Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-19


hearts with all the weight which its solemn
importance demands -
PROSPECTS OF VIRGINIA.
A correspondent nom Philadelphia, in ON,
paper of yesterday, expressed the warm inter.
est which Vlrginians abroad continue to en,s,
tain in their mother State, and in the elfors
which she is now making to retrieve her for.
tunes, and place herself in position worth,
her ancient fame, the rich and boundless ~.
sources of her soil, and the commanding a..
vantages Of her geographical position.
n He speaks, too, OF the great numbers Of Vir.
ginians scattered abroad in various paris If
the Union. They are indeed multitude. The
beautiful river which washes our western bor
border, in its onward coarse to the Mississnn;
passes for hundreds of miles, an empire fonn'
ded by Virginia enterprise and courage
Kentucky, the young Virginia Of the West
And then the Mississippi, in its majestic march
to the sea, flows between other Young and
vigorous Commonwealth, established by and
Overlooking with our people. In the addition
to Texas, new field is presented for the spir.
i, of emigration, and we may soon see NUN.
tudes on their journey for that promised land
All this is a dead loss to the Commonwealth
She has no surplus population to spare. En-.
igration now, would be opening her veins. and
letting out the scanty tide Of blood that s6l
warns her heart Think what she would h.
now, if the teeming millions which have left
her nurturing bosom, were gathered once more
in the family circle; il the capital, labor and
enterprise scattered over SO wide a surface.
were now concentrated within our own Com.
monwealth. How grand would be her march
to prosperity and power. What an empire, a
magnifcen. empire, would she be in herself
Instead of an existence passed in vain regrets
over the past, she would live for the present.
Instead ofresembling feeble vine, leaning for
support upon some grey old ruin, she would
be now young and vigorous oak, worthy Of
the parent tree, able to defy wintry winds. or,
in sunshine, to give shelter and shade to un.
counted millions. But Virginia, refusing to
her people the Improvements, the education,
the advantages proffered by other States, has
virtually banished them from her borders
They have flown, like birds, at the approach
of winter, in more genial cline. And vet,
we think with our correspondent, that they
would not be reluctant to return. The signs
Of better day are arresting their attention;
there are some indications Of spring and sun
shine in their old haunts. and, should these
usher in more propitious season, who knows
uut uiC WduuCiuS tOfCiS Hldl uOch udch W
their parent nests. and make the solitude once
more vocal with their songs2
Ii seems TO us among the most evident facts,
that something must be done to stay the tide
Of emigration, or Virginia is irrevocably lost to
the race by which she in now inhabited Not
lost to the world, not lost to the country nor to
civilized man. Far, very far from it Our
own people may think lightly Of the advansa.
ges which Providence, with such lavish
hand, has showered on their eads,--ike the
prodigal, they may leave their fathers home
to go into a strange land, where, after all, they
may be forced to live on husks,--but an enter
prlsing race will settle Virginia, and from her
Northern to her Southern border, from the Ohio
to the sea, she will be made one vast hive Of
industry and wealth. But, would to God that
the work might be accomplished by her own
children. II may be, it can be done, and we
appeal to her Legislature, and to the people
themselves, to make one last effort for selfpre.
servation.
| Let no law -givers discard forever the section
al policy which has SO long frustrated every
broad and comprehensive scheme Of improve
ment, and alienated the hearts of our people
from each other, and from the Commonwealth.
Let every avenue be opened which will deyel-
OPP the treasures OF our mountains and our plains.
Let the Valley of Virginia and the whole Of the
West be penetrated by canals or railroads, ia
cilitating the intercourse, and cementing the
interests and affections of the East and West
Let the means of education be placed within
the reach of the mass OF the people. Suppose
that all this requires a large expenditure Of
money. Yet, is it not better to expend a large
sum with the prospect of receiving il backien
fold in the increased power, population and
wealth ofthe State, than by short-sighted and
narrow economy, to sow disaffection in the
hearts of the people, endanger the integrity Of
the State, and stimulate the tide of emigration,
until the Commonwealth becomes desert, and
is left without money, strength, or people} II
is struggle for life or death. Can any expen-
diture be too great to preserve our national ex-
istence2
We appeal to the people Of Virginia,-we
mplore them to resist the rowing spirit, the
restless desire of change, which has caused our
nation to resemble an Arab camp, with no
fixed and permanent habitation. Where will
they find such country as our own2 Where
will they find another Commonwealth emeTa
cling her physical, moral, social advantages
Even the small proportion Of her worn out
lands can be retrieved by the hand Of industry
and art, as experiment has fully proved, And
for the rest, there is not spot upon her terrific
tory, where, with ordinary energy and pro-
dence, the agriculturalist and the mechanic
may not secure an Independent support. we
are told of the wonderful fertility of otherr re-
gions, and that the fruits of the earth arise al
most spontaneously to bless the hopes Of The
husbandman. For that very reason, We
should deprecate the emigration Of our people
Without labor, there can be no true happlnes
OF content Il is necessary to virtue, to dlgnf
ty, to the perfection Of human character. IGe
people of territory which requires but hue
cultivation, will become so enervated by hans
of slothful ease, as to undertake with relae'
lance, even the little which is required They
will become luxurious and effeminate, ana
starve in the midst of plenty. Such, at any
rate, are the characteristics Of the jewellers ID
the most fertile portions of the Globe Where
shall we look in our own land, for the greass'
amount Of general prosperity, general inlellt
gence, general content2 Without doubt
the rocky soil of New England, where the pow
or of the human mind has triumphed over 'he
most formidable obstacles ofnature, and chan
ged bowling wilderness into blooming gar
den. 1t is not the soil nor the climate, MOI the
circumstances by which he is surrounded, 50
much as the man himself, that regulates her
destnies for good or evil. We beseech, then
the hardy tillers of Virginia soil to stand byths
! N IL lsh to aar vol