Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-26

A. debt - tho end of;1S>r><|caf. ~ ~ -
u <14 >hovo caiculs66 n havo R6no oufhc sun-
Position That negroes eu61e>d il tobacco WI support
TAR eSpcrimeot was made in of the upper coun-
tics by gentleman ct high standing aud great expc
renes, and 'he result was that negroes en,plcycd
principally inraisin tobacco will 10 very well IL they
can tskeN care of themselves. The gentleman 10
whom allude. had a plantation which was occupied
by the oversecr, his family, 90 about SO or GO negroes
Fine crops were made, for which good prices were
received. Eut after paying all debts nrising from,
tho expenses tho plantation elone he had the con-
ISOLATION otPutting his pocket rs clear pain fsrc-
~ doitdrs. 1t Is not astonishing thef that al our
planters are involved Every four five years thoy
are compelled to sacrifice property for tho discharge
debts which with the most rigid economy. lac could
no; have avoided. 49, 80 -. s.ar-i. = ~ $50
But the evil does not stop here In less tlun ten
years. tobacco lbeinga destructive CROP exhauss
mans plantation, thar he is forced to sell out and
move to n new settled region.
Thousands of Virginians are fleeing away in con-
sequence OF this waste of land--the Western and
any schemes ofimprorc,crt are set on foot and the
sons OF Virginia called upon to lend helping hand
the universal cry Is, have money my lands are
exhausted, my family is large and expcnsvc--noreo-
yer. have no interest in these thnrs You who cx
pect tn stay here must attend to tcm so soon as I
can Get my business srranged, shall leave tho Old
Dominion Feelings and opinions like these are cher
ished IN every part ofttc state The ties ofkiudrsd
through them all and exult i'm the idea oea yinp the
spot, which should be cndcared to them by the sacred
memory oftheir fathers and the thou recollecsons
Of bpyish days.
The Formulation of Virginia. has been STATIONARY for
the hast fifteen yours shortly aterthe reyoutior It
was nearly two thirds than any other state; and
was then increasing nj such n rate 10 be doubled
once IN twenty five years. But since 1900 when tfe
moving mama began to be ycncrally felt the rate
of increase has been gradually diminishing until il has
gotten down to half of what il was ut the close
the last century; so that population in 1890 viii
not exceed 200 900 souls-litte more than huf what
it ought to he. These things are appalling to every
one who takes interest in the welfare Of his coun-
Try. But Is there no remedy. There is but one; we
must abandon tobacco, and our system of agriculture
the causes of the ruin and dessolation which 70
spreading the land. We must turn our a,ten.
ton to other articles more productive aud valuable:
cotton, fax, hemp indigo, fruits, cider corn whea:
rye barley, oats, fiay--not 70 speak o wool, cattle,
hogs, horsesare all natives of our climate and sol:
are easily cultivated, and might be made the sources
oil wealth to the people, and of an immense revenue
10 the state. But these valuable productions arc nov
cinrely neglected or cultivated in small quantities
only, for homc consumption Foreign silk aud wine
TO the value of So 900 600 and more arc annually itl-
ported into the u States. No small part of this
trade belongs To us.-The mulberry and slkworm are
indigenous to the soil and climate of Virginia Two
hundred years ago, silk made in considerable
Quantities. and there are now MANY indiyiduals IN
difiereRt parts of the country, who have proven ty
thelr own experiments, that il with proper atte-
gin'a was first discovered, the vine was found in lis
forests, growing III Wild luXurence THIS ccpnot be
said OF France nor italy, whose hills arc now covered
win vineyards. AS our climate has greatly modera-
tcn ana Is suit improving, it Is much better adapted
the culture oFtropcal fruits, than it was too hundred
years ago. What prevents then rronI maxim, wine
which shall rival the Falernian and Chan of the An
cients, the mad'ria and Champane of modern
times Nothing but,the want ofaitention. Arouses
the people to OF their true interests give the
knowledge sufficient To direct their efforts aud IN
few years our barren hills will be clad with rufi.-
ness and the vintage lime will be season of as or
Joy and festivity IN Virginia as the harvest Lopt =,
merry England" AL we want is manuel q,
guide our experiments, and some leading men OF
weatn5 experience, and intelligence, set the exair-
pic. But the misfortune ~ all the leading men OF
our state are politicians who are painting after tho
empty bubbles of popular applause. And they ITO
Hether Win the newspapers, such the Wing and
hnquirer) have made politicians, rather political
Wranslers, OF us all. men, women, and children. We
eau hold dis CURSES loud and long in political erono-
my, the federal constitutions state rirhts and pre;
dents messages. BIT know nothing about tho tinrs
oyrn families.
There was certain Philosopher Of old, Who. by
ni~osc application, and Constant observation of tho
stars and the variation Of the seasons, nctuaNv
brought himself 20 believe that he had in his own
hands, the direction of the heavenly bodes-,ha dis
tributlon OF tho segsols and the diFpeneafon al min
'lgh and heat, In their due proportion TO all climates
ANA lear that tine people Of Virginia BY ceaseIcss
IT..
so far beside themselves TO nlag;nc that the whole
burden rests on their shoulders. They thin; that It
IS tucir province 20 keep the great Of the system
he FEDERAL constii uton) in It's proper place and TO
assign the several orbits to stars offcsscr magnitude
al TINS may be very true. But, in the meantime the
people nave forgotten their own business nj home
The strength Of Atuss must fail wit lout sonothino,
to support IT. We hovc forgotten tho old adnroe
no less true than oIdth0t if tie people win attend
to their own business the Government will take care
OF Itself.
This subject "a 50 coPious ono that at present
nave oee barely able 10 touch in the moro important
points. ut some future time perhaps, NAV enter
more fully into It's discussion pointing ont the losses
we have sustained by neglect of internal improve
ments in wealth, intelligence public spirit. and me-
chanical ingenuity In agriculture, wish TO uric
more strongly tho necessity Of changing our staple ar
t'cles the praclicablcness Of making sk ond vine
and the advantages 70 be derived thcrefroin both in
wealth. population, morale, aud industry
Inc influence OF slave labor agriculture is ano-
tnor mportsnt subject to which the attention Of the
virginia farmer ought 10 be particularly directed At
present. however, we must pass to The next subject