The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-12


| Now, if it should turn out that the Gazette
has failed to present the facts, and IN the most
material cases has stated exactly what are the
reverse Of facts, we suppose the conclusions, il
not fatal to the institutions Of Ohio, will be at
least harmless to those Of Virginia.
In the first place. we are told now, as we have
often been told before. that Virginia was settled
in l608--one hundred and eighty years before
Oho-and this is relied on as the first great fact
to show the immense superiority Of Ohio in
rapidity Of colonization. Well, so were Massa-
chusetts, New York, and Pennsy lvana colonized
long before Oho-almost US long as Virginia
And Ohio has surpassed them all in rapidity of
colonization But no man of sense has yet as
serted this as evidence Of Ohio's superior insti-
tutions over those of all the Atlantic States
To compare the growth of States which de
pended for numbers on Europe two hundred and
forty years ago, when the population of Europe
was not dense, when navigation was so tedious
and dangerous and expensive, when our coasts
and country were unknown, when ships aiming
for Boston would make land below Cape Hat
teras, when provisions had to be brought across
the sea, when savages had exclusive possession
of the land, when starvation and mas acre were
the probable, and often the actual results of such
an enterprize-to compare the growth of peo-
pie in this country beginning at 1908, with those
who began in 1888, is to insult, rather than TO
instruct our understanding. We suppose no
man can be found with the hardihood to pretend
that it required a tythe Of the courage, energy,
enterprise, and fortitude to COLOMBO Ohio, with
the Indian title previously extingushed, and mill
tary ports previously established, as were dis
played by the Cavaliers Of Virginia and the Pill
grims of Massachusetts.
The next fact is, that Virginia has an area of
$4,000 square miles, and Ohio only 100000 That
is true enough, but of itself proves nothing-so
the Gazette informs that the soil of Ohio is
good" and that of Virginia is "three-fourths
good" The Gazette means to say, either that
three-fourths of the soil of Virginia is as good
as that Of Ohio, or that the average of Virginia
soil is three-fourths rs good as that of Ohio
and this is the most material--it is the decisive
part of the whole case And we assert, that the
statement of the Gazette is not only not correct,
but that it has no approximation to accuracy.
Looking at the map, we behold some six ranges
of stupendous mountains, extending through
the central and widest part of Virginia--not one
| in Ohio. One-third of the entire area of Vir.
GINA is the base Of mountains, and extending in
each direction, from the North and South the
whole country is mountainous to the Ohio river
on one side, and almost to the sea-coast on the
other. Ohio has no mountain, and very small
| portion of the State is even billy. But even
these facts are of infinitely less importance than
the quality of the soil. Judging of that from
the quantity and quality of timber that remains
in primitive condition, scattered over the tvs o
States the land of Ohio, of given area, has
about ten times as much as that of Virginia, and
| we believe that such is the natural fertility OF
their soils. 1t is impossible to be exact, but we
have scarcely doubt that if the soil of both
States had been cleared of timber hundred
years ago. and planted with corn every year
since, without manure, and treated otherwise
precisely alike, the soil Of Ohio would have
| produced at least ten times the quantity, and in
the end, remained ten times as fertile as that OF
| Virginia.
The land Of Ohio is of such uniform and un-
usual fertility, that nothing could be better
adapted to progressive colonization. Farm after
f,rr, 40, ha elaorod adiacanf 10 aacb otbar from,
one end of the State to the other, and road
once begun. may extend as cultivation extends
| in the cheapest manner But in Virginia, the
soil for cultivation is dispersed in the valleys OF
mountains and rivers-and settlements divided
| by ridges of granite, and tracts of sterility
| The roads to connect these settlements with
each other, and with the sea or river, would be
| proportionably expensive and difficult.
The Gazette tells us that Ohio is watered by
Lake Erie and the Ohio river, Virginia by the
| Atlantic and the same river. Yes, but Ohio has
twice the front on the Ohio river that Virgins
has, and more front on the Lake than Virgins
Virginia--about the Warm Springs, in Bath
county-and compare it with Columbus, the
centre of Ohio The distance from the centre
of Virginia to the river or the sea, is about one
| third greater than from the centre of Ohio &c
lake or river, and instead of being over an al
most uniform level, the Virginia road must pass
mountain after mountain and hill after hill. The
centre of Ohio is more accessible from the
dense population Of Pennsylvania, New York
and Massachusetts,, and more accessible to their
markets than the centre of Virginia, and is
therefore more eligible to an emigra.ing popu-
ation, either from there or from Europe.
These facts explain, to some extent, the DIFF
ference in population between Virginia and
Ohio. They account for the enormous emigra-
ton from Virginia to the Southern and Western
States, an emigration which, in the last fifty or
sixty years, cannot have been much less than
two millions, if we compare the present popu-