The recorder, or, Lady's and gentleman's miscellany. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1801-1802, 1802-10-27
10 gRE
PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
ABovE THE Btve RIDoe

immenie portions of country, diflilailar
in their manners, their purflIs and
their inrcreits, Thar they have been
hitherto united Under one govern
ment IS an accident growing OUT OF the
revolution, which organizcd rhe dlfFc-
rentcolonies fs1ro itates, according 10 he
boundaries teach, under the ola Bri-
tiff, authority. twenty years oE prof
perisy have more than rrehlci the cum
bcTs Of our people above the BiueRilee,
and it may be iafcy affirmed thac the
weitern part of Virginia would at this
day have contained more than double
It's Preienc numbers, had ! vile and IL
beral policy bees purified in che lcttle
ment Of our wettcrn lands. We may
eaGly trace the cauies which have dill
couraged northern emigrants from pur-
chatting or fctriiag IN our fertile country:
and the rcafons which determined their
preference OF the lands beyond the Ohio.
& very flieht firvev of our ftuation
will convince ouriclYce, as We'll as our
neighbours, thar cur prctent condition
is far from being eligible, and that, while
It continues, we can have no reeionab}e
hope Of advancing in PROPERTY with
that rapidly which oar preteneexertions
would certainly acconpI!!b. under more
auiPiciQus government,
The country below the Blue Ridge is
ineerfe eGed by numerous nayigable rivers
which afford, 70 TIE planters, ready
and cheap water MANIFESTATIONS TO mar
ket. Mature has bouaseoui!Y provided
shelr highways, and it Cannon be expccc-
81 thiI people in 10 enviable a c3ndi
tl,n you'd appreciate the value, OF fee!
che want Of good arsifcia! roads; but
IN rhe upper country, our produce,
without good roads, can never reach the
tea-poEts. The labour and expenfc of
transportation from rcnore, but fertile
parts OF The itare, at prefent far exceeds
the total expence OF rafting the crop.
Below The Ridge, aimoit every rivtiler
IS navig4ble. Aboycir, tlere IS no iafety
even torfnall craft witFouc clearing ava
obifr,ctiops, and forming canals. h1any
81 ouf great weit1rn dreams, ltading 20
tic OHIO, arc altogether uncleis, merely
bccauie few rhoufani collars arc wanr
To remove rocks and l:epen ihoals,
which interrupt the navigation, Theie
improvements viii never be made upon
a propcr lcaIe, nor with proper lpirig.
until We have iepcrate trcaiury Of cur
own. When ali feel an lnreeeit Ia fIch
public works, razes viii tic cheertulIy
paid, and economically applied The
vaIlte OF or produce and Of oar lands
will be enhanced, and We fhall no lon
ger hear complc ints Of being unaoI@ 90
ger 20 4 marked
Blythe lase Genius itappcars that there
ayc more than go, 500 favcs below the
Ridge and only 10000 above it, The
Whirc nopulation below above
Thus while there is but littie didc-
reucs beEwsen tie Dufnbcr Of whi,es, We
Zee Tie iIavea u IN alarming proportion
rff3HrtesH below 10 one above. The
Price Of every Gave execur>d for iniur-
-eltIon, OF any other crime, below the |
Ridge, o. who is blnifhcd from the fare,
1uit be paid ont Of the fare treafary. |
! he militia employed to fuppre6 infir- |
ections 20 Patrotc tho low country. and |
o guard che property Of thofe who have |
numerous 7ordes IF negroes, artali paid |
'lcofrhc ia rrssfary r he arms, am
nunl-.onand 'nil.rary irores are paid }oriG /
he farce way We are nov taxcd FOR !
j rf1cic pgrpoles, and fhsIl be Gih more !
cavily taxcd in fu1re Yet sc fec
one of theft tazog expended upon roads /
anaia, or clearing our rivers above rhe
.ldge. Indeed the evil does nor end
ere for ~c arc conftanrly in%ef.ed BY
Anes Of negroe. cnaaclgated h he