Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1832-02-16
From me .si.s England Magazine.
VIRGINIA.

anu the Natural bridge. aud many un.
visited spot. in the mountains, would
be objects OF admiration and tli ons ed
with visiters even in Switzerland. that
region OF sublimity aud beauty. There
are Few lakes, but noble rivers inter.
lace every part Of the state, and the
natural beauty Of the Potomac is 81.
perior to that Of the Rhine.
The woods are Of kind found ONLY
in America. Their dark recesses.
where the silence is only broken bv
notes OF the birds, and the murmur Of
wafer falls, are infinitely more impress.
sive than the trimmed forests Of Eng
land, or the wilder woods Of Germany
The American woods are primeval
forests, which stand now rs they stood
| when man lived in innocence by the
Euphrates, before any cedar was fell
ed or any temple reared. The woods
of Virginia are so filled with the sounds
OF various birds and tree frogs, Chose
delicate sylvans. that have note clear
or thsn 6irdl that an old traveller
calls Il "a land Of enchantment,' -
where SD many sweet sounds are emit
ted by invisible songsters; he may.
however, have been little deIuded
by his admiration, rs he affirms that
some frogs "emit most tremendous
roar, louder than the believing of a
bull, and with striking resemblance
to articuIate words, as hogshead. to.
bacco. knee deep! ancIe deep! deep
er and deeper! Piankitank !"
Such is the country-wlat i. the
lord Of it?-Moraliy and intelleo tuall y,
q Virginian is at least rs high as other
men, and many would say higher
Yet yoa may never have seen one in
your life except Judge Marshall, who
in some respects represents the com
monwealth. Carolinians are migrate
~ birds. or, as Cacofogo says, "casu-
al things" you may see them every
summer, and hear them too If you will
but praise the tariff. But virsiniau
seldom quits his soil-he cannot be
well transplanted, and this is one rca.
son why his characteristics are SC
strong. Nature has becp just and ge-
nerous to him, and his institutions have
moulded the mind that nature gave
him into n peculiar character. With
him "Old Virginia never tires" and
be is never weary Of talking of Dick
Bowling, Sam Washington, Jack la.
Iiaierro, aud Tom CabelI. tie is like
the young Foscari, and would rather
die at home than live elsewhere.
Now, . man from Yankee. land,
wherever he may be, is q, home the
pas, aud the distant are noth.ng 60 him;
his thoughts are concentrated upon
the present or upon the means OF max
| ing advantage Of the future. Where
yer he falls. alighis like cat upon his
feet, nor are these easily tripped from
under him. But displace a Virginian
from his sphere, and he seldom reco-
vers; and when nc loses his property
he dors no' begin the world again with
/ that confidence and alacrity that dis
iinguishes New England man.
Those who assert the Virginian So
pcriority, attribute il somewhat 10 the
great number Of rich and intelligent
cultiyators who live on their pianta-
tons, after the manner Of the old Eng.
lish country gentlemen. This is, in
deed, 8 grade Of people that has much
influence, and q similar class would be
Of advantage in New-England. Its
place is but i'll supplied by people in
the professions. whose interest depends
so much upon popular favor that they
are seldom sufficient barriers against
popular prejudice or cIamor. Refine
ment 10 a part Of good morals, aud a
man is never the more honest because
he is boorish and coarse. A VirgInian
Planter is a man in whom meanness
cannet exist no mutations can make
him sordid; his faulis are not Of this
east; they are the failings Of gener-
Gus nature. Such men. living at fre
quent intervals over the state, and
with possessions like English barOniesr
have great influence in forming the
character Of the class Immediately be
low them--as, for instance. the small
free -holders Of Virginia: They g'ye a
high tone to public sentiment, aud men
feel. that to be VISITED by tie seorB oI
such body, - n heavier penalty than
any Inflicted by the law.
Is there any other state that has
been generally so we'll represented W
the national councils As Virgins -
''Your reasons, Jack I''--beca0~e ~
that commonwealth men ate advanced
~ public life before the intellect feel.
the chill Of age. aad While thelr smbi.
lion and capacity for labor are greatest.
The NirginiaRs place their young men
~ the arenas, where they can best &C
qsire skill a. intellectual gladIatOfs.
The electors have the sagaciiy 10 see.
that, II horse woald WIN the race, be-
must be familiar with tho course vhHr
he y somewhat 81 colt. Nov, N .