Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-11-26
,tu Tns rAnrLn or .lnnlhlA.

upon the financial condition Of Virginia. aud the
her population. We considered how small her deb,
prcPOrticnej TO her population aud when compared wild
those Of other States We also this, the fund.- NJ ,h
State y, iam valuation. would be sufficient, qaldat
her outandng debt and balance in favor 1T be
Treasury, Of more than half million.
But we should very inadequatey appreciate tho Powe
and resources Of this extensive Commonwealth, 1t VI
should con6ae sitenon her actual financial condition
sod her present population necessary that shou
consider her future and wade ssepsd well
her present and actual resources We should coutepat
Virginia in her prospective well her pesen
existence We should cousider her she will be- whe
hes vast shall have been fully developed and sh
shall have attained The just Of her wealth and be
full complement Of population We should consider he
ss she will become, when she snail have fully ested tn
capabilities Of her James River vsuey-her Rsppshan.
| mock Valley. land her Ksnavhs vsley-wben her Pied
mont region and Der Valley region shall have become.
they are destined be- the garden ots of Amersa-ant
when her Mineral wealth shall flow In eopous streams
from her mines OF Gold and her Of Lead OF or
and OF Coal necessary in Short that should
elder the extent OF her territory and her cspscss OF pc
pulstion.
And let not be supposed thu, an unimpoetant con
sideraion what the future condition and Of Vr
enia may be- In private affairs when about under
take an enterprise, consider what future
likely 10 be, well what our present incomes are
And certainly this cannot be Of less importance with
State. than with individual Indeed il must be readily
perceived that la considering the ability State TO ee
40 enterprise ve'y material enquiry is what progress tha
Stats has msds in the development OF 1rcesi HISS
Il attain the u OF weaiIh and powcrr or ia
It merely IN the dawn Of ts exenee Is Old and de.
crep Sste1 does possess tho elasticity and visor
of YOUTH For surely the energies Of Young and sro,e
ing State may bear. what cid and fully matued State
might be inadequate 10 sustain TIE Souns saplsg will
in few yeers outsroc the incslon made in It's side while
the sged oak will bear the mark after States are
n this respect like the natual of the forest strk
ing e1empheaton of this truth is found in the history
our national Government That Government incurred dur.
Ing the late debt OF AGO millions. But that
debt has vanished, like the morning mist whom the
appears In Ike manner, 8 debt vi a 900 millions
would vanish before the irresistible energies with which
this young nation ng the zenith Of il. power But
such debt would weigh like incubus upon old and
fully developed Safe like England and probably remain,
as perpetual charge uPoa the national energies.
These observations may prepare minds for
Just appreciation Of the view abou, 10 be presented For
if be demonstrated, that Virginia possesses elements
OF greatness mmca.uraby beyond hs, Of the present
time, we shall have just ground be confident that she
may oatsroU any debt which she might tg possibility
cur BY the proposed seheme-enphasze the phrase by
possibility for 1t will be shown, IN the following humber
that there tho overwhelming believe
that the proposed scbeme will occasion any debt but
will, on the contrary, be OF the State
Let u.s. therefore proceed consider the undersOpsd
Of Virginia We c.nnot adopt IN ore simple O,
satisfactory oje Of doing this BY considering the ex
tent OF her territory and capacite, of population
The Territory OF Virginia embraces 900 square miles
an area have already Observed larger than thar OF
England and Wales. Sh, is decidedly the largest Of the
States Of the union. Massachusetts who ha. done no
much to render herself distinguished aud has already at
'aned population nearly large tina, Of Virginia, has
only territory of 7soO square mles-not part
OF the area Of Virginia. Oar enterprizins re ueigbbor
Maryland, who disiaucinz, in the OF enterprise
her more fsvor.d and far highly eadoued sister Viz
gnia has only territory of 500 square miles. Penn
syvania The Rsyson OF the Union has only 900 square
miles And even the Empire State Of New York ha, a ter
rIory Of only 46 0e0.
Bet 1t is only when consider The smoun, Of popul.
ton which her Territory capable supporting that We
have an adequate idea Of tie ~~a.~.lassd
resources Of Virginia. The present density Of the popula
ton Ut Virginia, IL 20 10 the square mile She 10 capable
Of supporting zoo the square mile an aggregate Do
pastion Of thirteen millions. II she deLsey Do.
puated England, ireland, Holland or as Belgium
she would have that amount Of population. Indeed If she
were as densely populated Belgium Irelsnd-with
Pcpu3n Of $50 the square mile her population would
be 4rSarls Of sixteen millions. She has within bersef
the elements OF great nation She is capable of beeom-
ing Empire il herself-nn Empire large Us that Of
But w be said land very property hat i. must be VERY
lOuc before Virginia will attain such magnitude ii ever
and ihoti would be base calculation. uoon
the possibility OF her obtaining such density Of population
as those countries have obianed IL will be considered
too remote Contingency But will it be considered TOO
remote contingency suppose that she may attain as
lsrge proportional population any Of her sister Saes
Will it be deemed unreasonable 10 assume
that Vsiss, The Oldest OF the Safes may at no very dis
d,v ka a ol.ts
now lei presume not Then, let consider briefly the
density o population already attained by some Of the stae.
By The census Of 1910, Maryland had population of 40 10
the square mile, Delaware 81, Ohio 3s Pennsyyania 49,
New Jersey 3d. New York 81, Connecticut &C. Rhode l..
land co. Massachusetts lOl. Now let ppose that VIZ
GINA should become densely populated as Msssachus
ets; should have population, ia .UGnd numbers of
100 to the square mlehor population would then be six
and half millions. And here let pause and ponder upon
this TRfsSAsI topic If Virginia a. thickly peopled
Massachusetts, she would have population Of SIX and
half millions And who doubt that with her SUPER
rior advantages Of soil and climate with her more favored
Geographical position, and her extraordinary mineral re-
sources, she ia capable Of supporting much more dense
population Virginia them is capable beyond all doubt
Of supporting 900 persons besides he present popu-
liou, II mill and ql-Ter. The nass.. Of ,uBrs-
intt jant Of people, therefore us, lie dormant
| 10 the undeveloped resources Of the State
smount Of wealth this is which yet remln, 10 be de-
veoped Let assign 10 each person an average yeary
consumption n only $50 This amount Of annual con-
SUMPTION will be oerceived, Issue from permanent
Jsad either Of Labor or Capital or Of both combined
Let suppose that this amount snuusy Consumed ave-
rage per cent the fad from which il issues. Tb
will give to each person permanent fund either in ID.
shape Of sor capital Of sl0O0or aggregate amour
o475OOOOOOO Tor the entire population Of four and three
qua'ter millions. Thus tsppear. tia, wealth 10 the euor
NOUS snount Of 1850 900 0O0 lies dormant In the unds
'eoped resources Of Virginia, and h espsb. Of being cal
led into actual existence. The question now prosen:ed
your consideration, Vrginians IL whether we shall under
Ho on tnepnre that must tend 70 tho rapid developeuen
OF those great resources, ard speed on the dsy when Va
shall enjoy tbs full ifutou Of this vast wealth And shs
We refuse to undsrtsksl Blind indeed will We bs 10 gu
Interests we shall Do 80 IDsen,ble 10 the many favor
visited upon US BY bounhfu IIesveng Regardless. sik.
Of the results Of experience the voice OF reason and a,
| suggestions Of Common Sense!
World any man po-scssng On r1tsnsiyc t,,,, Fl -