Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-08-14
Prom the Lexington Gazette.
To THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN VIRGINIA.
mo. /

w
No. ,
In our hrs number we expressed purpose Of
rang some ut the injurious consequences which have
suited To the people OF Virginia from the inequa
v OF representation in the General Assembly.
You all sufficiently acquainted with the history
this know, that prior Revolution all
governors were sent over from England This doubt
less from conviction the part Of those who admin
istcrcd the affairs Of the British government that the peo
pie U! Vfgins, either from u Of intelligence, of in
tegrity, or Of capacity unworthy oi inpUr,ant
uust. The sentiments u have been cherished
by the majority IN General Assembly, towards the PEG
pie Of western Virginia, from l776 to the present time
The number of Governors Of this Commonwealth since
its separation from England has been try-one; oi this
number, four were citizens oi WESTERN aud
Of eastern Virginia. The number OF persons have re-
presented Virginia IN the Senate the United States since
the adoption oi the Federal Constitution has been twenty
o these from the west, aud twenty from the
east The Senator from western Virginia held tho place
live years. Thus, IN period OF 81 years, have had
half the representation the u g. Senate for years.
whilst the east has had half the cprese years
and bo, the Senators for the residue vi me amounting
To almost 1 century In other States divided like Var
gina into great geographical divisions, II believed To
have been the almost nyariablc select Sena
tor from cach SO that eli parts OF the State might be fairly
represented. Such has been the Tennessee al
though the divisions much quail aud po
puaiion. than gust aud west Virginia.
The amount which has been appropriated by the &c
neral Assembly works OF internal Improvement M
GLIDING all that the State responsible for the PAYMENT
Of is believed 10 be about the vi 900 000 which
sum about 100000 has been expended west and g
MOI IL
standing necessities for works OF the kind hun
drcd. thousand fold greater than theirs. Ia order
fully 10 appreciate the justice and magnannity q! mr.
brethren towards respect the policy wc,
has been pursued by the General Assembly in max No
appropriations Tor internal improvements, IL meces-
sary TO look moment ut the relative need Of the two
divisions oi the State tor such works. Eastern Viz
gina is bounded by the Ocean for distance Of above one
hundred mlesit is lneIsected by the Chesapeake the
finest inland in the world; and large and numerous
streams Penetrating tO the very heart Of the country
BILE her farmers and planters ship the products OF their
labor from their very doors, upon vessels large enough
navigate the ocean, and thus 10 themselves the
choice O all the markets oi the world Virginia
ON the other hand every where cut of from the benefits
OF commerce, by her Distance from the ocean-the hi h
mountains her borders-and the u any outlets
for trade either natural artificial. Her citizens have
choice but 10 leave their fertile soil but partially cuya
ted their crops otng in their barns, for want of
the means OF conveying them TO market With noun
ains abounding every where with the richest minerals
with bold aud failing streams, sf0rdng every
where the finest situations the world for the creation OF
manufacturing establishments aud with nhausiibc sup
plies oi fuel OF every description, IN tie convenient
localities. they must remain dead capital our hands
long the Eastern Delegates in the General Assembly
continue To pursue the nggardly, selfish, unjus and bc-
raj policy which they have heretofore pacscd We have
our brethren and children moving OIL year after
year, TO seek residence in the West until they con.
veied those wds which but few years ago. lnha.
b'ed by wild beasts and into and hsurshng
States And many who remained among until they dts-
paired OF ever having their prayers General Assem-
bly, Tor facilities carry the products their usTy
market, granted. have At length sold hei parmonia
ossies at heavy sacrifice and deserted the land their
nativity The inhabitants vi tile county bordering the
Western limits Of Virgnia enabled now TO transport
the products Of their labor the mountains Of neigh
boring State through artificial channel tue markets
OF Phladepl or TO send them the great OF
ONO, by canal OF 25U miles IN length, through
inland OF the North, and again through another long
line OF canal down the city Of New York, Of a lower
price than we send products port
tcosts them less send barrel OF flour thousand or
fifteen hundred miles, TO N. York Boston, than it does
send one hundred and fifty miles 10 Richmond or
FTedeneksburg aud that too by canals and railroads
ny hundred miles III length, which have been
IN country mos; OF which, when began ASK for In.
ternaI Improvements, uninhabted wilderness And
yet nearly nne.tenths Of all the money expended in Virgil
Rina IN the construction of works of Internal Improve
ment. has been expended the Eastern side Of the Blue
Ridge.
