Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-05

nication To the General Assembly, ana to rs
quest that II may be- submitted to the House
OF Delegates. am mos, respectfully,
Your obedicnt servant,
JAS. MCDOWELL.
To the Speaker of the III .dse of Delegates.
FtiioW Cuizcns Of the Senat
and Hous, Of Delegates:
am grdiilicd To LAY in this annual conmu.
nication that nothing has occurred since the
time oi your Adjournment tn affect, in an,
wise, the internal quiet, good order and svcu
rity of the State, or to disturb for single
moment the customary and lawful pursuits o
the citizen. All has been tranquil and all sal,
the duties and obligations of the govern
mcnt fulfilled without emhsrra ssmcnt and th.
objects of private industry pursued without
oppression from public burthens or prejudic.
from business disorders. On all sides we hav,
been free from any unusual disaster, Athletic,
or wrong; have maintained myiulaie the law
and credit OF the State: have suffered in n,
thing from which a sound condition of publ,
justice and private morals could protect us
have been blessed generally By kind Provi.
dence, with our usual health, and, il in par.
iicular places the profits OF our industry have
been lost from the severity OF the season, ouI
general means OF subsistence are quite equal
n
And here, III further enumeration OF advan-
iagcs. will add, that our temporary debt,
which amounted 10 three hundred aud fifty
thousand dollars three years ago, has been en-.
tlrely eXtingushed, that our State stock is AT a
premium, and that our revenue for the pres
cnt calendar year will be more than adequate
to the ordinary wants Of the government
results which have been accomplished under
two successive reductions in the rate of tax.
and under system OF taxation by far more
satisfactory and more equitable than the one
1t has so recently succeeded
In all these respects-and they comprehend
large and important aggregate of general
good-the condition OF the State is highly sat
isfactory, and furnishes, TO certain extent
the evidence OF well-doing and well ordered
Common wealth. But, in other respects, and
those inscparably connected with every form
OF public and private welfare, that condition
Is much less satisfactory, and is such. indeed
that no wise and proyident people, having the
control of ii in their own hands, should per
nit to continue. This is true, especially of
the labor and education Of our pcoplc-those
parental interests which lie at the foundation
OF all others, and whose improvement and
union form together SO essential ii part of the
refinement, vigor aud prosperity of a State.
Instead OF cherlshlng these interests with the
anxiety and care which was propor,ioned 10
their value, and which it was the clear duty
OF the government TO have done, we have aid
ed neither of them by any ciiectual system of
public means, and have very gen, rally minis
tered 10 the wants OF both with as reluctant
and backward a spirit as if the welfare and
efficiency of State consisted in something
else than in the number of hands and minds
that were freely, intelligenty and uscfully
employed. No community, free and able as
ours Is, TO provide for its welfare as il pleased
and pressed as ours is by the growing necessi-
ties OF n suffering and critical situation to
make that provision boldly and completely,
has ever, perhaps, permitted so enriChing an
amount OF its intellect and industry 10 be- Civ
en- up to so much improvidence and waste
The Illuminating extent TO which the very al
phabet o! knowledge is unknown amongst us,
tells how deeply our intelligence has suffered,
and 10 still suffering from neglect, whilst the
no less humlliating amount of our internal
and export trade, when compared with the
size and fertility Of the State, tells how efIec-
tually part OF our privilege labor has been
destroyed by the overpowering difficulties
which attend the transportation and exchange
oil It's products. But this is not all. Anoth-
er, and probably worse effect of this neg
lect, is the disturbing and unhappy influence
which IT exerts over the internal relations and
harmony of the State. The great loss to the
productiveness OF labor which il has occasion.
ed, having fallen with more severity upon GER
tain geographical portions of the State than
upon others, ii has excited an Impotence and
sense OF wrong amongst them, which is for
cign 10 the interest of common people, and
which is daily superadding TO its other causes
OF mischief strong aud bitter one of sec
tional disaIection.
Sucl being the condition ~ ,bc.o ;,,,o-....
submit them TO the Legislature, with an
earnest recommendation to provide for them
both as speedily and as efficiently as their inn
portance and as the power OF the State will
justify. In this, the Legislature will perceive
the renewed recommendation of policy
winch have heretofore, OH several occasions
urged upon its adoption, and which | urne
upon ii again, certainly in no spirit of idle
importantly, but from the The most solemn
conviction that ii is not only just wise and
beniiicent policy, indispensable to the good
government OF the State, but one which the
Legislature cannot continue to postpone with
out lneparablc evil, aud which, sooner or la
tcr, IL VIII be compelled To adopt upon prin-
ciples oi sell defence. II Virginia would re-
tain the masses OF her people who are crowd.
ing INTO other States and TINS save for her
own pow ct, the youth enterprise and wealth
which she is annually giving up to the power
oil others, she must so direct the administra-
tlon OF her government as To- make il their
interest. as idr as il can b. done. TO remain
where they are. All that is necessary 10 ac-
CompIlSh tins purpose cannot indeed be done
by the Government, but what can be done
ought to be done. The emigration which is
enieeblng and wasting us TO vital degree
must, II possible, be stopped, and this. SO far
as tina, emigration depends upon internal eau.
-
ses, and therefore within the reach OF positive
control, the Government can cooperate. and
is bound to cooperate in efiecting. And that
II IS within the reach. to a most available cx
tent, OF such control, is evident from the fact
that the causes which generally opprcss the
condition Of a people and drive item from
their native land to some other. as necessary
process Of national or personal relief. have
scarcely even conceivable existence or opcr.
alton here. We have no territory incapable
OF further settlement or subIivjsion-nop non.
ulauon pressing on tie limits of subsistence
ana Il anil .s.-.