Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-01-15

Bierne Of Monroe.
!. MAJOR CAss CoNF1RMED.-TheS Senate
on Friday, confirmed the nomination o
Major Lewis Cass as Charge d. Ahaires to
| Rome.
gg- We copy the following extract from
a letter of a Richmond correspondent o
the "Tenth Legion" 1t contains matter
of interest to the people Of Western Vir-
gina:
Since have been here, have been gratifed by
a thorough examination Of the large Map of the
State of Virginia, by Mr.. H. Borg. have devot
ed some time to this map, and am now, more than
ever, convinced, that If ever State engages in
profitable internal improvements, the seat of the
State government should be located so as to lead to
such result. will give you reason or two why
this should be the case and Also why the LegsIa.
ture should take the subject in hand at once, by
submitting the question to the voice oil the people
There can be no question: that if udicious plans of
| Improvement were adopted, and central portion
OF the State liked upon for the seat of government
we should nave roads dlyergng. from thence, that
would Tenoyate the Old Dominion, and give new
impetus to our languishng trade. Why is this !,
is because this city, by her James River influence
has managed, always, to have the control or man
agement ofouf public works, and hence all other
interests are lost in promoting the improvements
here and hereabouts. will give you few items
Of distances, which hope will not prove tedious to
your readers, as they are of more concern to Yves
tern Virginia than to the Eastern section From
the north corner of the State, on the Ohio river, to
the mouth OF Big Sandy, the boundary on the Ohio,
it is 260 miles from Big Sandy TO .h1 north. west
corner Of Tazewe county, it is 50 miles-from the
latter point to the extreme south corner of Lee
county 1t IS 40 mles-from Lee county to cold
Currituck Inlet OIL the Atlantic the distance Is
40 miles from Currituck Inlet to the northeast
corner OF Accomac county, is about 1875 miles
fiom thence north east to the State line adjoining
Pennsylvania, it is near 400 miles-irom Monon-
gala on the north, to Patrick county on the south
the distance is 230 miIes-from the southwest cor.
ner of the State of Maryland in Allegheny county,
the head waters of the Potomac river to the south
west corner OF pittsylyana county, it is 1870 miles
from Morgan county, on the north, to the south
west corner OF Brunswick county, it is 225 miles
from the extreme north east corner of Fairfax co
to the southwest corner Of Nansemond county, it is
ITO miles-irom Point Pleasant, on the Ohio, to
Norfolk on the Chesapeake Bay, it is 40 miles
from Richmond to the Atlantic, it is about 100
miles-to the North Carolina line, 70 mles-to
Washington, in direct line, 100 miles-to Point
Pleasant, 80 mles-to Lee court house, $50
mes--to the Pennsylvania line, on the Ohio, 366
miles. 1t is not necessary 10 multiply examples of
distances all the foregoing calculations are based
Oh ulIeCl HldUy Ol uletu, III Tie western
section of the State. will number much greater dis
tances by the travelled route. The foregoing must
suffice for my purpose, which u.s. to point out to
your readers the necessity of moving in the NATTER
so as to have your State capitol removed to more
central position. Certain it is, if YOU ever wish TO
see your section Of the State improved by raft roads,
or canals, or your rivers made nayigahle, efforts
must be made to eounteract the James River mo-
nopoly. In making my calculation of The geo.
graphic centre of the State, find it falls few
1, h h,rvv ~ <h0
Augusta county; consequently, Staunton would be
a most admirable location for the permanent seat
of government. For my part, am not welded to
any particular location except that it is absolutely
necessary that Virginia should wake up, and make
movement once more for her renovation and i'm
provement. Bycutting loose from the influence
here, the people will soon reap the advantage, by
opening OF improvement tothe west and south
west, that will be profitable to the revenue of the
State, and a source of much profit to the people.
Again. the population Of the State is tending
westward; and, at the coming census, the geo
graphic centre will prove nearly, or quite, the cen
tire OF population. AT any rate, different location
than Richmond, cannot be disadvantage to the
cause ofinternalim improvement. The total popula-
ton of Eastern Virginia, by the census of lS40was
SOC 942 persons of which, 906, 246 were slaues.-
The total population of Western Miggiliawas As2,-
S55 persons; ofwhich 53,737 were SLAVES. There
are about Sc, 600 free negroes in the State, leaving
the white population at .752,Sl5. Much the larger
increase was IN Western Virginia. by the census OF
1910, and it will be again, by the census of 1885,
l am satisfied from what is known of that section
Of the State bordering the Ohio and in the south
western counties the increase will be 25 or 80 per
cent over Eastern Virginia, consequently. the re-
moval fthe State capital will result as an act Of
justice, as well as OF profit, to the State.
fear this letter will prove too lengthy for yeur
readers, even if published, to be conned over care
fully. AS the subject is one Of the Importance,
none should lay these statements carelessy aside.
A move must be made, and now is the time, which
is as propitious for calm discussion as any other
Those who feel DESTROYS that Virginia should arouse
from her lethargy, and once more assume the lead
among this family Of States, as she did of yore
must lend helping hand. The right of suffrage
should also be extended and the officers ofthe 60
vernment more Immediately elected by the peoples
the Governor and Sheriis, In particular, should be
so chosen.
@- HENRY L. HOPKINS, Esq, the pres.
emf Speaker of the House Of Delegates, in
declining again being candidate for a
seat in the Legislature, addressed an elo-
quent letter to his constituents. of which
the following is an extract:
leave YOU, SO far as your State Government is
concerned, free, prosperous and happy But when
1 turn to the Federal Government, behold nothing
to encourage the hopes Of the patriot and phian-
thropist All, all, in that quarter, are gloom and
dependency For the first time in my life l have
sion that this glorious Union is to be dissolved
Ia afirlcrr, IN {ho hallo of "A