Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-02-11
For he Enqsire.

F0r ne Enquirer.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF LUSENBURG:
Allow me 10 direct your alrention 10 subject
which seems 10 Inc 10 be Of great importance, and
which affects The interests like OF US ALL mean
The navigation OF Meherrn river Let US pa use
awhile and feet for moment and ses what
our condition is as a farming communit,, when
con,ras!ed with other portions OF the STATE We
live in hl!ly, broken county, (o7er which it is
impossible 10 have good roads, sixty miles from
marker, with no earthly means Of getting money
except by making tobacco and wheat will say
nothing more on this point. This OF ilse speaks
volumes OF hardship poverty and distress. Not
wilhstandins we haye been paying our part Of
the expenses Tor inerna Improvements through
out the State yet we have mol erjoyed one advan.
tage, 10 any shape whaever-we have ,oiled on,
year al er year, in The same old road-some OF
US giving one fourth of on! produce 10 get The
balance 10 market, and others compelled TO win
Ter halt dozen skeletons, VI The horse-kind, in or
der TO make six hogsheads OF tobacco, and get it
10 market-but still many OF US are conlented,
and aspire 10 nothing mere.
Fellow citizens: lie, me persuade you that
these things ought not 10 be S lei me convince
you rha, we are not enjoying hose advantages
which il is our privilege 10 enjoy, and 10 which
we are Justly entitled. Now, our only hope is in
the navigation OF the river and it does seem 10
me that 10 This object We all should bend our
exerlions. We hear many amongst us saw, that
il is all a humbug, or some such thing, and that
II will be Of no advantage 10 US. Blu! tell you
plainly, that such is only The opinion OF The
uniformed and indolent among us, who express
such opinions only because they have heard them
before, and because they have become common.
place and prevalent. Such are moi The feelings
Of The intelligent and aspiring portion OF our coun-
ty, or OF majority either, as our worthy repre-
sentative preiends to think. But word with
him presently. Now what are the facts in the
easel In the first place, we all well know that
the river has sufficient quantity of wafer and
high banks TO concentrate il in one channel, and
besides ii is pondei more than half the distance
from Beiheld 10 SafolEs bridge by mill dams;
also The engineer who viewed il has pronounced
il 10 be one among The very best Streams for na-
vigation; and calculations have been made in re-
gard 10 expense OF getting our produce TO market;
and il is allowed that The COS, vii be about ha II
of what it is al present. These are plain facts.
If any one denies it, call him to the proof and
testimony. and appeal TO the good Judgment and
understanding OF our people 10 sustain me in
these assertions. do say, that it is not Just 10
pronounce sentence, and condemn this scheme
before investigating the matter fairly.
We are moi TOO much in favor OF internal i'm.
pTOVemeUls, Out Wnie OtHeI portions oil the Stale
are enjoying so many advantages, and living in
luxury and ease al our expense, we only wish 10
gather up the crumbs which fall from their ia bles.
Fellow. ci'izens: Many OF US have fel. The hand
of poverty pressing heavily upon US, and many of
US have been compelled TO abandon The home of our
childhood, hallowed by many endearmenls and
fond recoIleciuns. We have been looking or
ward with intense anxiety, 10 the lime when this
matter should be broush, up before The Lesisla.
lure, and in view of The facts which lave Just
slated, and the nntavorable situation in which We
are placed, we had hoped that sympathy and bro
Iherly kindness towards US, would have prompted
every member in The House, 10 assist in granting
favor SO reasonable and attended with so lille
expense. But when we saw our representative,
in whom We had confidence, and TO whom We
looked, as our advocate in This oar farorite ard
special cause, when we saw him loo striking
deadly blow al US, We were readylo mantle our
faces 10 shame and despair and eIclaim with
Casa, u cid, "ss ~, Brats!" But We are thank.