Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-24
FOR THE ENQUIRER.


great seminary oflearaing, i shall not 90 m
10 any detail TO prove The necessity oftlIai
measure. Nor will enter into lie discus
SION OF us location. That Is an inyidiums
! topic, and u would be diti:cmil 10 eXum-
me IL ini'y without uiakIug statements
| which would he dIsasrecaulc To- some
portion Of our citizens | have no preiu-
dices against any ONLY wish for what
is best for us all. In my Judgment tie
report of the commissioners is certainly
entitled 10 high respect. Ii is ,ioi bind
ing, nor do | hear any one say il is. But
surely nothing but strong reasons should
induce The legislature 10 set aside the
verdict OF such a jury.
IShaii, however, say few words OH Il
point which we often hear repeated with
out any ones having locked into lis
truth. Ii Is said, and seems 10 be com
monty believed. that III lew Years tie
greater part OF the population of Virginia
VIII be west of the Blue Ridge. do not
attach great Importance is The question
as II affects the university, whether il be
Il true or false opinion. But is il hv a.
ny means so certain as properly 10 enter
| INTO the consideration OF The legislature
IN locating The university
Ii Is manifest, in the first place. HAT
the slave population OF eastern Virginia,
is now pursuing Il decreasing ratio rcla-
| lively 10 the white. The produce OF the
southern s,aies, cotton, sUgar, &c. IL so
| much more valuable than any we can
nave, thai we cannot afford 10 refuse lie
prices which they will offer for our ne
Sroes. Tins is constant and daily aug
memiing drain. This, together with 9th
er causes, will, in no great lapse OF time,
make black man 81 sort of curiosil, in
Virginia, and when once they become
white they may be emancipated. Here.
after, there wilt be more negroes about
the mines aud FORCES Of tie west tiAn IN
lower Virginia. This is not Speculation,
but rigid induction from The facts in our
possession. This cause, then, of silpe-
rIor wlnIe>pOpulatlon yanishrs, when ve
consider II III reference TO Il long space
! of time.
Next. it is said that The ierr tory vest
OF The Blne Ridge, is larger iilan that cas-,
OF 1t. True. But one who considers the
Stale of Europe, will find thai il is not the
exten, of territory alone which controls
The popuaiion. The map of Virgiaia
will show whatevery traveller has obSctv.
ed, that there isno country south of tie
Blue Ridge, which is iparable from liz
surface. Whereas, 10 the west, the whole
| region from the Nortl mountains 10 the
Cumberland hills, III Kentucky, across 10
The sources olilie Monongalia, is broken,
bleak, and "nheXceptionS of small tracts,
| barren. Nor Is even the surface north
oil TINS ilne, aud betWecn it and The Ohio,
free from bare and broken ridges, com
posing considerable part OF lis Whole
extent. There are, TO be sure, spots OF
amazing fertility. If, iLeu, we estimate
lie capacity Of a country TO support
gwen population, by he quantity olbread
stuff which il can Weld, there is little
question but that eastern Virginia would
produce Eore coru, wheat, rye, &c. than
western Virginia possibly can. admit.
however, that western Virginia hasa great
resource IN us fitness for grazing coun-
Try, by reason OF its adaptation 10 grass.
But tue history Of the world shows, that
no grazing country can have a full popu-
iation. Then i, is worth while To consid
er what becomes of these herds of cattle.
They ale not consumed al home. They
are with the graZiers what tobacco was
with lower Virginia. They are exchane-
| ed for those commodities which the
mountains cannot produce. They are
driven 10 the seaporis, and supply the
merchant and the mechanic with his food
They contribute, therefore, as mmch and
more directly, 10 support the population
OF tie east tlan OF the west side Of The
| mountains. Another great considerations
IS The facility OF internal communication
IN lower NTgIna-iheu It's riverS-lts ma
ntlnle siualion-wliclI enable If 10 im-
port, not ouly the rich fabrics, but If ne
Cessary, theprovIsions Of life from foreign
| countries. Nor Is this all for these wa
tiers are filed with innumerabIe fishes
which, however IncOnsiIerable IN the eye
of beef-rater, are capable OF themselves
OF supporting, and on all The shores Of
the Mediterranean do actually support.
great portion of The laboring classes.
| But late profound political writer has
| shown, that ii ~ not the actual means of
Subsistence which limits The multiplication
oflle species, as Malthus improperly sup
| pOsed-but that tie means of eristeness
| must also be computed. Tie means Of
subsistence are food mcrely-ihose OF
| existence, are any commodities which will
| procure food. Thus Poland is wheat
| country, and Geneva does moi plant even
a pOtatO-Yet Geneva has great popu-
| lalloB, supported by food 10 be sure, but
| II is bought with walches-and Poland
with all lis granaries, has very thin 10.
| pulation. Now that the means of existence
must ever be more abundant in lower
| than in upper Virginia, is manifest. From
| the richness Of It's imports, the variety Of
IFS productions, its wider intercourse with
The world by tile finest bay and rivers up
! on earth these advantages are not
| nearly equal in the west, where the prin-
| cipal produce is wheat. The richest com
mobiles sill hereafter be their metals.
But they do not make people multiply.
Look al Sweden for instance. Then tic
distance from the gulf Of Mexico-ihe
hearts, so great, that the pulse of com
merce can scarcely beat in these remote