Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-08-30

Viro;nia n is admitted takes 'thc rag from the
h.,.h" in the noble race of ignorance--60,O0O
white adults who cannot read. This being the
uoooestioned fact il is matter of some little
riosity nj least, to ascertain what counties in our
Empire OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES as to geogTaph-
icai extent, noble natural features, and ancient
deeds-are the banner counties.
The "Sentinel Of the Valley" published at
Woodstock, in Shenandoah, furnishes the desired
information. We quote from that paper OF Thurs.
day.
ait is fou blot upon the page OF her otherwise Piot-
ors history How many OF citizens, male and iemae
20 yesrs OF age do you INNS, aus can ,s
red nor write, Don't be startled. when We tell Won ihs,
me number 10 FIFTY EIGHT THOUSAND SEVEN
HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWo-in the Eastern Dis
tict Of the State % $685. in the Western DIST -
1850 Of this class good old county OF Shsnan
dosh in Page the number Is 33s; making total IN the
.Ten,h Legion" Of ,7ls The number OF the class who
cannot read write sistei county OF Rockingham
1884 Harrison county has greater number VINO can
neither write, than other eouiy IA inc sa'e
viz: 2, 327. Mononealia has 2l32 In the Eastern
Dstrct Accomsck IL the banner county tor ignorance
or ,he e,.. referred to- she has 2095.-lAnd We viii
here state upon Mr. Wse's authority ih't no newspaper
printed within the limits ct the eounnss ma eop,
Accomack Congressional Dsirict!l-We make these state
en,s that our people may that have not exassea
tsd the deplorabe of intellectual crVanon IN oG'
ids and the bliRhtng effects OF the want OF educauon
are and felt in the imperfect manner In whlch a'ou
industrial interests eonduced and stability IN mora
department., and views OF men and the w'H, are
always in proportion the amount OF ineecinal cua
ton people may enIoy. Ignorance Is "o' oii's' ~
10 il folly To be 'wise'
The Banner Counties then, according to the
Sentinel, and the census of ls+o, are Rocking
ham, Shenandoah and Page, in the Valley Hdr-
,;son in the North West, and Accorndc, East oil
Chesapeake Bay.
The following reflections suggest themselves
=. 1. These fine counties are the very hnesf,
among many very fine, in Virginia. Rocking.
ham, Shenandoah and Page Ghe Tenth Legion)
are. in the heart of the Nalley-their lands AL
most universally fer,ile pauper thing unknown;
a debt n very rare thing; the three untles sm'-
ling with the finest and richest natural and artih'
cial landscape, and with luxurlant plenty which
no part of the world exceeds.
Harrison is broken, but extremely fertile
country, Astounding in rich mountain sides, and
tseming vallies-the finest grazing country OF the
North West.
Accomac is the finest specimen of our maritime
country-the lands lgh, and level, and glorious
for corn, oats barley, and the palma christi; the
waters alive with OYSTERS fish, crabs, Holsters ana
terrapins; the woods and marshes full of Partrdg-
es, snipe, sora, woodcock, ducks, &c.
II lisa moral phenomenon we say, Tor which We
cannot account, that these principal and banner
holding counties, one (Accomack) IN the remote
East, three buckingham, Shenandoah and Page
in the middle, and Harrison in the West, should
comprise among the finest portions oil Virginia,
and that the soil IS not only rich, but the people
The undo d.riraim-rnv gvuea,vg! 'ne PEG
ple-will afford no solution of the problem-ior
they are Of various desconts.
The Tenth Legion We know Is principally oi
German not low Dutch descent--the proge nitorS
having come up the Valley from Pennsylvania,
and with proverblal sagEciy, possessed themselves
of the finest lands from one end of it to the other,
which they improve carefully, and cling TO with
tenacity.
Harrison was peopled originally, chiefly from
lower Virginia, Maryland and Pennsy lvania, and
the stock Of the people manly Saxon, Irish and
Scotch Irish, that is Irish % Scotch lineage.
Aceomac is purely old English [sadiy degene.
rated however in some OF her politicians. She
was peopled $50 years ago, by the finest age OF
the finest race OF men that the world ever saw.
1t is reproach TO the memory Of Capt. John
Smith, and Nathaniel Bacon, that she should be
a"Banner" County.
But the fact that she IL one, explains some
things.
We mean no reflection, national or perSonal---
we dsclaim tive only state the simple fact
when we state that these "Banner" Counties, also
carried Folks Banner higher IN the air than any
others, save two or three winch Craze them II
they do not lock them, in 'redin and writin."