Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-27

that there are few, however remote their
situation, humble their pursuits, or bb-
scure their character, whose persohal
concerns win INST render his presence
necessary 1t the seat Of goyerntsent Ire.
quentlY ia the course Of his life; and
hence We infer the necessity Of q central
position.
The commonwealth appears to have
been laid OF by nature into feur grand
divisions tae LIST extending from the sea-
board westwardly to. an ideal line, or the
great post road Il you please, crossing at
or near the head of tide water the "a
consists of that wealthy and poPuleus
country lying betwixt the read aforesaid
and the Blue Ridge, the Sd compre.
bends that tract Of country lyiug betwiHt
the Blue Ridge and the Allegany Msun-
tain, rich in soil, cultivation. health and
population the fourth embraces all the
territory belonging to Virginia, lying be-
twixt the Allegany Mountain and the n.
yer Ohio, much oil It mountainous, and
rugged to se sure, but that is abundant
~ compensated by the extensive range
in. the mountains, (ior the inhabitants
are graziers) the uncommon fertility OF
tue soil, exhaustless saiines shaded
BY mountains of coal, more genial eli
mate than falls to the lot Of the middle
regions Of Virginia, aperpetual influx Of
new inhabitants, and to crown the whole,
the entire western boundary washed by
the most beautiful land to its size) the
most safe and navigabte river in the
world.
Your committee state those sections
III country, bounded as aforesaid, extend
the whole length Of the state Of Virginia,
running say from north to south. Nor
can they conceal their surprise and re.
gret, that on looking for Richmond, the
seat of government for this extensive ter
ritory, she is at length discovered stand
ing on some gravelly points overlooking
an immense shoal on James River, lit.
tie above tide water; on the very margin
Of the first mentioned division, within
sixty Eve or seventy miles Of the state
Of Maryland, and about 1e5 or $50 Of
North Carolina--tAat from Richmond to
the extreme part of Wood county, 10 four
hundred and fifty miles-that from Rich
uond to the extreme boundary Of Mason
On the Ohio river by Point Pleasant, 1.-THE
emily practicable route,) is four hundred
and thirty miles-to the extreme point Of
Brooke county on the north west Of Virgo
MIA 10 four hundred and thirty--and from
Richmond TO the furthest point Of Lee
county, our south western boundary, is
four hundred and forty miles-those dis
tances have been ascertsined with the
greatest certainly in the reach Of your
committee, generally from the mileage
claimed BY the delegation from the re-
spectivs counties.
Your committee, from unhappy expert
ence, are induced to believe that the city
Of Richmond is too much exposed to inva.
sion from foreign, and unfortunately too
replete with domestic enemies, to offer
sufficient pledges for the security Of the
capitol, the treasury, the archives OF
state, the public property, or the safety
| OF our great establishments, the armory
and peuitentiary and that by a removal
of such Of those as could be removed into
the interior, and aprudent disposition Of
those which could not, and the erection
Of others in place Of safety, Richmond
would present fewer incentives to TO.
reign ambition, and less prospect Of sue
cess to internal instruction; and our fel-
lew citizens there, and in the vicipage be
left in the more secure enjoyment Of that
wealth aud those advantages which their
fortunate situation and an indulgent pro-
videEce hath lavished on them.
Your committee further state as their
opinion, that the great banking and coui-
mercial establishments at Richmond, her
unexampled prosperity and increase oil
wealth, improvements and population ;
her inequalities. amusements, and per-
petual excitements to pleasure, are ct
least uryriendls to cool, unbiased and
disnifed legislation.
And lastly, they owe it to themselves,
TO this house, and their country TO state.
that a further perseverance in denying
to our Western brethren an equal par.
ticipation in the rights and privileges Of
our common government, the happy re-
suit Of our mutual efforts, would be vi.
olation Of justice so palpable. prostra.
ton OF equal right and privilege SO entire
a. would justly jeopardize the integrit,
Of the state for your committee cannot
| for moment believe, that men who have
bied in our struggle for political existence
Who understand their rights, and appre.
| ciate their value, will long consent to
bear the hardships and deprivation.
under which they stagger, and wish now
to redress, much less will they entail
them on posterity.