Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-02

~, 80. noc,s are enouiries Of the utmost inter
o., - no nnhl;r and well worthy OF all The care
and vigor with which they can be investigated ny
rnnr h,dv commend The state OF lhlS ihsiitu,
lion. therefore, TO your special laVes'iSd'iou; CIV,
Ina, in The earnest hope that you may pe do'e ~
remove any and every obstacle ihal eAls,S ~ -
increasing prosperity, and make H. IN a., po'n.s
OF usefulness, fully commensurate WIN '"e
neciations and wants Of the pubic
IN relation 10 the other great interests 10 when
I hare Sirec ed Your attention that oi lhlerna'
Jnnroyemen,-it is connected with The enduring
nov er and prosperity CT This Commohweai'll Ia
ton yilaI:y mol 10 merit and To receive pun
cpal share in your deliberations. Regarding u
ALWAYS in This lishl-as having peculiar I'M
pouancr 10 our Stale and people, @Iich u =
scarcely possible TO exasserate, ] have prtsseu
il unon former Legislatures with an impor,u
niIy which cxhaus.s even the privilege OF 60,
ing much more than recurring III II now. n"u
| have - pre- sSed il, because ol The uhuoup'ihs
belief, thai in doing SD ! was acthS, no. io' q
section OF the State bul for the whole o'a'e
not for a separate interest ana separate Pool".'
hn, for one in,eics; and one people; not lot a
policy whicl, YVES local, which harrassed ara
hurdtned some Tor assistance 10 others, nu'
,yj,;ch by inevitable operation and effect VS.
ersaj-which united all, which asSnnuiatfu
all strengthened all and rendered Virginia PR :
ne!ous as whole by rendering her prosperous
and powerful in all OF her parts. Such ana 30
evident To ny mind was the law OF cur polillcai
uni;v-such The necessary result ci all neien-
horhood dependencies upon and relations WIN
each other, that no part oi Stale coun ne KEEP
PROSTATE without inf :ctinga proporllohate "eah-
NJ : on The whole. and that The justice ana re-
liel which suffering sectors required, couo w
no CASE ba extended without common heneif,
Notwithstanding, however The iorce OF these
verv Obvious considerations the extension OF thls
policy Ia distant ard necessiIons portions oil me
S,ate has frequently been resisted, upon the
ground, that as these portions paid INTO tie com
mon treasury not more than one dollar IN every
three which their improvement required, IL Woud
no nneoual and unius. 10 lax The residue upon
o,her portions, for their benefit. II This Objection
is sound one, then The true rule Tor disbufsins
he public revenue, when unequally contributed
hy different sections, would be TO exPend II between
ihs contributors in the ratio oil Their contribution,
and that without any regard TO Their respective
wants In This case, could the largest conlrlou.
Tor have no want 10 which the public money need
TO be applied then as il would be Jolly 10 waste II
npon ii, and unjust, according TO The objection, Ia
Apply il to the wants OF The Other il would follow,
as a final consequence, that the sectional suffer
gina must Sc, herself qnicly and powefessly
down and see her people dwindle away, and
many Of her gieat interests wllher around her,
because there is no principle oil political rxpe-
dienc; or lsiice upon which she is authorized u
exert her own undivided energies for her own
prescryaion Such is ne monsrous result Of
admitting in anY way The idea of distinct inter
es,s under The same Government, instead OF look
ing 10 that Government, as founded upon com
mon sense OF dependence and wants, and, there
fore, AS a compact amongst all Of lis parties ioI
mutual benefit and assistance.
