Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-08-20

time, in Virginia, while i'm Ohio and Pc,in-
s~yl,ania suffrage is limited only by citizen
ship. The interior price aud smaller increase
manilcStly arise from uO natural cause Uil
must rise directly or indirectly from il by a
bad system of legislation under the %rtstric-
ION, aud directly, by the TACT, that the %restriC-
non does. from the oppression II m0nitcSts.
tend to drive frymour borders a vast popula-
ton which VIC 1t otherwise settle i'm the nm
improve it ana enhance It's value. A detail
OF the effects produced by the bad system OF
legislation, adopted and persisted in in de
spite OF the loud and often repeated remon-
strdnccscl many, particularly her western cit
Hyns, as applied To internal Improvements,
education, our count, court system, &c. &c.
we shall be compcllsj TO postpone to future
numbers, AMI coniinr ourselves ior the pres
ent to a few remarks upon the evils to us
flowing directly from the restriction of suf-
iuge.
The decrease in population in Eastern Viz
glhia in ten year, has. In round numbers been
"a per Ccut; the increase in Western Virgin
Ia has been abou. II PER cent, The decrease
IN value ot lands i'm Eastern Virginia in the
last twenty years has been seventeen per cent
The increase i'm valu, i'll Western Virginia has
becnabout t~weuty-srvcn per cent. These are
facts which 90 10 prove that the value OF land
l. proportional 20 the population il s]ustdinS,
a rrp, sjticl susceptible of conclusive proofs,
which will b. admitted b. all who have ever
reflected on IL. What hen. were IL not for
the restriction of the right OF suffrage by the
constitution, must we think of IN, Eastern
Virginia land holders. who have had legisla-
ton their own way. and yet have 50 ]legislat-
ed as to reduce the value of their own landsin
twenty years II per cent? Must we not think
them very unwiSel But the restriction has a
very powerful direct influence in preventing
the immigration of citizens of other States To
tins State, and also in driving from us many of
Virginia own sons. Ii il a matter of daily
occurrence that many, very many of those i'm
whose veins flow Nirginia's best blood, bid a
fearful farewell 10 their native skies. and de-
part Tor the West. where. though they find no
richer soil. no healthier CLINE. they find free
dom. Where they feel that their freedom.
their manhood, is the gift orGod. not purcha-
scd with IA few plltry dollars. Many, very
many OF our valuable citizens have gone from
among us for this cause. have consented to
Sulier exile, TO leave tha holnesof their fathers
and lorth into AN mticd world as their f-
theirs came from England to an American will
derness. 1t Is but as yesterday i'm The life time
oi nations that even the tide waters of Nirgi.
MIA rolled through an unbroken Wilderness
to-day the ploughman is whistling over the
graveoi her deserted hamlets. and H. autumn
winds are playing wildly in the c~revices other
decaying mansions. What hls eau scd this
untimely decay, what has driven the noblest
sons from their homes to seek new habitations
IN the Wilderness The aristoca,ic institu-
ions oil Tie State, among which. and the most
prominent among them, being the restriction
of suffrage.
The harbors OF Eastern Virginia are among
The nob'eSt IN the Union, yet her is
not equal 10 that of the iittla state of Rhode
island. The whole state is filled with miner
al wealth, and yet there is not a nourishinu
city or town within its broad domains. She
has all the elements OF manufacture. vet i'm
ports almost all that is consumed ina The state.
Agriculture ianguishes, not for the want of
Tlch soil, Tor there II not It better soil in the
Union than that of Virginia. Her landhold-
eIa' even In the west, are not increasing in
wealth; but seem 10 stand stationary. while
time and the great world abroad pass rapidly
by them. The cause Is soon found by the en-
curing mind In the fact that our institutions
are sucl that the poor man finds himself a
Dondman within her border and the man of
real enterprise and worth, refusing citizenship
where il must b, bOugLtwith money. aoes IN
live under a more genial government. Let
these reflections BE- carried ont by our readers
OF all descriptions. Let the landholdrr look
at them. bet him compare our statement
with the reality and see il they do not COM
pletely tally, Let the mechanic look at them
he VINO Is dcpendent upon a numerous non
ulduon Tor support, and ask if his condition.
though he may himself be a voter. would not
be improved by universal suffrage. Let the
farmer, whose products call for a market. ex-
anime INTO Tins subject, compare his advanta-
S'S with those OF naighboring states, and am
sWtr ne mas not every reason to curse the re-
s%trlction OF suilragn from his inmost heart
Neask but to see the public mind turned 10
II, not Tor a mOrncnt-wc are DESTROYS of see
ing no brilliant flashes of ardent. exCitable and
imaginative minds turned TO il for a moment
ana vanishing like the or the meteor
out we Wlsl to see men of judgment. enter
PRISE and public spirit BEND their minds TO il.
ana when they have examined il closely. IL
'hey hnd 1t a good, a just, and an honorable
cause, let them devote their whole e~xcrtions
to eradicate from our state government the
vast evils OF which we complain. II may b,
accomplished IN a 1.-THE of Il mans life and he
VINO devot'S himself to it will have the salts
idcuon oil living under a free government. with
d prosperous people, and viii ENJOY the praise
and gratitude of posterity.
we have every thing TO hope and NOTHING
10 Tear from universal suffrage. We gee al
'he states around It's prospecting under il and
yet not one OF them has a population so free
nom Uc contamination OF those who float
loosely upon the Tide OF life without habitatiou
or principle as Virginia. None where the
population is as settled none where the in
iilUence OF the stail, sober and established cit
ilenso Tar Prcponderatcs. The reason is found
IN lu' natural effect of slavery as. where that
institution cNists,a less proportion of Glctua-
'H- population Is always found. Who does
not See TOO, the change that is constantly he
ing wrought IN the population OF the state 2I
Ho IS not iorcibly struck with the tcmprr.
alIc' ana sobrieiy oiour population now. com.
pared as a generation with those who have
gone before us. Shall we not give all am i'm
pulse by knocking the sliacklcs from one half
our population and allowing them their natu.
raj rights as lrecmcuR
From tie Lyuch. Virg,
a VISIT TO SILVER SPRiNE u