Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-07-10

the supreme command Of the NATIONAL
GUARD OF LIBERTY. The struggle is over;
il becomes necessary TO adopt charter Of
| government, and Convention assemblies
TO mould its appropriate form. A Virgin
Il ian IS selected TO preside over its deliber-
ations and hardly have they commenced,
when another Virginian brings forward the
framework of the present Constitution.
while still another son of Virginia superin-
tends its progress through every stage,
from its Inception TO its final adoption.
The new government commences lis
career, and for thir,y-six years--with
one short interval--the sons of Virginia
are called TO administer its affairs, and
preside over its destinies.
These are some of the memories that
gladden. the heart Of the Virginian at the
present day. They gladden. bis heart--for
they show that for the first half Of our ma.
tiona existence the honor and glory Of this
great nation were entrusted TO the care Of
citizens Of the runterrifed commonwealth
of Virginia" Her counsels guided the
Union; her behests were registered edlcts;
her glory was the common glory of ALL
In the battle field, and the cabinet, her
sons, ever seeking the front posts Of diff
Gully and danger, bore off the palm, and
wreathed their brows with imperishable
laurels. Identified with their prosperity,
her advance kept pace with their career
of greatness and renown. Peerless "a
mong the states; she was queen among
sovereigns; all anxious TO court her favor; ;
all eager TO gain her smiles
But alas what is she nows How sad
ly is she fallen. fallen, from her high es-
tate Stretching her limbs in inglorious
repose, she sumbers in the lap of quiet
ness and ease, upon the laurels which
were won by the tolls, and suffering, and
blood Of her revolutionary sons. Or like
an ancient temple she siands--a relic of
the past--upon whose walls are Inscrlb-
ed in letters of gold, long array of great
names, and greater deeds, while within all
is as still and as silent as the gloomy hab-
itations of the dead.
Has any violent CONFUSION of nature
produced this sad and melancholy changer
Has the desolating tornado swept over
her plains, or the heaving earthquake up
rooted her mountains, and checked the
swift current Of her streamsl
Is she not now, as she has always been,
blessed by nature with all the moral and
physical attributes of gIeatnessl Is not
} her position such, that lying in the same
parallels of latitude, she presents the d.
versifed and varied climates Of some o!
the most favored portions ofthe Old World
) Morocco, Syria. Asia Minor, Greece
Sicily, Naples, ard the southern paris o
Spain? Are there any articles Whatever
whether they appertain 10 Necessity, com
fort, or luxury, which iner soil, with tn.
proper cultivation. viii not in abundanc.
produced Is she not every where ira
, versed by noble streams, pursuing parable
courses Through the broadl level OF the At
ianlic belt, the navigation of which may
be so improved as to bring her markets tc
5 the very doors or her people2 ls she no
S still, az she ever was, beautifully favored
s by nature possessing in rich proiusion
: every conceivable advantage of position
e climate, soil, and navigable streams?
b And yet what is the melancholy truth
n in relation to her present position? Sh,
t has beon outstripped by her sisters IN tn.
S career Of greatness, and has sunk into ,h'
comparative obscuriiy Of iourth-ra.,
State. Pursuing liberal policy Of i'm
provement, many have s!ready passed, snt
others are rapidly coming u? to her il
the race OF renown. Are facts necessary
10 substantiate these assertions; then tu'l
with mo for a moment to the colder re
gions Of the North!
f The States of New England, with Z
a smaller superficial extent combined, eli
I mate less genial, ald soil more rugged
yet by improving their advantages. anc
I developing their resources, have left he
far in the rear in all the substantial ele
v ments Of prosperity, and Of intellectual
. advancement. The population of New
r England, with super fetal exten, Of sbou
sixty three thousand, is ct this time more
. than double that Of Virginia with ar area
. approac1 ing to within fraction of seven
D ty thousand square miles.
I in Agriculture, Manufactures, Com.
, merce, Navigation, Education, and the
I Mechanic Arts, New England no, only
surpasses her. but leaves her at an almos
, Unreasonable distance behind. If we
: look more closely into the relative condi
ton of these two interesting port ons of the
Union, we shall find, that while Virgins
: has only three hundred and eighteen
thousand persons engaged in the pursuits
OF Agriculture, New England has -four
5 hundred and fourteen thousand while
, Virginia has only about eleven millions
+ of dollars invested in manufa ctures, the
capital of New England employed in that
, branch OF Industry amounts to nearly
5 eighty seven millions OF dollars; while
) in Virginia there are nearly FIFTY NINE
, THOUSAND white persons above the age OF
twenty, rho cannot read and prite, in New
Eng Hand, pith three times the aggregate
,ohite population, there are only thirteen
thousand Of that truly unfortunate class
while in Virginia, the number Of scholars
in the primary schools is THIRTy-FIvE
THOUSAND, the number who are so edu-
Gated in New England amounts to FIVE
HUNDRED AND sEvENTY-FoUR THOUSAND
Are not these facts sufficient to crimson
the cheek Of every true hearted son ofihe
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