Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-08-19
From the N Y. Evening Post.
THE RETROGRESSI0N OF VIRGINIA..
ITS SUPPOSED CAUSE AND PROPOSED
REMEDY.
BucklNanAM CorxrY. Va, July 25. 1854

BUcRINGHAM COUNTY, Va, July %, 1854.
Pablic Meeting in Vigi,ja-Address-R Resolutions
Proud as are the people of Virginia Of their
State, and little disposed as they to hear it lily
spoken of the fact that it is being fast outstrppcd
in importance, wealth and energy by other and
Younger States is too evident to be longer denied
Observing and rejecting men have noticed the rapid
strides in prosperity which have characterized other
States far less naturally endowed and that even
oHsprings of tho "Old Dominion" have, within a
period Of quarter Of her life time become giants
and outstripped the parent State in almost every
degree Of prosperity and greatness.
As matter of course, various have been the
opinions as to this aiment of the Old Dominion
for in national maladics political doctors will no
more agree than will professional Nj. DIS in per-
sonal sickness. The remedy is equally diverse.
Turnpikes, canals, railroads banks &C., have their
advocates. Others want manufactures scientific
farming, more general intelligence and energy in
all pursuits. On the 10th instant some of the cit
izens Of Buckingham county met in their court
house to talk over state affairs Their opinions are
promulgated ia lengthy address, terminated with
the resolutions which are given below. 1t is wor-
thy of note that although this is an interior county
and given to agriculture our friends think the sure
way to prosperity is in large cities and on the
''vasty deep" The following is synopsis Of the
address;
The extensive system of internal improvements,
which has been undertaken and was designed to
advance all The great interests Of the State, are
only of equal importance to our commercial and
shipping interests, which must promptly avail
themselves of the internal improvements, which
will otherwise convert the State into magnificent
cullcnder through which to strain the fat of the
land into the lap of the northern cities, rcseryng
the cracklings only as our share.
Each State, member of our feder Il Union
should encourage exchange of productions be
tween her sister states but, whenever circumstan
ces viii permit, each State should carry on its owl
foreign trade. The slave States have been relying
too long upon agriculture alone; the northern
States, on the contrary, wisely throw very large
proportion Of their energy, capital and enterprise
upon commerce. Their lands are not equal, an(
their local advantages, favoring commerce, are no
superior to ours. But they early turned their at
/ tention to trade and manufactures, and being ia
vored ly the federal government in locating the
Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, and b.
several protective tariffs, combined with our negli
gence and apathy regards all great commercial
enterprises soon gave the northern States the con
troll of the commerce of the Union. The slav
States, in comparison with the northern have fal
len into the position of which we farmers call quar-
ter plantations, while the northern have risen t
the wealthand dignity of homesteads. Ilustratiy
Of the enriching tendency of commercial over az
ricultural States, observe the following aveiag
cash value, per acre, of farming lands, includin
both improved and unimproved. in nine leadin
States of each class: