Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-08-27

There arc many indications that Virginia Is inclined to
quit a strife Of political distractions, from which for u half
century she has reaPsd little substantial advantage, and to
turn with anxiety TO the exhausted condition other domes-
TIC interests. The universal admission that Education is
essential to freedom-,hst Internal Improvement is due
alike to policy and to justice II that party strife is the mad
ness OF the many for the gain Of the few-establish the
CONVECTION mat her sons mean to restore her TO the proud
position she is destined again to occupy, by creating A
VIRGINIA OF rHk PRESENT. excelling in usefulness, If 1t may
not rivali in glory, rHx VIRGINIA OF the PAST. This object
may not be effected by public meenngs-orb by truisms en-
forced by Resolutions" Time, continuous and well di-
reeted effort, can alone restore her physical and social en-.
ergies. You must restore her soil, and stanch the bloody
issue of emigration which has weakened and impoverished
her. The decline Of Virginia Is not tho deercpitudo of
ege, nor the decree OF nature. 1t is the exhaustion Of bad
nhase-t Is dePoPulanon, under the irresistible atirae-
ton OF rich soil at low prices, offered by the acquisition
and distribution OF the Federal Government. With a
wish To coniibuie to the patriotic conference upon the in-
terests OF Virginia, allow the suggestion that the encourage
ment OF lsnisRArr IN would afford the rsadiost method Of
preparing for those great results for which all are SO anx-
ious. Could we succeed in bringing the capital aud intel
hgence OF other countries into our own. those agricultural
and social institutions which give prosperity elsewhere
must accompany thon and this can alone be effected by
diffusing abroad correct descriptions of Virginia; by disa.
eus'ng the minds OF foreigner. OF ~preiudice; and by a fair
and authentic comparison Of her inducements with those Of
other countries which invite them.
lhere 10 no State whose political history 10 moro stu.
died-therc is none whose physical and social condition in
so little known. Her historians were chiefly strangers.
From Smith, Except Mr.. Jederson's Notes. our histories
- bna It>ptCtdOfo utTun IlOWe.
who has wandered through our State rs his counuyman
stephens visited Yucatan, engraving the objects of curios-
iy and listening to tho gossip Of every vicinagc. has produ.
ced Gszetteer;a aud II annoys us To think no Virginian can
DO found tho will undertake go important a work as a Geo
graphy or a History OF Virginia. Such a work would re-
move the ignorance derived from a~ntquated and foreign
descriptions.
When the Able Rsynsl affirmed tha, the United State,
could never sustain, by any compression, more than ten
millions Of population, and that the Southern States could
never DO restored by culture, that scientific historian i'm
pressed upon the mind of every reader al erroneous opi.
Mon, and picture OF gloom and sterlity. 1t was the die.
tum OF an eminent man, assuming TO describe a country
which he had never seen; and though his work, written
proiessediy 10 %enlighten, wac itself exposed, the dogma sub
sists, to show the folly OF relying upon foreign historians
for justice or Information In regard TO our own country.
wnilsiit is known that Virginia gave birth to Washing.
ton, Henry, Mason, Jefferson-ihat Yorktown is within
her hmits-that the Declaration of Independence, the
Bill OF Rights. the Resolutions OF $3.50, the Act OF Re.
Egious Freedom are amongst her archives-whnt is ae;u-
ally known OF her modern character and resourcesl Ii is
the fixed belief Of others that she is broken down, sunk
in suPineness, without the desire or the power Of restora.
ton. Who = knows that she has n Valley fertile
and wall eultvatedi-that she has a West Of un-
bounded agricultural resources, filed with metals
and minerals. with coal, iron, salt. a bed OF gypsum one
thousand Jeet thiek-that these lands are chesp-that
these minerals require but the agency Of enie prise to rend-
or them a source Of incnlculablc wealth 7
Yet the opinion Of the North. sedulously inculc,ted on
every immigrant, and difiussd throughout Europe, is that
Virginia il a wom-Out Country, where lite nature pines
popular education is nknown-agriculture rude and IN
improved-labOr degTaded-a combined picture OF the
squaidity OF Ireland aud the apathy Of Spain. Until re-
CenIy, European rulers encouraged the prSluuiceS OF their
subjects. The Hessians knew no difference between the
eolonsi and the savage. The Yankee was sedulously re-
presented as a sort Of social canniOs, who Gevoutea the sub
stance OF new corners by the most shrewd and Ihisylsh de.
vices and whilst mercenary tourists teach the lower order
that or climate Is unhealthy, our lands barren ~ marshy-
that the South : n vast slave. quarter, where the sound OF the
lash Is unoeasing-Iho more elevated have been deferred
by It's systematic ridiculc Of the annoyance and vulga riy Of
society, denuuciations Of repudiancn, and predictions of
the speedy downfall Vt the unstable institutions Of Democ-
racy and each newly published narrative ministors To the
interest excued ey that which preceded ii-as the Princess
Schenzerade prolonged her life by reciing tales, each Of
which exeelled Its precursor IN the horror of its details or
the extravagance Of its fiction.
True, a new policy seems to dawn upon England. Peel,
the most truly English Statesman since BurIeirh or Wal
poie-who lashes his helm to no theory by which he must
govern or go down, but adsps his policy to toe events and
10 the genius Of the age-Peel sees the importance of
throwing overheard some of those antauated opinions
which add neither to the ornament nor 10 the armament
OF the vessel which he navigates. He gives an annuity 10
Maynooth. lie will not make an Emmett, n FITZGERALD or
a Napoleon OF O'Connell. He repeaIs the duties ON corn .
he repeats the duties on 400 articles Of the British Tariff
he Will permit AMI encourage emigration. True. 1t is at
hTst the emigration OF the paupers whose murmurs will be
stopped with the pork and potatoes of Michigan and Ore
gon. He will be compelled to "!et the people Ro; ~ and
II will be the better character OF emigrants which can
alone regenerate Virginia. We want the English farmer
with mis- siaid and thrifty matron, his rosy daughters and
his sturdy sons, with hls maIims Of industry and of i'm
Provemeni-with his Durham and TeeswaieI his Bake
well and Souihdown-his Berkshire and Bedford-his
draught horses-his well. made agricultural utensils. We
want the German farmer, with his patient indusuy-his
and submission to the laws. And the farmer of New En-
gland and OF New York-why does their enterprise over.
lock such 4 country as this may readily be made ? Why
turn TO Indiana, to Illinois, to Oregon, in preference to
Virginia 7 Simply because Virginia has never deigned to
disabuse the foreign mind OF those ~prejudices founded on
error and fostered by design.
The patriot cannot be better employed than in removing
errors which separate commonwealth once united in such
amicable intercourse.
TINS letter is intended a. a description of a particular
section OF Virginia, known as the Piedmont country-belne
the column Of counties lying on the eastern slope OF the
Blue Ridge, and extending from Carolina TO Maryland
We may enumerate the counties OF Henry, Patrick.
Franklin, Nelson, Albemarie, Amherst, Orange, Greene
and Madison, the area, population and products of which
may be stated rs follows: