Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-11-06

Ind whether those employments 90 mol a'eo
.equire some degree Of encouragement. IN ma
Nv places, too, beneath the surface OF your IA
i've soil, are extensive and inexhaustlble mines,
In these dark repositories, nature has lodged
objects which conduce most essentially 70 tne
use and comfort of man, and some which al
ford his most brilliant arrnements lbe ART OF
extracting gold and silver, when mechanically
combined with other substances, Is attended
with little labor OF difficulty; but these metals
are often found intimately and chemically uni
ted with other materials, from which nothing
but the elaborate and scientific processes OF
smelling and refining will be able to separate !
them. But if they are procured with greater
facility in the former case, in the latter, they !
are generally obtained in greater abundance. 1t
will consequently devolve upon you to determine I
how to impose equal burdens, or to extend eq- |
ual announcements in either case. The extern |
sve mines of iron s. Of copper within the bounds
of your State. most especially require your con
sideration. The manufacture Of these metals
constitutes the chief employment in that branch
of productive industry in the State; and the
proper encouragement and promotion IN this
invaluable source of convenience, cannot fail to
be subject of cordial interest with you.
\ H. No portion of our Furnishing and happy
community has manifested a spirit of enterprise
and improvement more ardent than that OF our
( Merchants. Every village is crowded with
abundant supplies of the richest and most deli
cae productions of each climate under heaven.
Or farmers linda ready and profitable market
| fo1 the valuable rewards of their industry; and
ma in almost every condition, participate the
| bes comforts and enjoynents OF social llfe II
will be your province to determine how TAR
these growing and multiplied interests shall be
fostered and advanced, what restrictions shall
be imposed upon them, and what facilities II
is possible to secure, for the full development
i of the energies of our State and cur people,
Where conflicts have arisen among these dl-
versifed interests, you will prudently main
tain an equal balance of power and influence;
and you will grant immunities and impose re-
strictons in unwavering conformity to the prin-
ciples of civil liberty. From this source hume
rous questions will arise for your consideration,
particular instances of which it would be pre-
mature in me to specify. But as in the opera
tons of nature, some violence Of the elements
is necessary to the healthy constitution of the
atmosphere, SO wise policy will render the
partial and temporary ebulitions of socity, the
very means of advancing the general welfare.
III. With regard to Internal Improvement
it will be an interesting subject of inquiry with
you, whether people are most happy in 8
state Of honest independence, unambitious O
splendid decorations, and without any gorgeous
establishments or loaded with membranes
resulting from expensive projects and visionary
enterprises, often premature and sometime:
useless. The example of neighborng States
would, in this case, seem % afford the admoni
tons ofpruoence, rather than the spur of emu
| lation. Yet the richness of our mines, the fer
tility of our soil, the luxurance of our forests
the commercial character of large portion O
our citizens, imperiously recommend the provis
ion of some facilities for the transportation O
commodities from one part of the country to an
other. The construction of rail roads and turn
pixies, the clearing of our numerous streams
and water-courses from their natural obstacles
to navigation, the formation Of locks and canals
to limited extent, will with great prophet,
claim portion of your deliberations.
Nv. The encouragement of learning and thu
promotion of the arts and sciences, have enga
ged the most elevated minds. and elected III,
finest efforts of eloquence in every age, and il
every clvllised community. Most Of the poli
teal establishments of the Old Continent, have
manifested their high appreciation of learning
and the arts, by their encouragement of artists
anu OF learned men. Princes and nobleme,
nave ,nsi'ea 'Nem to court, and have instituted
Win hihgiy ihunlIiccnce, academies, observa.
'ories, anu ilolafies' sr the promotion and i'm
provement OF the varlous~snamental or scienti
nc departments OF knowedse>;a which they
were eminent. Our national and s..te oovern.
ments, SO far as legislative patronage h@s ex-
tended, have pursued wiser and better policy
II: IL
of knowledge, rather than excessive liberality
towards individual requirements. They have
encouraged and assisted the erection of Univer-
sites, Colleges, Academies, and Primary
Schools; and they have provided means for
the education of the lower orders of society, by
the establishment of literary funds. But in our
own State great deal remains to be DONE
1t is left for you to inquire if some general sys-
tenn of education should not be adopted; some
means provided by which the intellectual char
acter of very large portion of our fellow-citi-
zens, may be elevated and rescued from
the gloom which seems to hang with
unyielding pertinacity around them. You will
inquire into the arbitrary system of applying a
large portion Of the literary fund to purposes
for which it was not originally attended; for
the most of it has hitherto been distributed to
VIC CulseiSity dlu dilOiIS Vie uliieIent OOlle-
ges in the State. You will urge the expedi-
ency of encouraging academies and primary
schools, by the application Of that portion of the
pablo revenue hitherto lavished upon institu-
tons of higher advantages, which are access-
Bile only to the rich, and which might be lber-
ally supported by them, These topics will af-
ford ample matter for your delberation; and. |
am happy to believe, you will investigate them
with all the ardor and interest their urgent uti-
ity requires.
With respectful Difference to the voice Of
your constituents, a large portion of whom are
earnestly demanding Convention for the Dur.
pose of altering or amending that Constitution
by which we are governed, have no doubt
| you will take into consideration the exnedien.
cy Of such step. An extension Of the right
of suffrage, more consonant with the princinlea
Of Republican liberty, and the establishment Of
system of jurisdiction, less arbitrary and in
dependent of the people, will, in all probability
occupy much of yonr time and attention.
th,,e RI ,no,J