Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-03-24


commerce Of the wet will have finally settled down
IN another and different direction.
Whoever will cast his eyes upon msp of The u
ntcd States, will perceive thst Virginia, and not New
York or Pennsylvania, Is the great barrier between
the western states and the At.an,ic and that across
her territory, lies the direct and natural ne to the
eastern cities. Non has providence failed tn sup
ply the facilities such an intercourse The waters
Of the james Risr aud tho Roanoke, both intorlock
with those Of the Kanawha, Ind WOO each other to
union That connection between TN m is entirely
practicable, has been demonstrated moro than once
The reports of your own Engineers time uflcr time,
furnish the most ample assurances upon this subject
In addition to these you huve the evidence of others,
whose science and accuracy cannot DC questioned,
however much tho purposes OF thor examinations
may have been adverse to the wishes and sentiments
OF Virginia. survey and location Of the route Of
Cansl from both thr Roanoke and the Jamcs River,
was made IN 1927, IN pursuance Of an order Of the
War Depar mrnt; and tho 'cport of Captain N Neil,
under whom the surveys were had furnishes q satis
factory view of The prActlcabity Of uniting sach by
Canal, with tho waters Of the Ohio. The recon
fnosances of the Engineers employed by the Balt-
moro and OHIO Rail Roe Company, show the faci-
ties of connection by RAJ, Way.
But what arc the present Inducements to such an
improvement. and where are he pledges tina, the
Commonw oalth would be enumerated for the ncccs
snry expenditure Without looking beyond the IL
mits Of our own state, and with other end in
view than to Gevclope RESOURCES, and to
open a claLne for the productions of our own SOIL
we furnished with abundant reason TO perfect this
intercourse 1t unnecessary to speuk Of the char
acer productions OF that portion Of the Common
wealth lying between the Tie Ridge and tho falls of
our rivers those of the Great Valley between the
Blue Ridge aud the Allegheny The cosntry stretch
ing westward, from the Allegheny To the Ohio. al.
though mountainous is inerspcrecd with the richest
valleys; and rs agricultural resources, when IN
vigoraed by proper system of improvement,
will he found to supply large surplus for export
alton The mountains Themselves clothed with
vcrdurc To their SUBMITS. are susceptible Of being
converted into extensive grazing aud cattle farms
No part of the habtable globe is better Suited the
growing of Sheep and the day is no, distant. when
Western Virginia will furnish small portion af the
wool necessary IN the manufacture Of American cloths
Nor is II chimerca To anticipate the period when the
culture OF the vine and the olive, shall become par,
Of the hush anry OF that country. Tie climate of
than that of the Pyrenees; and by actual experience
the soil admirably adapted to the perfection OF the
first.
rhe mineral TREASURES Of tina, part Of the state are
unsurpassed III any country. II is true. have no
gold mines tn boast Of TO ur brethren farther sJ,h
has been given the pleasure and the pain If seeking
the 'yeilaw Dirt" But in the more CERTAIN pesma
nent and may add, the useful articles OF iron,
i adj salt. 81 psum and fossil COAL has pc
eu!arly bountifu to US. Upper Virginia the ma
Terrell for furnishing this whole continent with IRON
The lead mines upon New Xiv. unused, because
of the want Ct access tn them Daring the last war;
necessity brought them into action and they ad-
van,ageonsly employed. In the county which have
the honor to represent, manufactured annually
one million bushels OF salt, quantity only limited by
the demands of the western markets. With proper
outlets, and sufficient mark.:s for its disposal, that
amour, could be enlarged to almost any gwen extent
the brine from which ii is made, Is, apparently, e-
haustess No diminution in the supply, deteriora
ton in quality, has been noticed its earliest dis
covery The multiplication Of wells produces no
elect upon the general quantity Coal for its evapo
ration. rs found IN every hill and rsvine. As the pop
ulaon of the western states contn increase the
sal. operations Of the Ksnauha Valley, must be enar
ssd in relative raho and. why should not Virg MA
or large portion Of her citizens be supplied with
this essential Article. from her manufactured,
AT present, my constituents not permitted fur
nish even the Rd lacent counties which lie Of
10 other countries. mountains would be tunneIled and
rivers drained, TO op-n a Communication with MINES
as valuable as those Of the Kanawtra, but TO largo
share Of tire people Of Virginia IL is uukno sn
that possess uthu our own territory, the means
Of manufacturing annually, millions Of bushels of
salt, or quantity larger than vas consumed by the
whole population of the United States, during the
year 1926
But, in contemplating the value Of iSis connections
and in examining the snurces Of commescial wealth
which it will open up, Virginia statesman should not
bound his views by the Ohio River On the contrary,
he is invited to look far beyond IT, to tbs great lake,
OF the north, and to that immense valley watereI by
the "father Of rivers"
When the venerated Washington proposed this i'm.
provement il wa, to the trade uf handful Of
settler, scattered over almost unbroken wilder.
ness. Forty years ago, that country, witch
sutes the farest portion Of this Republic, and which
will soon weld its des,nies. mostly in the pos.
session Of its original owners. few adventurous
pioneers had made good their footing a what then
the northwestern territory; but with small ex-
ceptions. their settlements formed mere spots in an
endless forest. How changed is the scene pre-
sented, IN that prosperous regoni a Country fresh
and uneuyated rs it came from the hands Of its Gre.
aor. has been carved out into sovereign states and
they admitted as e1u'ls into this great family Of
tons The ordinary progress OF national growth end
prosperity IS the work of Tune. and maturity is usually
attained only in tho lapse OF ages But the rapid
with which the western states have increased popu
ation has set st desns the calculations Of philosophy
and their present condition seems rather the work
of enchantment than sober example Of political in
proyemon. The state Of Ohio has nearly doubled her
Numbers in the last ten years, and presents pop
ustion OF 937,o7S Other states acent her, have
progressed in equal rats That whale country DOS
sessesa soil unrvaed in fertility, and abounds in all
the sources OF individual and national prosperity. The
present extent Of its may be estimated in
part by the growth OF the cities and which have
sprung up within the last few years. Pittsburg, justly
termed the "Brmingham Of Ameries," together with
It's enyirons, has population Of more than a2 OOO:
Wheeling, heretofore inconsiderabIe village,
through the influence of the manufacturing industry
and capital employcd there, ia aweIIinO ;rnnor