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


ia prosperous as a whole, by rendering
her prosperous and powerful in all her
parts. Such and so evident TO my
mind was the law ofour political unity
such the necessary result OF all neigh
borhood dependencies upon and rela-
tons with each other, that no par, Of a
State could be kept PROSTATE without
lnfilcing proportiotae weakness on
the whole, and that the justice and re-
lief which suffering sections required,
could in no case be extended without
common benefit, nor denied without a
common disadvantage.
Notwithstanding, however, the force
Of these very obvious Considerations,
the extension ofthis policy to distant
and neeessltous portions Of the State,
has frequently been resisted, upon the
ground, that as these portions paid in
togthe common treasury not more than
one dollarln every three which their
Improvement required, i. would BE un-
equal and unjust to tax the residue up
on other portions. for their benefit. RI
this objection is a sound one, then the
true rule for disbursing the public reve-
nue., when unequally contributed by
different sections, would be to expend
ii between the contributors in the ratio
Of thei! contribution; and that without
any regard q their respective wants. =
IN this case, coi,ld the lar gest con;sib-
utor have no want to which the public
money need to be applied, then as il
would be folly to waste it upon 4, and
anjnSt, according to the objection, to
.appiyi to the wants Of the other, Ii
would follow as final consequence,
that the sectional snfIerings which ex-
lists must continue; and that Virginia
must set herseii quietly and powellessly
down and see her people dwinde away.
and mary Of her great interests wither
around hei, because there is no princi-
pie ofpoll'lca lexpediency orj.lstice u
pom which she is authorized to exert
herown undivided energies for her own
preservation Such is the monstrous
resuit Of admitting in any way the idea
of distinct interests underline same gov
eminent, instead of looking to that
Government, as founded upon a COM
mon sense Of dependence and wants.
and, therefore, as compact amongst
all of its parties for mutual benefit and
assistance.
1t WAS not, however, to the theoreti-
zeal objections which have been raised
upon the unequal payments spoken Of.
that would direct your attention, bat
10 the practical and demonslra5le truth,
that there are no means by which that
inequality can be removed, and the
con>equentbnftlen oftaxalion be eliffius.
ed SO certainly, speedily and etectually
as b. the construction Of a judiclous
systemof commercial highways thro' :
out Western Virginia. And, so far
from the fact that Eastern Virginia, be-
| ing the largest property holder, would
have to pay the most towards the exc
cution of this purpose, constituting. on
its part, any sound argument against
| it, it constitutes on the other hand ,and
| that upon the striciest calculations OF
economy and ultimate advantage, an
argument in lis behalf. Let things
remain as they are-let the minera /,
manufacturing and agricultural treas
ures Of the Western part of the State
continue to be locked up and kept oft
Of use as they have been, and Eastern
Virginia, instead Of dividing her exiS-
ting burdens with powerful partner,
will have 10 bear them as they are for
an indefinite period to come. Situated
as il is, a refusal TO apply its means to
the Improvements suggested, and thus
to create new sources of wealth and Of
public revenue, is simply, and 10 all
practioal ends, refusal to be relieved;
u refusal to part from burden which
is retained at the double expense Of
disseminating itselfand expressing 9th
ers.
There are other points Of much in
terest in this subject, such as is ul,i-
mate connex;on with common etIuca-
ion-wiih the introduction and es;ab-
lisllment Of manufactures, and with an
effective system Of military defence,
which need not to be presented a:
large, but which the Legislature can
never overlook, when consulting upon
the best modes of securing The great
est good tothe State. In some portions
Of theihinly settled districts ofihe State,
education ofany kind is no. possible;in
other portions, it is possible only 10 a
limited extent, whilst throughout the
whole of,heln no successful effort for il
can ever be made, until neighborhoods
shall be brought closer together, BY
having the means Of intercourse with
each other, and the power of numbers
and combination thereby secured
Tn this respect, and for this end, roads