Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-11-05

hall, Is. Is. Minor, James Winston, George r.
Peake.
On motion of VIM. ii. Terrill, esq.,,
Rcsolrcd, That the President appoint Com
mittee, to consist of one member from each delepa
ton, to nominate suitable officers for the Conyen
ton.
Whereupon the following gentlemen were an
pointed said Committee; namely WIN. III. Ter
rll of Bath, f.. Fontainc of Hanover, TIL. j. Ran
dolph of Albemarle, III. B. Jones of Rockbridge
and VIM. III. HaXhall of Richmond.
The Convention then took recess till half past
two O'Clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The Convention re assembled according to ap
pointment.
The Committee TO nominate suitable officers for
the Convention made Report, recommending the
appointment of the following officers, who were
accordingly elected, viz:
DR.. JOHN BRocKENBRoUGH, President;
A. H. III. STUART, LIST Vice President
Il. j. RANDOLPH, 2nd Vice President;
And Charles l.. Francisco and Kenton Harper,
Secretaries.
On being conducted to the Chair the President.
Dr. BROCKENBROUGH, addressed the Convention
at some length, in regard to the objects for which it
had assembled and the necessity of Cancellation and
harmony in bringing deliberations to satisfactory
results.
1.-THE following is copy of the Presidents Ad-
dress as furnished for publication at the request of
the Convention:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION We are
assembled for the purpose ofdeiberating on subject
OF no little Importance to the interest and nerhars
the harmony of the State. No true Virginnian can
hesitate to lend his aid, as occasion may offer. to
draw more closely the cords of union between the
Two divisions OF the Commonwealth IL a preat
Monarch exclaimed, when he wished to unite two
Kingdoms, ''there are no Pyrenees," with how
much more proprlety, when we wish to cement
more strongly the two different parts of the State
may we, as true hearted Virgnans, say s.let there
be no blue Rdge-no Alleghaniesn We 90 for
the integrity OF the State-one and indivsible" |
observe with pleasure in this Convention men from
the East as well as the West, who come together
Tor the patriotic purpose of promoting that free in.
tercourse, which is essential to the prosperity and
happiness OF us all. BY united and liberal effort,
feel confident they can achieve much for the bene
fit of both parts of the State. | need not ATTEMPT
to pourtray the evils that may befall this ancient
commonwealth from 4 failure of the DIES: ms with
which we are assembled A sullen and doeged in
difference to the injuries the West is sustaining.
from the want of a market for the products Of her
industry, would be rs unjust to her, as it would be
suicidal III the East to close against hersefhe wide
field that may be opened to her commerce and man
ufactures. Intelligent men, both East and West.
cannot long stand passively by, and see our capa-
bilitles and resources wasted from supineness and
neglect, while public Improvements are going on at
an accelerated pace in sister States giving life
and vigor to their enterprise, and wrestling from us
many Of those benefits which would be ours if we
were true to ourselves.
10 these general remarks allow me to add that
the success of our object may, in measure. depend
on our own conduct. If every individual member
Is TO insist on his own scheme, instead of exercs-
ing liberal spirit towards the views of Others bet
ter will 1t be that we had never met together in
this Convention. Virginia is often reproached with
holding conventions, discussing principles, and pass
ing resolutions, while other States are engaged in
doing their work. Let us, then, on this occasion
show some practical results, by not aiming at more
than we are likely to accomplish. 1t seems so
clear that the extension of the Louisa Road to the
Eastern base of the Blue Ridge, with well gradu-
ated pass way, for the present, over the mountain
is SO easy OF execution, that doubt the ex-
pedlency OF that measure.-And still less doubt (if
posslble) rests on my mind in regard to the extern
sion of the James River Canal into the great iron
region of the Valley Profitable returns from these
two short lines of improvement at an early day can
hardly be questioned by those who will view the
subject with impartiality. The advantages from
them will soon call for an extension of them to a
converging point on Jackson's river, and thence
farther eztensi,a, by q substantial Rail Road TO
VIZ OihV' W III Iloh- lioit a COnlUCl between
these two lines of Improvement they will be auxi-
airy to each other. Articles of heavy burthen pass
ing from the Ohio will be sent by the Canal from
the point Of contact, and passengers will of course
proceed by the Rail Road
To the Delegation from Richmond, in particular.
take leave to offer few words of friendly admo
milton. Much depends on your hearty cooperation
and on that OF our Eastern friends. When YOU adj
vert to the great exertons of Baltimore Philadel-
Phia, New York and Boston, to secure the trade Of
the great Valley Of the Ohio, you must be sensible
that these calculating and sagacious cities have
counted the cost, and found their expenditures TO
invite this trade judicious and profitable invest
ment a glance at the map of the United States |
VIII convince you that Richmond has as many ma
tural advantages as TO location. as most Of them
and yet our metropolis is but village, while they
are advancing in wealth and population in geometri
cal progression. To my friends Of the West need
only mention the advantages they would derive
from good avenues to market. Their minerals are
now wrought to but little extent although they
have 1nexhaustbc mines of the finest iron known
besides other minerals of great value The pro
duce OF their land and labor is nearly ali lost by the
heavy charges of transportation, while they for
ced TO pay enormous freight their SALT and other
articles of foreign production so necessary 10 their
comfort. As you advance weStwardly from the
Valley things are still worse. We have nothing
but our live stock TO rely on under existing circum-
stances Even our watering places are compare
lively neglected from the difficulty and expense Of
reaching them Only imagine that instead Of four