Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-08-08
CoMMUNICATIoxs-rer ia. pirgin.. :.
INTERNAL iMrRovEMENr-Nn. l.

. isf me to see, ard Ajax asks no moren
II would seem. in the present enl,s h.rnrtl |
period, and ~ the sniiei slate af virginia
where We have witnessed so many example. o |
Tie benefits derived 10 comm rec. To wealth |
and To clszaton. fruin the execution of extern |
ded schemes OF internal mmunication among |
other nhiions. anti nj aud mndrrn, aud among |
many states of nur own community, that argn. !
menl would be unnecessary 20 convince The |
people oil the necessity and praeiisahIity Of the
execution 81 a scheme IN their own State, and
ibat the OILY debateable question would BIO,
The course and character al the Improvement.
bul tins u notthe case. There nre macy, very
Wany, who will not admit that any scheme OF
Improvement will benefit the country aud who
are utterly opposed 10 any attempt OF the kind.
In vain may YOU poiut out 10 them what 10
matter Of history in relation 10 Greece and
Rome. In VAN may You refer them TO the
public improvements of France. Holland hnd
Great Br1ain and exhibit to them, from their
statistics, that these nations are indebted tn
their systems Of internal communication, for
their extended aud continually inci easing eom-
perce, the great value Of tbrir property. aud
their rapid advances in civilization. In vain
may YOU point unt TO them the improvements
in many OF our sister States, and the never
varying increase OF wealth. population aud Ct.
vilization wherever they have executed them.
Like Thomas OF old who would not believe
until he had thrus, his hands in the Sayionrs
side. and put his 6ngrr on the prints OF the
nall they will not credit history. They will
not rely upon the force Of surrounding cirenm-
stances, md the obstacles which they eoutinu-
ally find in Their way. They will not trust the
experience Of Others. they will not believe
| these things Can he ST..
| wise people aud wise rulers generally EN-.
ploy the experience Of the past for the improve.
nent of tho future and the people of bir.
| gina would seriously consider why il 10 that
| their wealth, the value of their property their
! commerce, their science and their letters are
| continually eecayIng, hey would soon ascer-
tain ihb' II proceeds from the want of those
| very observation-disclosures which hive so rig
nally advanced them in olhrr nations md IN
other States. And in vain nay 1t be atirbu ed
TO any othur cause. nm well aware that ma
nv attribute this declension TO the superior fc,-
til'ty Of The soil Of the Weston Slutes-au opin-
ion lHtally mlschiesous 10 Virginia, and etro-
aeo1s IN point OF fact. II this wtfe true IN re
iation 10 Virginia, why has Il not held good in
| Pcunsylvania and New iork, both Atlantic
| Sldtts-hoh OF less tefritory--and neither
| possessing greater natural fertility, nor having
"a many natural advantages rs VngInla1 In.
! answer ia obvIous-ihe enterprise Of these
| States has pressed systems OF 'npfosemr NJ
which have overcome all the advantages Of l.
| ANY Of SOIL IN the West; and hence, there is
! no indncemeni 10 their people 10 emigrate. IN
| NV York, oae of The oldest OF the Atlantic
| States, the population increased upwards OF
| i've hundred thousand in the last ten years
according TO the census Of lS30--snd she has
| now a population double ihat OF Virginis Her
| increase was more than that of any S ate IN
the Union. The increase in Psnnsy ivania,
which has no, yet completed Der works, was
| near three hundred thousand Virginia is not
| full to overlooking. She ia capable OF sustaIn.
| ing population Of ten millions and yer, VIII
! a population OF Tile more thnn one million
| there IL a constant drain lraD mat small Num-
Der. Lei Virginia have the advantages Of thar
commerce which proper Chalu Of Internal
communications would inevitably produce, as
will be hereafter incontesilbly proved aud there
10 but little doubt that the same results will b.
produced, that have been witnessed ia the
Sta 'es above referred to.-lhcn. and no4 t
III n,-will the Ills which have preyed 80 pow
eriully and desIructively upon her prosperity
| be arrested. aud her health and soUudness be
restored. Although It is true that tho Tres hness
a0d lDyutlnnce Of tue western soil aIe superior
10 that OF Vnginia, yet The proximity of Vir.
| gina 10 the Atlantic and European markets
gives her very decided advantage over the
west, Of which she never be deprived, but
by her own lI9t,essnrss aud inactivity. II the
evils above referred towrre only TO be arrested
| by a scheme OF intercomnunicat,on, the a.
| chievement would be more than worth tue cost
and labour employed but the more decisive
advantages OF wealth. prosperity aud happl-
ness WOULD render 1t beneficial to ourselves,
and blessing TO posterlty, aud DO worthy oil
the age and OF the people.
| II has been SAID, that 3" Of al the sources OF
national wealth., internal commerce is not onl,
The most secure, but the most pl o uciiv-;" and
with ali enlightened nations lis prosecution and
hav I,ap Il a.
tlOn. 10 this end all tue means which facilitate
both personal communication, and a CHEAP
and rapid Interchange of commodities have
been employed as absolutely ne cessary TO sue
cess. | again refer 10 England, France and
| Holland, and to New YORK and PennsyIyauia
where schemes OF INSTRUMENTATION have
been most successfully and extensively exeen-
ted, Tor proof OF this Position and, with nj
| OBTAINING the reader win details, | wlll siate
that no nation has yei enjoyed, at ieAsi for any
/ length OF time, al extensive foreign commerce
without beng met by an extensive internal
commerce; and reter 10 the commercial h,s-
tory OF the world Tor proof. So true is il, tnai
tue wealth and prosperity Of every nation 10
! dcPenden nj upon its internal commerce aud,
indeed | may snfey add that every bng, Hs
regsri5 The wealth. the strength, aud cIv,liza-
non Of every nation on earth, is dependent up.
on il ) and OF this the annals of history are
replete with the most unerrIng testimony.
Ia proportion as internal communication is
! extended, and facilities oil intercourse are afpr,
! ded, so is the sway Of the empire OF society ex-
| fended, and with It all the moral advantages
| which II inparts. Men of different Chimes, OF
different habits and of different feelings are
! borught together, and, by continued inter
course, strong attachments, 10 place OF hostility,
| are formed--cemenied by the strongest OF all
ties, mutualIty Of interest--and the Iunnence OF
education, Of morals and religion extended to
places where otherwise they might have been
! excluded forever.
The political advantages which have resulted
10 other nations from tue extension Of their
internsl communication, affords a striking illus
tra ion Of the advantages OF the system, and
m U fnf ia oh H.