do the rest for our
selves, why let us sink, as we shall de-
serve, to our proper level, and live but to
point moral and adorn tale.


In view of these facts, We ask the Sen
ate when it comes to consider the bill
which passed the House, to keep in mind
constantly the important interests at stake
In all other parts of the State, and to be-
ware how it commits itself to special leg
islaton in favor of Moncure Robinson,
Con. .modore McCready and General Ma
hone, who are all combined for one pur-
pose, and against the real interests of niue
fantbs of tho torr;torv and peonlo of the |