Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-12-13

Fort Cumberland, as far ss Winchester, and !
uniling,b by short and improved portage, IN"
nav'gabie winters q. Kanawha with those ii
james r'ver." But her solicit; ton was witho;
ELECT The appropriation Of the public l1rds
towards the construction Of the Ohio Canal
siter the neglected application IF Virginia had
eeen passed over, farther murii1scd how LITTLE
the interest or the commerce Of tho donors OF
that property, entered into The consideration If
those WHO diSposinu of it. That canal,
which will unite the trade ofthe Ohio liver with
Quebec, NJ outfeal, and New York, unless IA lac
oi commercial intercourse is opened by this
state, has received liberal patronage; Will thu
Virginia works proposed to the Government
VI the U. States for its f,s ering assistance,
end which with the aid of the Obi, CaYal
might huve turned Tie trade ci the Lakes mt.
the Chesapeake Bay has been passed coidly by.
II our statesmen haze STAGE dctr: ,n;rcd 10 sink
inc interests Ct Virginia, in the Constitutional
principles which they huve procinmcd, this pre-
vlous tfigid neglect will scarcely fluid apolo-
gy IN their subsequent course, or reconcile the
Inequality, II not injustice, which has bson prac
ticed
IT is not, however, in The applica tion sc the
paoi!e lands to the farmaion OF Ines os com
mefcc and Of intercourse, in other States, to
the neglect of Virginia, that the Common
wealth hus most sensibiy fit the abuse If the
trust w!lch she conhdcd to the Government Of
tho uhlted States, III the cassion which she
| mace. In Constituting Congress the great
iand-hoider ot the West, caumon observation
mist have pointed cut the raInous cOnscquen-
Co.'S which would follow to the whole remaining
ia!!aed estates Of the Commonwealth and tina
ineVitaItc 6cpnpuIltlon of her eatlier settled
| districts, by Offering tfo United States lands
IN mafRes IN extensive DISTRICTS and al very re-
uuced Prices. And entire confidence msst
havo been rePoscd in the General Government
that measures so disastrous would net b, sdort
ed; yet, subsequent events snow this confiders &c
Iu oli-
tho opening OF tho land Offices west Of the
ONO, the tlne lands bordering on that river
ana on The itaGaw ha, ard other PRINCIPAL west
ern streams, rated at from SIX to pine
| dollars pr acre. General Washington had
cont az ted fer The sale If has various LARGE
tracts on these waters, at eight dollars per acre;
and III the other quarters oi the C,mulun-
wealth, commanded PRICES oGuG!y favorable,
| and the population Gid we0rh CT The State
were rapidly increasing. File ascentancy
when The United States lad dcQu,rod us vcadJr
| OF lands, however, placed, as brute remarked
every estate within the intluerce OF her l,.i,la-
ton, and nut short time oapscd before tbs CT
| fees of her policy wore seriously ret. W han
| that Government adopted two dollars as tho
general price pr acre, reServimg few sec'io-s
10 each township for higher ptce as th9 coua-
try flied up, Virginia estates experienced fall,
as rapid and as great as ii tho bosom oftcstrsc-
ton had passed over item. General WASH
lngton'6 lends returned open tie hands Of ha
| representatives, and II is be Ieved would not
now bring the amount for which they then sold,
with ali tic Improvements ard ic.;oGd IONS
which they have since received. Those lands
nave been referred TO, as illustrative OF he gen
erai effect produced upon tie c IMMUNITY and
act because Of any peculiar depreciation Which
they underwent. Lands every here were al-
iec'ed, III price, from The Atlantic Tie N'cst-
cru border. The consequent transfer of pncula-
'ioH, was equally FaHid, the reduced price OF the
puOlc lands, operated Us bounty TO all who
would leave the homes of their ii. hers and be-
c"Ine members OF the new States, and under the
influence Of those Inducements combined, much
on TIC ski, the capital, and The enterprise, OF
Virginia, sought new THEATRES OF action, and
great numbers Of her people left Ecr territories
never 20 return.
The effect of tie two-doi!ar syster, was
mere potent than The power Of PErER TIE
GREAT. and transferred to the Western states
and towns, greater multitude CT persons, than
lie Car Cf al the Russius was able 10 con-
centratc at his favo!!te metropolis.
The experiments however, Gld not step here
other and further means were deemed necessary
10 invite The remaining inh5 btans o. the Allan.
tic States, 10 unite their destiu.cs with tier
brethren who had gone reture them: the nuh,c
CONAN was therefore offered at one dollar and
twenty five cents per acre, ard lttcu:prs are
slili annually E6"'Hg To give ONES and laiuls
tor little moro Lian tive ailIcrt :nDDe. corn to-
ali WHO VIII add 10 tic st;cn2:n the wcaltnl
and tic Influence, OF The Wcs!cn States ard Ter
rHoIief. How Tar this driclcuuus curse Is to DE
| followed, or to what lengths it nlav be carried
areyei III the womb Of tim but he prcsnrvapC;
| with winch 1t Is pursued, ari Inc coun;cuaEcc
which 1t receives evfn from Yrglu,a s atasn'cn.
fn"y well warrant the most slil,us aiyrebcn-
zIoE5 as TO the future.
The relative decline q Virginia. in common
with the other Southern ; axes, al hough refer
able IN a very considerable degree, to fine
causes watch nave been adyeFted 10, is not at;ri-
butabie to their effects alone.
The course Ct the commerce OF the United States can
not re examined without perCev'ug tie fui. hIci
It's GHectcn has had III e5vaurg ihc Northern a;,d de
pressing The Southern States; have IT'S r IN,
nous tendencies been felt sefosly than in virginia
lew facts VIII reader This conclusion evident 10 Tic ns,
7upeihcal enquirer For The puTToc CT presenting ien,
more distinctly, the Southern lire Of rcnnsvl-anil extend
cd westward, and known rs HAs0v and 5Zrr's 7,r :.
nom those Of ne Northern and Eastern DIVISION OF Tho
Union In The year $780, the pnpnia ion North Of b,
line, was 1865 lea; On Tho SoufG i,gG1I62
lhe exports Of The Nor horn d7i=iaa between the IsI NJ
6tooeE 1871 and the 30h Of September 1892 amounted
To $lO,S9l ,5g2-ihoe OF the South 70 10 I3 SIS Tbe
tonnage engaged in commerce and Inc s,hec, bs,ye,
the hsi Of October, l739 and tho 3Oh Scptcuher 1858
amounted TO 45974l tons in the North and sol $50 ion,
IN inc Souih-pTesenirg remarkable equality IN num-
oeTs' exports and n1vgaiOT and though 20 official ata
are al hand she"ng Ire mpoFGnS by tie several safes
at mat period, 1t IS net believed thai any iruor,zn,
difference then existed, the amount Of ofeign cod
received. o. e"O''
Since that period, Louisiana and the FlorIss ho-s
oeen incorporated with tie repuhc md aGd-d -rsa.l
the eonuefce and navigation OF tie scuh The Yesycr
with their products yet nat is the contrast nov rrei
eH EOw tbslaGdirg the fap:d settlement rr H., -