The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-05-13
From the Boston Courier,
LETTER FROM NEW-YORK.

beautiful meeting of groves and ripping waters,I
countered an acquaintance from New England lie
was on his way from Virginia, where he had been
making contracts for wood at a dollar acre. In
the true spirit Of Yankee enterprise, he buys up the
produce Of waste lands felIs the trees, ships them
to New York and Boston, aud finds the trade profta-
BILE.
large emigration of substantial farmers from Or
ange Duchess and Columbia countless in this State,
have, within few years, emigraedo the counties
Of Loudon, CuIpepPer and Fairfax, in Virginu.-
They bought up the worn.out plantations for mere
song, and, by judicous application Of free labor they
are "redeenIing the waste places, and making the
wilderness blossom the rose" A traveller recent
y told me that the farms cultivated by Quakers, who
employ slaves, formed such stricking contrast to
other portions of Virginia, that they seemed almost
like GASES in the desert
What lesson this teaches concerning the compar-
alive effect Of saVeabor and free labor the pros
perity Of State 1t strange, indeed, that en-
ightened self nterest does not Danish the accursed
system from the world; for political economists ought
TO see that sit is worse than crime il is bunder, y
Tale rand said of some error in state policy.
But the fact is, selfnterest can be very much
enlightened All true vision derives ITS clearness
from the heart 'Ionesty is the best policy, but
policy without honesty finds that out"
If ever this truth were legbly written the face
of the earth, it is inscribed on Virginia. No State in
the Union has superior natural advantages. Look at
its spacious bays, its brond and beautiful rivers trav.
ersing the country in every direction, its jestic Cor-
ests, It's grand and picturesque mountains its lovely
and fertile valleys, and tie abundance ofs mineral
wealth, Words could hardly be found enthusiastic
enough TO express the admiration of Europeans, who
first visited this magnificent region. Some say her
name was given "because the country seemed to re-
tain the virgin plenty and purity Of the first creation,
and the people their primitive innocency Of life and
manners'' Waller describes ii thus:
so sweet the air, moderate the cline,
None sickly lives, dies before his time,
Heaven sure has kept this spot Of earth uncrust,
To show how all things were created first"
Alas, that the shores of that beautiful State should
become the Guinea coast Of the New World! Our
central station Of slavery and the slave trade or the
effects produced, we need not question the abolition
ists for we learn them from the lips Of her own sons
John Randolph said, years gotha he expected soon
to see the slaves ofVrgina advertising for runaway
masters" Washington, in a letter to Sir John Sin
clair, describes the land in the neighborhood OF
Mount Vernon as exhausted and miserable. He al
ludes the fact that the price of land in Pennsyva-
MIA and the free states that averaged than twice
as much land in Virginia; BECAUSE" says he,
'therc in Pennsy vana laws for the gradual abo-
lion of slavery; and because foreign emigrauts are
more inclined to settle in free States" Mr.. Gusts
says, "Of the multitude of foreigners who daily seek
an Ium and home in the empire Of liberty, how
many turn their steps to the region Of the save?-
None. There is malaria in the atmosphere of those
regions, which the new conner shuns, as being delete
rious TO his views and habits See the wide spread
ing ruin which the avarice of ancestral govern
ment has produced in the South, as witnessed in a
sparse population Of freemen, deserted habations,
and fields without culture. Strange to tell, the
WOLF which, driven back long since by the approach
Of man, now returns, after the lapse of n hundred
years, 10 howl the desolations of slavery"
The aIIusion to the wolf, is figure of speech
Wild beasts have returned 10 extensive districts OF
Virginia, once inhabited and cultivated.
Some eighteen years ago when lived i'll the dr cam
land of romantic YOUTH and thought nothing of slave
ry, any other evils that ines the social system, an
intelligent young lady from the South told me an ad-
venture, which made a strong impression upon my
Imagination. She travelling with her brother in
the interior of eastern Virginia Marks Of dninlsi-
ing prosperity every where met their view. One day,
they entered upon region which seemed entirely de-
serted Here and there some elegant villa indicated
the former presence of wealth; but piazzas had fall
len, and front doors had either dropped, or hung sns
pended upon one hinge. Here and there stray gar
den flower peeped forth, amid the choking wilderness
Of weeds, and vines, once carefully trained on attl-
ces, spread over the ground in tangled coniqsion-
Nothing disturbed the silence, save the twitterng Of
some startled bird, the boot and scream Of gloomy
wood creatures, scared by the unusual noise oil irav
elers.
At last, they came to a church, through the rool o
which tree rooted in the central aisle beneath, sen
up its verdant branches into the sunlight above -
Leaving their horse to browse the grass-growr
road, they passed into the building to examine th'
interior. Their entrance startled nnunerabIe blrd
and bats which flew circ!ing round their heads, an'
through the broken windows. The pews had coats
of arms embIazoned on the door-panneIs, but bird
had built their in the corners, and grass hat
grown up through the chinks of the floor. The hand
some trimmings ef the pulpit were so covered will
dust, as to leave the original color extremely doubt
! T. a. Lac, dupH oDen