Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-04-29

as one grea. and patriotic peoplei
Sir, | cannot enter into ali examination
OF the social condition OF all The tribes and
nations now living upon HE face Of the
globe, or dwelling in those numerous
planets which form par. Of our solar sys-
TEN, but il il be true, as the gentleman
from the city Of Richmond asserts. that
there does not exist under The sun" a
people 40 marked by sntagonism % inter
est, as those Of Virginia, can only say,
there exists more happy uniformity IN
the condition Of mankind than have here.
tofore oeen led TO suppose.
This noble State OF ours stretches from
the Atlantic on the east, 10 the great Mis-.
sissippi valley on the west, embracing
some sixty four thousand square miles Of
territory and occupying that great central
range from Pennsylvania on the north, 10
Tennessee on the south, through which
The vas, treasures OF that ,eeming aud pro-
life valley must find its nearest aud cheap
est outlet to the markets OF the world
On our east, lies The Chesapeake bay, one
Of the noblest inland seas upon this CONT
neni, Astounding in capscIous harbors, not
excelled in safely and convenience by
those Of Naples. New York or Havana.
With a soil, the whole oil which Is capable
by frugal industry, OF yielding all the pro-
ducts Of agriculture, usually found IN the
temperate regions of the eafth--it possess
es in the district of country extending
from the head Of tide TO The north noun
tain, a region unsurpassed 10 ITS agrcul-
tural capabilities by any on the Atlantic
slope. West of this fine district TO the
Ohio river, is country abounding IN coal,
iron and all The other materials OF manu-.
featuring wealth, 10 an extent, OF which
there is no parallel on this continent. The
principal rivers OF The State, take their rise
in its for western mountains, and passing
wholly or in par, through our own terrific.
ry, pour their accommodating volume IN
to this great commercial reservoir in the
east. Here then We have The three great
elements Of national wealth, all most hap
PLY combined within the limits Of our
State. Harbours, rivers and seas for COM
merce on our eas,--the raw material for
manufacturing wealth in our west--wi,h
the Interests Of agriculture pervading and
penetrating every quarter OF the State, aud
imparting an identity Of pursuit aud occu
patton TO every portion OF ii.
Is there any thing 10 this general ar.
rangement Of the great material interest Of
Virginia from which an an,agonism Of
such interests is to be inferred Could
the God of Nature have more skllfully dis
tributed all these elements OF national pow
er, 10 bind this State into one harmonious
whole? And shall man, in the vain pur-
suit Of an evanesceni and temporary pow
er, seek 10 tear assunder those whom God
has joined together; aye, joined for the
purpose Of fulfilling one OF the most ele-
waited and glorious destinies which ever
has fallen TO The LOT Of commonwealth on
earth
If there be nothing in the general ar
rangement, by nature Of the greatinieies's
OF this State. leading 10 conflict Of inter
est, is there any thing in our populaiouio
justify the assumption
! believe that there is not in the thirty.
one States Of this confederacy, more ho
moaeneous white populaiior-a popula-
ton more free from all foreign adnixlure
than is to be found in the State Of Virgin
ia. So emphatically is this So that 10 be
recognised as Virginian in any portion
Of this Union is not thought 10 indicate
any very striking disceinment or judg-
ment OF human character. That the same
shades Of difference exist here, which are
70 be met with every where else, between
The inhabiiant of The plains, and those Who
tread the mountain tops ; between those
who have 10 toll for their support, and
those who are in the lap Of luxury and
ease, is not 10 be doubled. But these are
diversi,ies which do not touch the essen
,ials either Of human character, or of our
State character. Certain It is, we every
where speak the same language; worship
the same God; draw our lessons Of moral
ity and religion from the same Bible, are
defendants from the same parent stock;
have fought shoulder 10 shoulder in de-
fence of that same lbertynsnd indepen-
dence which we enjoy; and glory in the
deeds aud memories Of the same patriotic
ancestry.
But il is said the slave population is
most unequally distributed in the two
great divisions OF this State, and thence
one source Of this great diversity OF inter-
est. That slave property exists in very
unequal proportions in these two sections
Of the commonwealth, | admit; that it is
the foundation Of any substantial diversity
of interest ! deny. Yves, OF the Blue
Ridge We have very considerable slave
interest, one which may be fairly eSiimat
ed at twenty FIVE millions Of dollars 10
value, somewhat unequally distributed
also with us; bui | believe there is not
one county without some portion Of it,
II is besides gradually and rapidly on the
increase in western Virginia. For while
the increase Of this population for the last
ten years has been in the east but in the
ratio Of four per cent, il has increased in
the ratio OF seventeen per cent. in the
west sn increase that would doubtless
have been even greater with us, but for
the great demand for slave labor in the
south, growing out Of the high profits of
production in the planting States, and but
for the absence Of those safeguards which
the recent fugitive slave law now throws
around the security Of that kind Of pro.
perty amongst us. 1t is a great mistake
to suppose that TO secure the sympa,hies
ord s,N,1,t # N koLotg -