Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-20
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1854.


! There is spirit Of inquiry abroad in Viz
Amid all the rant and defamation with which
the press and politicians are inundating the
people on the fruitful themes Of Southern
Rights and the beauties of the peculiar insti-
tuition, there is evidently strong and growing
under current Of thought, which points to the
true source of the political and social evils and
endorsements of the South. Ii is only yes
terday that we felt called upon to expose the
baseess grounds on which the Richmond En-
ouirer congratulated its readers on the posses
sion of the institution Of Slavery. We might
have saved ourselves the trouble. The same
paper as well as the Examiner and Wing,
have teemed with articles for q week past,
which exhibit the ignorance and poverty Of the
State in the strongest light, and point to the
free States as affording examples Of well-di-
rected industry, and consequent wealth, In or
der to awaken the emulation Of the people.
They have not hesitated to tell the truth,
though not the whole truth. Whether they
imagine the Goddess to be deformsd, and APP
prehend that an exhibition of her in state of
nudity might brighten away her worshippers,
or whether it is feared that her bright
ness might dazzle the eyes, we are unable to
say. Certain it is, they deem it expedient to
disguiee her fair proportions. OF this we make
no complaint. Ia the present feverish and ex-
cited state Of the Southern mind, it is perhaps
we'll to insinuate truth through the medium OF
press in sympathy with the people, yet sufi-
GENTLY enlightened to perceive the necessity Of
some radical change of policy.
Among the hopeful indications Of return
ing sense Of reason in Virginia, is q long Re-
port, made to public meeting, which we find
in the three leading papers of Richmond, and
which we presume will be generally copied by
the press of the State. The meeting took place
in Buckingham, an interior county The Re-
port is said to be from the pen Of Colonel Hub
bard, whom the Examiner pronounces "a
model old Virginia gentleman" The follow
ing paragraph Gets forth the object of the
meeting, and is followed up by a large mass
commerce and manufactures, and illustrative
Of the poverty and ignorance Of the slavehold-
ing States:
9Whereas this State has undertaken, and
partly perfected, the greater portion of her ex-
tensive system Of internal improvement: In
1853 we had in operation 624 miles Of rail-
road, and 610 miles in course of construction :
Our canals, though unfinished, are of great
value and extent: Those improvements were
not projected with view alone Of afording
facilities in getting our own productions to
mark or of inviting within our borders the
productions of neighboring States; but the
great controlling motives wera to develop the
resources of the State, to enlarge our COM
merce, and to increase our shipping, by aug
menting our exports and imports. Thus our
system of improvements was designed to adj
vance all the great interests Of the State. The
development of our agricultural and mineral
wealth has heretofore been our chief consider
alton. But our commercial and shipping in
terests are of equal Importance, and cur i'm
provements are so far advanced, that it now
becomes us to use our best efforts to give an
impulse to them"
The Report quotes the tables from the Gen.
sus, in which is set forth the value OF land in
the several States, las illustrative Of the en-
riching tendency Of commerce. This table
shows On average value of S25 35 per acre in
the commercial States,n and of only S54s
in the agricultural States. The latter are oil
slaveholding the former all free, except Lou
isiana and Maryland; which, by tho way, are
the lowest in the commercial list except Michi-
gan, new State Upon this table the Report
comments at length, aud makes numerous
comparisons Of free with slave States, (iesig-
mating them as commercial and agricultural J
greatly to the disadvantage Of the latter.
Next comes statement OF bank capital and
circul alton, from the report Of the Secretary of
the Treasury exhibiting, Of course, contrast,
very disadvantagsous to the South. The wr-
ter observes: "Our existing commercial de-
pendence upon the North has converted our
banks from independent State institution into
PROVINCIAL banks, because they are, by the
laws Of commerce, sppendages to Northern
trade, worked as auxiliaries during its food.
tide, and rs subordinates required TO bear an
undue proportion Of all money pressures."
After extended comments in the same vein
upon banks and kindred topics, the writer
gives table Of exports and imports, with a
view of showing the backwardness Of the sgri-
cultural or slave States. He argues justly,
that the expectations are the natural basis Of
foreign trade and that since the South or agri.
cultural section makes the exports 1t should
make the imports also, to a great extent.
Then follows the tables Of tonnage Of the
several States, showing equally to the dsad-
vantage Of the agricultural, or slave States
this, notwithstanding the fact that the South
abounds in the best lumber, which is growing
scarce in the North.
The Report winds up with string Of patri-
otto Resolutions, in which the members Of tho
meeting declare their purpose to patronize vir-
oinia importera Virginia mechanics and Vir.