Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-10-08

al the hands OF the W eSl-l may atl,l NE M
portant slave property interests OF the valley OF
Virginia, stretching from the Potomac 10 'iie
Tennessee line. and which at all times might be
calculated OH as an ally of the East against any
effort upon the part of trans Allegheny Virginia
to tax oppressivey that species OF property, even
should they desire 10 DO So OF which nave
never vet seen any very 1apacious desire, and
furthermore the slave property interests even
there have vastly increased, and though the OWL
,,rs of them may have but few, yet the tax upon
their few may be as onerous to them as the tax
upon the many 10 their more wealthy brothers
OF the East--so that much Of the fear OF burden
some taxation expressed by some persons IN the
East is half imaginary 10 say the least OF it
PERHAPS there is no SPOT of earth upon the face
of the Globe. where Providence has more abun-
dainty supplied people with the facilities OF
trade and commerce than Eastern Virginia
throughout her borders beautiful naq1gable waters
art, every V here winding their way to Inc great
Atlantic. washing her eastern shores-large and
ELEGANT harbors abound on her coast, where an
immense commerce may be conducted IN safety,
and under a mild & genial climate at all seasons
of the wear hut to the West we are rot so bless
ed-we need the ingenuity OF nan-the treasures
of Il common government to dig down our hills
10 Tunnel our mountains and open up our eoun-
,rv that we may pour our treasures into the Zap OF
commerce. and receive back from It's ~hltened
sails the products of other dimes. Are we selfish
in this1 No-for while we benefit ourselves
we are benefiting our brethren beyond the noun
,ains. Have we been unreasonable ! Motor
while we have asked assistance for cur country
we have contributed our substance to a common
treasury-we have cast our votes Tor more I'M
proyements to the East than we have ever asked
Tor or received. There is rot all important line
of improvement of any sort or description that we
r u, l. l.,pc ,1cfo lfst,t ~ tn
yoJye the future prosperity and wealth OF the east
as it does our own Look at the improvements
of the State. those already completed, and those
being now projected-who is the more interested
in the completion of the James River and Kama
wha Canal ?-who in the great Louisa Railroad
the tunnelling of the Blue Ridge ?-the Lynch
burc and Tennessee Road ?-the Alexandria ard
1,ordonsvilla Road ?--aye, the completion Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. suppose we ad-
init that we are mutually so, and what does 1t
prove-that we are mutually dependent and nu-
tually interested in sustaining each other, and
promoting common welfare.
Bnt at the same time we must be careiul-we
must be iudicious-we ought to guard the hand
Of power so as not to allow it to s1uander the
treasures of the Commonwealth too protusely, and
This minbt be remedied by constitutional PROVE
ion. Ii has been too much the education OF Fir-
srinians 10 regard the Commonwealth as divided
bv the Blue Ridge, as holding two distinct peo
Die-who must of course be Aliens III the same
land--as men having distinct Interests and views
hence much extravaganza ard waste OF money
has been caused by our Eastern brethren IN their
efforts to guard the Treasury. Many OF them
make ii rule to oppose every thing III The shape
of an appropriation asked from the Treasury, and
this opposition has forced combination OF IN
terests in the Legislature against them, which
has s1coenerated into system OF slogrolllne leg
isiation,' in many instances alike dlsreputabie
and destructive of the best interests OF the State,
and wastefpl of the resources OF the Treasury
Instead of taking statesman-like view OF the
great interests OF the State and embarking lis
treasures judiciously in some leading improve
nent calculated to develope the resources OF the
State, they have forced combinations OF local IN
terests which have swallowed up thousands and
tens of thousands of dollars annually in iEjudl-
ciclls improvements which have i'll 10 way con-
tributed 10 the general welfare, and these are
the yeyy men who complain most loudly against
The surrender of power and the fear Of oppressive
taxation on their slave property. But large
portion of our eastern brethren have for years
been taking other and more enlightened views
OF this matter, and consequently change has
taken place in their course OF action and hence
.ha improved and improving condition. 81 their
couutry, in its agricultural and commercial re-
nv mind to the conclusion that as q Convention
is needed the sooner it meets the bqtter-a more
favorable time never presented itsef--ths people
of Virginia were never more mutually dependent
on each other | fear common danger is too
llcar--iu this danger we must all share--t!len
we should all rest underthe broad -Agis OF Con-
stitution which will recognise Us all as children
of a common parent, as equal participants OF a
common government whether we be treeholders
or non reeholders--slaveholdels Or non-slavc-
hoIders--whether we reside IN the East or " est
OF Virginia We must all know and feel that
sthe blessings of government, like the de~s OF
heaven. should be dispensed Oh high and low, the
rich and the poor" if we would be a great and
prosperous people.
believe this to be the feeling now ofthe large
majority Of the people Of Virginia, and that a
more propitious time for elaboration in conyen-
ton never presented itself If the white lasis
be unattainahle from the Legislature, why per
sjst in contendng for it--W hat is unattaInable
there may be attained from the people at the
polls and in convention. | have never yet seen
any practical good arising from stuhbornly per-
sisting in extremes when they are clearly uilat-
tainable and after the repeated efforts and tail
ures to gain either the white basis OH the one
extreme, or the mixed basis On the other, very
much question the sincerity OF any mans pro
fessiol.s of reform whom | see standing ont ard
refusing convention unless called upon their
peculiar basis. My hopes Of the arhite basis ars
in convention ofthe peoplefu the reasons which
have above stated--here we shall SO before the
tribunal of the people--in them | Put my trust
and confidence. Principles upon which rest the
pillars OF a sound republican representative gov
eminent will be respected, while justice in the
dispensation and distribution of power will be
dealt ont to all. hope reioFmers are Contend
inc, for sometime more noble than power for the
sake of power-Betore God, if thought our only
end was to take power from one section OF the
State to transfer it to another, would drop my
humble pen, and close my humble lips upon the
subject but we shall have other and higher OBJ
iects in view, and which shall at another time
more fully set forth.
TO the friends of reform, beg leave, in all
sincerity, to address few words against any
postponement of their action, upon this inapor-
iant subject, till after the taking OF the next CEN
sus Could see any advantage to be gained by
1o1oy I Shonl1 hn content to remain 0Ulet and