But may be said. has often been said that the de-
tign Of the Improvements the east side OF tho Ridge
especially the James River Canal WIS TO benefit ihe
people west of the Ridge. This know IN part the
proessed object OF the Canal, and many Of our citizens
who creduous enough to believe IT, and subscribed
their money for The stock were compelled pay up
md now find that they likely TO get one cent II
dividends or interest from their money and that Of
being enabled 10 carry their products market cheaper
than formerly, they actually driven of the river alto
Rether by the Of toll which the Company
have been compelled to impose. in order pay the inter
ests Of their dobs And the work itself is abandoned
ter the old Canal through the Blue Ridge has been render
ed useless md the river made nearly impossible And
had not the citizens Of kanawha discovered the danger
time, much larger amount Of capital would have
been sunk in an improvement, from which, there much
reason 60 approhend, they 10 derive any benefit
That portion Of the people Of eastern Virginia acted in
good faith in declaring that the Canal should be extended
above the Blue Ridge, do doubt; and their WISHES
and interests still identified with our own in that res
peet But we may be pardoncd for suggesting doubt
whether II Is susceptible Of demonstration that majority
o the representatives Of the counties in the Gen
Assembly have been uctuaicd by motives in conflict with The
t interests Of the people Of the aud that Of por.
ton OF tile people Of Virginia whose interests are
~ some degree identified with ours We shall present
y take leave to point out the motives for this hostility
The Canal having been completed the town Of Lynch
bug we learn that IL has been discovered by some
who had previously been among its warmest ndvoc,es
that there are great and unansworabe objections 10 m com
ing anyiurhcr IL IL now perceived, that tho citizens of
ths state who have purchased lying ne 10 the mar
bes the sea board have taken the ADVANTAGE Le
~ Ia result rom proximity 10 msfkot into consdcr,ti,,
ana nave pnid iher money Tor hen when they
and that The people OF western Yrgina have no tiy n
expect that they he peoplc) will submit T., H..
ed, Ia make Improvements which would bring tho r,,J,
ct This side OF tho mountains into competition with their
own, IN the markets They probably regard IL NJ IN ier
Terence with vested rights. for which Of them pr
to have sacred regard for attempt como into
peuon with them IN their own markets. True il iy thoy
c"nd not always perceive the pfoptety Of the of
each section OF the State uyang themselves OF the aynp
iages Of their local situation During the late War when
'y hnd some reason to uppfohend that their might
VISITED and their value greatly impaired by for, ,n
enemy, hoy were by nouns 80 clam rous for the min
epic ih' people Ut every section should avai themselves
~ ,'cl 'oos suVah'aRea, such nn idea never a.
ha'c entered TIC imagnaons Of western men nj that
hne' ~ did, they rejected IL with scotn and ,bon.,,J
o. 'eom YET those mountain Businesses which have never
yet been dehodb the footsteps Of an enemy and
ed to defend the properly Of their fellow clen, on I'm,
sec ooao' from whence many, very many Of them were
never 10 return. ~ WV
But sRan. The representatives. OF tho eastern eovn,o.
~ 'he General Assembly have only refused 20 aid me-
~ making improvements in carrying tho products Of our
SOL TO market but they have refused 10 permit ms 10
avail ourselves Of means prosred n. by Others In tho
winter oi ioa9.'JO the Baltimore Raj Road Company
applied TO the Legislature Of Virginia for permission 10
extend their road through This State the Ohio river the
Legislature refused to permit the Company TO carry the rosd
TO any point further south than Parkerbursh and sohse
quenuy restricted them 10 the town Of Wheeling The
assurance was gwen tho same Ime to the people Vi