Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1848-03-09
Correspondence of IA. Indiana State Sentinel.
WAsH1Nerox, Feb. %. lS4s.


however, IN any direction that you may take for,
routes for miles in succession have travelled
land that If sl;uaed In our Indiana, within str
king distance of the largest towns, would not sell for
enough, under the hammer or otherwise TO paw the
taxes 1t Is SD poor that far from producing vegi
tables grasses or gralns II is not strong enough
TO give growth to timber; you cannot convert it
advantageOusly into brick for there is water. in
many places, for miles around, TO mix your morter
with. But take the stage with me some morning.
say about three hours before daylight ride to Danes
vile, % miles the Winchester pike, for breakfast
(and such breakfast especially for hungry man,
an epicure at that, and healthy vigorous hoosier
withal the and-lady, even at so cents, gets the
worst of the baTgain) and, in about two hours more,
reach Leesburg, the county seat, as we say In the
west but, according TO the prevailing expression here
the court house of Loudon where we will be de-
tanned for some half an hour, at house which, land
lord and all, we will find the very beau ideal OF
Virginia hotel. Having changed stages, changed the
mail, shifted baggage, and amused ourselves for
a few minutes at a game of checkers, still progress
ing between two gentlemen that we had left playing
three months previously, and who, give them little
practice, will make first players, proceed but
a mile or two until we ascend what, in every respect
except in height, is appropriately termed the COtoc
ton mountain. From this eninence, and as it were
without moments notice. opens TO our view the most
magnificent landscape that my eye fancy ever fed
upon-the CotOcton valley, bounded upon the south
east by the little mountain Of the same name and on
the north by the estic one, less appropr
ately called the Blue Ridge. This valley is that
none but poet (and you know what my pretensions
with the heavenly nine are) can describe; at par
ticuar promontory. known Mount Gilead-from
the fact, | presume, that there is a a physician
there" to which siy "beter half" and myself were
conducted on horse back In August last, by an intel
lgent and hosptable friend, looked down upon this
valley to such advantage that we felt it hard fortune
to be torn from such enchanted spot, by the recol
lection that if did not, we would not be able to
reach home before dark the valley was here about
fifteen miles wide our view extended, on either side,
some ten twelve, and must have embraced some
hundred more farms, all remarkably well improv-
ed, and all in a most beautiful state of cultivation
and but few of them-(perhaps not one In twenty
occupied by tenants and, by the bye, this was i'm
pOrant fact In relation Virginia freeholders, very
different from what my previous information upon the
subject had led me to suppOse-that all the farms
onwned by few, who leased them out to ten
ants l found on the contrary, that, as general
thing the farms in this valley belonged 10 the men
who cultivate Them and that each bore evidence
that all of its owners agricultural skill and taste
were exclusively devoted. The face of the country,
although hy, is not broken to prevent cultiva
ton, unless the sides of the steepest mountains:
it is, for the production of grass and small grains
fertile; and In favorable seasons, such the last
one was, corn grows and yields tolerably well, but
not by any means equal to the White river and Wa
bash bottoms. To such region, proverbial as it is
for fine crops, fine stock fine springs, good health,
good Schools good morals and hospitality is it not an
intellectual luxury for make his escape from
such atmosphere prevails in the Metropolis (;
from this city of politics, pretenson, mustaches
knowing looks, blank faces empty expressions, wise
remarks, and ''mOdel drtiSteS 2"
This particular neighborhood in Virginia, to which
aude Is called the Quaker settlement 1ohy, it is
NOT worth while to say the name tells for itself.
During my periodical visits, get along upon moral
and religious subjects very smoothly but when poll
tics introduced, which, in partizan sense, is
very seldom,-there is an issue on the spot. The
more minge with (rierrds-the more become &C.
quainted with their peculiar manners, habits, and no.
tlons their mode of religious worship, and their dis
taste for every thing like splendor in public matters
the more am astOnlshed that they not all demo-
erals they all advocates of freedom of thought
and freedom of speech; and the democrats;
for, if federalism (Or whggery it is called)
had not been supplanted by the democracy of this
country the friends aud the democrats would have been
to this day. for this very freedom of speech that both
contend for and enjoy, subject to a fine of a
thousand dollars, and Imprisonment in the Richmond
Penitentiary for three years: one thinks more
deeply nor expresses himself more freely in relation
TO public men and public measures, than the friend
and yet he stands arrayed against that very political
party, the ascendency of whose political principles
secures to him this inestmable priviege,-and who
likes him enjoy it, though it be in oppo-
sion TO herself: let not be told in reply, that
this is trivial point and not OF sufficient importance
create fellow feeling between friends and demo-
Gratis it is based upon principle that both hold par
to all others, and in relation to the invasion
of which, both equally tenacious. The friends
opposed to war so the democrats true, we
differ a little to the extent to which this oppoSi-
ton should be carried but certainly the friend would
yield TINS point, if he would only reflect seriously
upon the fact that if his TEToTALsM had prevailed
in l776, instead of the democrats TEMPERANCE,
where would have been the freedom Of thought and
freedom of speech that both now enjoy, and both SO
highly prizei Again; if this tetotdliSm and TEN
PERANcE in relation to the abstract question of war
is the only difference between friends and democrats
is it not very inconsistent in the former to array
themselves with the whigsl If it lie wrong 10 be a
in time of Udr, is it not still wrong tc
! be n in time of peace? The WhigS are the
greatest men in time of peace, that be found
in country if any evidence be demanded of this
go in time of peace, board vessels of war &C
to our navy yards, forts, arsenas, and garrisons
where none will be found but those who have adopted
the profession of arms-not for erigency crisis
but for lifeand ask every one you meet there, wha
his politics are nineteen out of every twenty viii
tell you they rohigs. This proves that the lchigs
as party, are never opposed to war; except it breal
/ out when the democrats in power ; and unless
their opposition promises, to their fancy, the sup
! planting of the latter. G. w. X.
From the Baltimore Republican and argus.
Mo- IIlaI aG E..1rI..x.d