II was no., however, 10 The theoretical oblec-
lions which have been raise upon The unequal
paymen,s spoken Of, thai would direct your al
len;ion bnt 10 the praciica! and drmonsirable
truth, that there are no means By which that inc
qualify can be removed, and the consequent bur.
cen Of taxation he diff,scd so certainly speedily
and ensc,uailv, as hy the construction of Judi
cioue system ol commercial highways through
ONT Western Virginia. And, so FAR from The
fact that Easlen Virginia, being The largest pro-
pelty holder, would have 10 pay The most towards
he execution Of this purpose. constituting en- IT'S
part, any sound argument against II, II consii
lues on the other hand and thai upon The strict
eSt calculations OF economy and ultimate advan-
,aoe. an argument in is behalf. Let things re-
main as they are--lr The mineral, manufacture
inc and agricultural treasures OF Ire Western
part OF The Stale continue 10 be locked up and
kept ont of use as they have been, and Eastern
Virginia, instead of dividing her eXi>iiig bur
dens with 4 powerful parner, will have 10 hear
them s. Tres arc for az indefinite period 10 come
Situated as il is, a refusal TO apply It's means lo
The Improvements suggested, and thus 10 create
new sources Of wealth and Of public revenue, is
simply, and 10 all practical ends, refusal to be
relieved; refusal 10 part from burtcn which
is retained at the double expense OF Disseminating
Itself and opprcssing Others.
There are other nqints Of mnr., inie'esI J" his
.uTj5ci, sucn q: rs ultimate ConneXiuh Win cont
mon educalon-wilh The Introduction and esla b.
li.h,neni OF manufactures, and with an effective
system Of military defence which need not 10 be
presented at large, but which he Legislature can
never overlook, when consulting upon The bes
modes Oh securing The greatest good 10 the Stale
In some portions OF the lhinly settled districts 81
the State, education OF any kind is not possible
in other portions, il is possible only 10 limited
extent; whilst throughout the whole Of them NJ
successful effort for il can ever he made, Until
ncehborhoSdS shall he brought closer together
hy having The means OF intercourse with each
other and The power Of numbers and combna
ton thereby secured. In this respect, and iol
This end, roads are amongst The very sules ant
best oil all The practical reformers OF our soca
condition. They are, also, amongst the best anc
sprest means ny which TO encourage The eSab
li>hment and growth of local manuiac,ures;-ar
interest which has, in The extraordinary union
within our own borders Of all The elements neceS
sary tn i'll a basis for formation and development
unequalied, perhaps, in any other State OF The
Union Indeed, it is hardly possible 10 look a
our minerals and wafer power, and cheap labor
and saple agriculture, struggling 20 maintain it
self upon profits almost constantly diminishing
without seeing how certain is the importance Il
which this interest must grow, and how largely j
is calculated, nj some day, 10 add 10 our inleIna
prosperity.
The connexion, also, between This subject ant
the military defence Of the State, always appa
rent and always felt, has become stronger and
more admonitory by far since the successful in.
production OF steam vessels upon The sea- ar
event which is destined TO affect the warfare more
radically than The commerce OF nations and one
which il is important Tor us and all others to con
slider and provide for, who have maritime Dor
der 10 be defended Happily for Virginia, in lhi'
matter Of defence she is invulnerable excep
from The sea. Perfectly secure on the side of tlt
Allegheny against all the world, and scarcel,
less 50 on the right and left through the power Q
contiguous STATES The Chesapeake and It's es.ua
~ waters are the only inlets BY which foreign
=! enemy can ever approach her. Here, then, OF
these, and on the margin OF these are 10 be founC
her balile-ields. Unassailable BY any bur
naval power, should that power I've Great Britain
with her Norh American possessions as places
from which she could descend upon us with al
The certainty as 10 time ofexact calculation, sht
would no doubt rely upon her war steamers Al
her engines of assault, and with these could efec
so rapid concentration of her force upon on
ocean border, as 10 compel US 10 be always provi
dee with an army in garrison adequate 10 any
emergency, unless We had an inland power o
concentration for our own forces which wa
EQUAL 10 hers Such a power, would wei
arranged and connected system of interna
improvement become. With sucha system per
vaiiGg the Stale, and accessible al all points fol
every description OF necessary supply, the Slal,
Itself would become, in effect, an extended mill
tary camp with tie faculty OF Immediately com
binins her whole disposable power of men ant
means wherever and whenever her purposes 0
defence might require. Looking al This as or,
Of The triumphant and conservative results of IN,