Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-12-19
NUMBER AZ.

eSsScu Natuc W iuuus, iOtn uuu UafiubEs
IN The same district, amounted TO but six
teeE millions Of dollars, the land itself be.
ing assessed oil an average value 10 the
acre of no more than ninety two cents
Twenty years afterwards, the lands, lots
and buildings Of this same district were
assessed at thirty nine and quarter mil.
lions, and the average value Of an acre
had risen TO one dollar and forty cents
Twenty years ago, the whole assessed
value Of the other three districts amount.
ed 10 hundied and NINETY .one millions
Of dollars; il is now a hundred and seven.
~ millions. The average was then eight
dollars, il is six dollars and sixiy-six cents
now, being a loss upon each particular
acre of almost as much rs the whole trans.
Allegheny acre was estimated to DO
worth. Thus it seems. generally, that 20
the last twenty years this d'stric, has add.
ed largely to its numbes-has more than
doubled the value Of IFS permanent prop
erty, and that il now supplies TO the trea-
sury more than three dollars for every
one which il supp!l~d even ten years ago.
This progression, VIII CHI is so striking
ly contrasted with the situation oil things
in the ether part Of The State, and which
has been effected under multiplied dis.
couragemen,s 10 population and labour, is
the clenr proof OF an intrinsic and sveila.
bic efficiency, requiring nothing for stdl
higher and butter results, but the encour-
aging and upholding hand Of the State
Had il 5ecn thds encouraged and upheld
at an early day, and the looked-up recess.
es Of this distric, thrown open by high.
ways TO profitable settlement and trade,
there con be no doubt upon toe facts pre-.
sent d, bu, that its numbes and property,
and contributions TO the treasury, would
all of them have been intellectually great
er than they are now. THIS support il is
still practicable to give. II is still prac.
ticable 10 make this district as powerful in
TACT as it is powerful in capabilities; to
make it, what II has every physical facul.
ty to become, the strongest and wealth..
est portion Of the commonwealth, and so
to make it eventually, the strongest and
weaithiesi contributor also TO eve-v fnsn.
cisl or other want which the common
wealth may feel.
If the contrary 20 icy, however, is 10
be pursued, and this country is to be COM
miited, for its further development and
prosperity, to Its own internal means, up
on the idea that they aud they alone, are
enough for that end, it is SIS easy as il IS
pa niul to see the r, suits that must follow.
Let the present condition OF tbs west
ern States, end the effect Of il upon the
future growth oil this very part oil our own
be considered. and il will be difficult not
to see that the policy which will leave
that growth to maintain and nvigorate it.
self, cauno, be adopted without imminent
risk OF positive and irrevocabc mischief.
For many years, during which this from.
tier pait Of the State was growing up to
what il now is The vast country which
lies beyond il to the west was more
drcary, rcpulsive and wilder frontier than
itself, having no advantages Of habilation.
or Of promise greater than lis own. And
long since those forbidding features of it
have been los, in the beautiful tiansforma.
,lon which it now wears, down even TO
our own day, there was not canal nor
a railway nor st amboat in all that
magnificent region, so thei citizen oil
Virginia, when Standing even upon its
gree, high wsys OF wafer, and looking up
the Ohio, or looking down the Mississippi
for an avenue of trade with the world,
was no better off than when looking for
i, amongst the pathways Of his mountains.
THIS is got now. Steam, with ell its
powers and appendnges, is there, marking
every Thing with the trace of revolution.
The wilderness is gone. The frontier,
which was ruggeder than our own. has
gwen away TO populations and powerful
communities, which are rich in every
thing that commerce and soil and schools
that civilization and nature can supply,
and are properly regarded on that &C.
count as amongst the choicest places in
the Union fJr a residence and home.
These communities, thus powerful in
every internal advantage which can ope-
rate us bounty to emigration, are now
oar rivals, and win contend with US, and
will contend successfully too, for the pop
uation of our obstructed district, unless
we apply ourselves to immediate and ef.
! fective condensation. We must resist or
4
must suffer. Just say 10 the inhabitants
Of that country, standing in the very pre-
sence of those States, and looking upon
the bu,yancy and health Of their young
and virgin prosperity, that nothing is TO
be done for them; that, much as we de.
! plore the existence Of that mountain bar.
rier which separates them from all pro.
fitable connexiun with The atlantic cities,
not dollar can be spared to remove it.
Just say this, and let them be commended
to the patient and seIf-denyiug virtues
VIII ch are best suited to State such os
theirs, of priyaton AMI struggle, and no
one can doubt but masses of them will re-
sort to immediate emigration as the only
sure remedy that is left them. And emf.
grafton, in this case, does not deter or az
hict as when il involves the abandonm, Mt
Of ones country. II is but the change of
one spot Of American soil for another,
forleiuug TO the emgrant not particle Of
his political rights, and assuring him, OF
last, Of welcome incorporation with
communities Of people, whose govern.
ment, institutions and laws are all Of them
kindred with those Of the place OF his ma
tivlty. Under these circumstances, whilst