The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-26
Nsrshern Capital in Virgi.,n.

l The Richmond Wing says thai no country
in the world presents 50 wide a field TO capital
lists who may desire to invest money in manu-
featuring enterprise, as Virginia does at the
present time. Her mines Of coal and iron mar
be regarded as utterly inexhaustible. The ex-
tent Of the coal region is computed 10 be TWEEN.
ty thousand square miles. After stating these
facts, so deeply interesting 10 all who wish q
see the Old Dominion prosperous, the Whiu
adds that il is matter Of surprise that attempts
10 anufaclure have not already been made on
a large scale, and that northern capiis has no,
found lis way 10 those sources Of profit, TO &
much greater amount than has hitherto been
the case.
Here, then, we see north, IN capital and ORTIZ
ern enterprise are called on 10 develop the en-
bOwelIed treasures Of Virginia, and TO promote
within her borders those manufactures for
which she enjoys so many facilities, ard which
would doubtless be found TO be richly remuner-
alive. Nothing is more common now than for
the advocates Of slavery TO assert that yirginia
and Kentucky are more prosperous than the
free States, and they produce statistics TO show
that the average wealth Of persons in these
slave States is far greater than that possessed by
the inhabitants of the free States. Admitting
this TO be true, is it not very singular thing
that these more prosperous and wealthy ind-
Viduals should call on the poorer men In the
free States TO come among them and bring their
capital and invest it in enterprises which will
yield them very extraordinary profit? II Il,
be fact that The average wealth and prosperity
Of Virginians are more than twice as great as
those Of the people of Massachusetts, why do
the Virgiuians call on their Yankee frieads 10
come and dig their coal and iron, aud employ
their capital IA erecting manufacturing eslab-
ishments7 Way do not these extraordinarily
prosperous aud wealthy Virgihians engage in
manufacturing and thus save the large profits
10 themselves7 The truth is, the reason why
Virginia calls on Northern capital IL to be found
ia the fact she has neither the active captal nor
the enterprise necessary TO take advantage of
the elements Of prosperity and wealth which
nature has lavished on her sbnsorn, or 10 avail
herself Of the great and obvious facilities she az
fOrds TO manufacturing skill and industry
The few manufacturing establishments over
which the Southern people rejoice 60 often, have
been built and started and carried On almost ex-
clusvely by men from the free States. There
is not energy or enterprise enough in any slave
State to break up the old and absurd order that
prevails, and te embark in new and profitable
business Of any kind. Slavery deadens every
energy, and consigns those whom II infects to a
hopeless lethargy, which chains The free spirit
and represses every aspiration for new and
letter order Of things. .liss:ssl:~
The fact that Il is thsc capital, skill and enter
prise. of the 'osn in the free States, on which
the meu in the slave States reIyts develop the
resources arouRlshem, sndlto iatrodi,ee snanu-
lectures, is, ia itself amost shefoass, refataiien
at oil the falla,iss IN which the prt,.sIavery
iIen NOW iHduls I>rb~ 6.6pesking on line sab
jet OF the assulned gfssksr prosperity Of the
slave States. II tieslavs States Be rhjfe pros-f