Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-11-21
RICHMOND DAILY WHIG.
Isieraal Improvement. Appeal to Tide Wafer.
The Fredericksburg Recorder, leading De-
nocratic print, observes


.From certain unmis,skable indications. spprehend
hs next Legislature will be importuned with zeal and
penaci than any Of It's predecessor, Tor numerous and
Assvy appropriations works OF Internal m-
movement Il might be deemed fortunate for the
State that there large majority OF Democrats IN that
body and indeed will be most fortunate for the Demo
cratic party If Richmond possess the
tmnsss, necessary them through the ordeal by
which they will DO tried AL Of them will be piled with
arxumon Of the plausible kind. backed by personal
snirssy and the moe. piteous appeals TO very common
~eskuess-an inorduate Stale pride. Besides all this,
their personal Interests or nj least ther
populary, by suspendins for ume their political iah
xhsa presents ugly obstacle the passage OF Rail
Road through the district they represent now and hope to-
(or some Year, come. Under these circumstances, we
say again. will be fortunate thing tor the Demo-
cratic party, IL IL maintains its integrity IL, As there rs
some reason 10 fear the may be- enough nominal
Democrats desert their standard to minister TO the pop1-
Tar canor for improvements throw the Se SUI
or in deb-and more Than all, draw ineabe disgust
upon party which thus breaches thing, and practi
ces another-itis impossible to orsee the extent OF the
mischief which must inevitably ensue"
COMMENTARY.
Docs the "political faith" of the Democratic
rarty impose upon it any obligation to oppose an
enlightened and expanded system of State I'M
provemeri. Can it not "maintain its integrity
except by nega,iving the wants Of the State and
the wishes of the People This Ii feature OF
modern democracy" which we had never heard
claimed for it before, and a feature which we
ptesums the Western democracy" at least will
disown and deny to belong to them
Let us inform the Recorder, the Petersburg In
teiligencer, and all others who, like them, having
their own navigation and Improvements ready
made to their hands by nature, resist every pro-
position to embark Virginia in the parental and
Indispensable duty of opening market to less
favored portions of the Commonwealth, that their
policy is narrow, selfish niggardly, and injurious
even 10 the tide-water country itself. II it pre-
walls, (which God forbid y they doom Virginia 10
ultimate slavery and eternal inferiority: they
throw away all the advantages nature has confer
red on the State they drive unnumbered thou
sands into emigration, and they disintegrate Vir-
ginia herself
Are they prepared for these consequences in
preference to loaning the credit Of the State for
her advancement for her recovery of her Just
station in the Union, to enable her by developing
all her resources, to maintain herself in future
time against all contingencies and all enemies
Do our tide.water friends remember who it was
that came to their aid in former perls-and can
they fail to that to advance Virginia is to ad.
vance every part of Virginia, TO diminish the bur-
fhens and to increase the resources of every paIt
What can be more despicable than an apos-
trophe like this live on the Potomac, the Rap
pahsnnock, the York, or the James: l have ma
vigadon OF the noblest kind at my very door a
few hours sail takes me to Baltimore, to Norfolk,
to Richmond, Petersburg, or Alexandria want
nothing more! To open the upper country will
not benefit me, and therefore am opposed to the
States making Improvements, or lending her
din to make improvements for my brethren, who
have none-who have no markst-and who are
doomed to poverty, or compelled TO go into exile,
TO leave Virginia, because they have no market J
We do trust, hope, and believe, that no Virgil.
niaa from any quarter, and least of all from the
tide.water Districts, the seat in former days (and
now too we hopeD Of llberality, self sacrificing
and glorious magnanmty, which stamped renow n
upon the name of Virginia, will adopt line Of
reasoning so wretchedy contracted. so selfshly
mean.