Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-01-22
From the Richmond Wig.
RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA.
Letter of the Hon. Abbott Laurence.

gnished Citizcns in our columns To- day. Ii l.
Il subject which comes hons TO the business
aud bosoms' of US all--th- interests and inn
proNement OF our own State. MIR. Lawrence,
during his service In Congress. was most adj
Saniageously known to the whole Union by
I the clear sighted sagacity and strong practical
| sense which always distinguished his views
/ OF public measures. lie is cmiucntly nation
4 al IN his sentiments and feelings, and has cy-
er shown himself true friend OF the South.
Suggestions from 50 liberal and enlightened a
source, naturally comm and themselves TO the
cordial and respectful attention of Nirgiuians.
We shall have great pleasure in laying b.
fore our readers the additional comm lication
he give Us reason TO expect.
BoSroN, January :, 1916.
My Dear Sir--Whcn YOU were with a..
last Summer, more than half promised 10
make youa short visit in FEBRUARY and have
not ", given up entirely lac long ahii,ipatcd
pleasure of doin. 80.
have not iotgottcu our conversation on
the condition ot our country generally. end
NOR, particularly the strong desire manifested
by YOU, TO improve the condition at the peo-
Pile of Your own State. have ALWAYS enter
tanned feelings oi high regard ior the Ancient
Dominion, arising probably from TIA. infinite
z Revolutionary associations bctwccn her aud
our "Oll BAY STATE" as well as from my haV-
ins looked upon her as the mother of many
OF the 81, atest Statesmen, and purest Patriots
which our country has Produced.
ann not surprised that you of Virginia
should desire TO do something by which the
natChlcss natural resources ot your native
State should be- developed | have thought
I that the State OF Virginia, with its temper
ate climate variety and excellence of soil.
cNhaustlcss winter power, and cNube rant min
cral wealth. contains within herself more
that In valuable Tor the uses OF mankind. i'm
these modern days than any other State in
our Union.
need not say To ycu, that these gifts of
Providence are OF little consequence to your
people, or To our common country. unless de
velOpcd and improved, for the purposes for
which they we've intended. When the Con
stiiu,ion of the United States was adopted.
Virginia contained double tho population of
New York, aud now, New York contains
double the number Of people in Virginia |
do not propose 10 enquire into the causes
that have produced such a mighty change in
the relative numerical condition Of these two
States. do propose, however, to state toyou
some OF the reasons why you should notc set
about doing something, 10 bring hack that
prosperity, which many OF your people believe
u forever lost.
The truth Is, and not TO be denied. tina, Ma.
iurc has been proiusc in her gifts, in behalf
oi your people, and you have done but little
Tor yourselves. The settlement and dcvcl-
opcucnt of the resources Of the Western
Country. have brought into existence an &C
tive aud eiicctual competition with your PEG.
pie In the great staples of your Agricultural
products, viz. Wheat, Indian Corn aud Tobacco
Maryland and North Carolina, like yourselves.
arc essentially affected BY competition from
the same quaicr from Ohio Kentucky lndi-
ana, Illinois. Missouri. Michigan, Wisconsin
and Iowa. The great VESTS now SUPPLYING |
largely the New England, aud other States,
which are consumers of these Agricultural
staples, IN quantity and value. to greatcr eX-
tent than all the foreign world besides. The in
\ icTnal iInpruv, m rnts Of the country already
I finished, have brought Boston, by steam.
/ within the distance oifour days travel of GIN
cinnaii, by way Of Buffalo; aud a contem
, plcte Rail Road from Burlington. Vermont.
/ To Ogdensburg. New York, will bringus prac-
/ tically yet nearer In those fertile regions of
/ the West. The expense of transportation L.
essentially rcdutcd wherever Rail Roads or
/ Canals have bcch constructed and even tho
Mississippi herself bears down upon her bo-
som the products OF the West, at less than has
the freight ,hat{yas ciiargeda few years ago
/ Thirty ycars'since, few small schooners
were suih, tent so carry on the commerce be-
tween tins city nld New Orleans; now, within
tins last year, zoe have one hundred and sixty
live ARRIVALS from New Orleans at this port.
and many oi theycsseis are OF the largest class:
4 SHIPS from 30 TO 200 tons burden. They have,
4 brought us Tobacco, Indian Corn. Flour. Cot
ten, Beet Pork Lard Lead. &c. :auounting
IN the aggregated TO npeny millions of dollars.
Oi the trst TIRED OF ttrse articles, which now
come to III IN such quantities from New Or.
leans, our lmPoridtlons, IN former times. were
almost exclusively from Virginia, North Car
olIna and Mavind. Can YOU expect 10 com
ID xxtth
of our country, where without much labor.
the soh produces double, aud sometimes even
more, TO the aCgc than the average CROPS of
the last mentioned Staiesl This competition
Will incrcHs' and IL appears "a me that the
remedy lor ITS Ilnus picious effects upon your
welfare, ~ 10 create a market al homo for your
surplus agricultural products; by establishing
such Manufactures may b. adapted to the
peculiar condition of your labor. There are
two classes OF labor, intelligent and unintcll.
gent; the former Is that kind Of labor which
requires aconsidorable amount of mental GU
turc, with active physical power. This com
blnsiion u capable oiupplying Science 10 Art,
aud OF producing results that are difficult,
and oitentincs complicated. The latter de-
scrIptIon oi labor, ~ of that character W hicb
depends principally on physical strength: this
quality of labor YOU have in abundance; and 1
hope you are not without tolcTablc supply of
the higher class. You NAV, without doubt
) commence the manufacture of almost ever,
description OF articles, requiring but iitlc skili
and prosecute the work with success. Man
uidctures OF such articles as Iron Hemp. Wool.
Cotton, Leather, &c, wrought into the coar.
, ser and more common articles. would succeed.
You Will find, very soon alter regular svs.
TEN OF the division OF labor shall have been
: introduced, that a desire for knowledge will
be created, more education, more Intellectual
cultivation, VIII be desired b. those engaged
in The mechanical department., aud with this
: eagcmess for ledge will follow skill and
? clcNemcSs ~ the use Of tools. and then will
J follow the inventive power, for which our
: people have become 80 distinguished Ina ,br
estimation Of the world
You cannot do anything in Virginia. that
will 40 completely promote the INTRODUCTION