Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11

all
war
Tcfce.
portan. fol
and provide 10,
bor,ier to BE detende,
Virginia, in this matter
is invnlnefab.e exceI
Perfectly secure on Il
ieghany against al
scarcely less so on the
through the power Of con
the ChesapeakeJand Ms
are the onlyinlets BY vi
enemy can approach her.
on these and on the margin
are to be found her bat,le-felds.
assaiIab!e BY any but naval +
should that power be Great B.
with her North America possessi1
places from With she could d
apon US with al! the certainty,
time Of exact calculation, sht
no doubt rely upon her war steau
her engines of assault, and
could effect so rapid concentrate.
her force upon our ocean border, sss
compel us to be always provided win,
an army in garrison adequate to an
emergency, unless we had an inlan
power OF concentration for our o.
forces which was equal to hers. 81
a power, would a well deranged ~.
connected system of internal improve.
mcnt become. With such system
pervadlng the State, and accessibsesat
all points for every description of ne
cessary SIMPLY, the State. itself would
become, in effect, an extended military
camp, with the faculty Of Immediately
combining her whole disposable power
Of men and means, wherever and when.
ever her purpose Of defence might re-
qure. Looking at this as one Of IT,
and conservative results o.
the policyin question, it is unleniable,
that however exclusive and local lis
ordinary benefits may be thoughtto be,
here at least is one vital particular il
which the benefit will De acknowledge
ed by the judgment and patriotism Of
all TO belong to the State. Hence too,
it seems, that the Atlantic and tide-wa-
ter section, assumed 10 be the most in
dependent Of all others Of this policy,
has yet an eventual interest in it the
greatest of all, for there is no other to
which its succour can ever be so help
full in that last extremity which casts
life ana property and every thing which
is precious to a people upon the hazards
Of the sword.
In order to carry these views into
any thing like corresponding effect, |
could not present TO your consideration
a narrower rangeof internal improve
men, than that which ] have heretofore
recommended. So long as the Wes-
tern, North western and Southwestern
portions of the State are without the
commercial outlets which they ought
to have, Leither one of them can be
passed by without absolute injustice.
Each one is in need ofihe helping hand
Of the ,state-each one is entitled to
receive ii, and each one is capable Of
making an ample requital for all it may
get. A main difficulty in relation TO
them has always been, how to provide
for them all at the same time, without
hazareling TOO far the creation of an
oppressive debt; or how, on the other
hand, TO apply the resources of the
State to each one separately and IN
turn, without exciting the distrust and
hostility Of Of the resi' In whatever
way this difficulty may be met, wheth-
er By successive or united provision,
il is still certain that no measures can
command the confidence and cooper
alton which is Indispensable to final
success, that do not, In some form or
other, convey satisfactory assurance
to each particular section, that 1t will
not and cannot be neglected. The
nature and exlen. of that assurance,
leave to be devised by yourselves
The Northwest should be satisfied,
that If nothing more is given, the mil
lion of dollars at least, which has been
coniingenily subscribed for lis benefit,
should not be withdrawn the West
tia. The promised connection between
the tile-water and the Ohio river
should be made good; and the South
west, that its many and its Just claims,
which have been 50 long and SO injr-
(Caaeludea on fourth page.