Washington sentinel., 1855-02-17

the price allowed by the county court itself There
was also another difficulty; note given for to-
bacco deliverable al public warehouse, would
mol be so valuable one issued from another
more accessible 10 the foreign markets; diff
iculty similar in its nature TO that of keeping
up the par value of the paper Of different branch
banks. This was remedied, as far as remedy
was practicable at all, by another contrvance.
Centres Of trade for the different counties were
liked, and the tobacco notes of certain ware
houses were a legal tender only in certain contgu-
GUS counties which were designated by law But in
fixing these values Of the tobacco the county courts
might err, not probably from interest, but possibly
from mistake. To meet this, debtor might some-
times pay his debt in money instead Of tobacco, il
II pleased him, and in special contracts al home,
the farmers might fix the prices Of tobacco for
themselves Having one article Of foreign ex-
port, the colonsis made the most of that they
constituted currency of it, and by system Of
contrivances made its value iuctuate with the
foreign price Of tobacco, and virtually with the
state of foreign exchanges themselves. The guam
tity could not be well increased without cores
ponding increase of the production Of actual val
ues in the shape Of tobacco, nor could il be dimen-
lshed without like falling off in The supply of the
article on which il was based
AS compared with the attempts OF the other col
onIes 10 issue paper based upon credit, or, indeed
with some more modern and scientific attempts 10
create paper money, how infinitely superior is
this early contrivance Of the old Virginians Upon
this subject, the testimony Of Bancroft is not less
eloquent than true.gg
Vanban, the celebrated engineer, who was a
inancier also, is said TO have addressed memo
rial to Louis NV, TO recommend that q portion OF
the taxes should be laid in kind, because the peo-
pie could bear much greater burthens in that way,
than in any other, and if the object was to extort
as much as possible from The people for the use Of
the government he was probably right. The
early history OF Virginia would seem to prove IT,.
for no people of the same number and means have
OrObabtp p rihnt ed 90 mn oh N
with so little Inconvenience 10 themselves. As
have said before, the whole policy Of Virginia was
mainly founded on reliance on individual ener.
ges, which were fostered by more than an usual
share OF individual liberty II is old subject OF
complaint with those who have written npon Vir
ginia affairs, that the Yirgnans devoted them.
selves too exclusively TO agriculture and ndiyid.
ual enterprises. Beverly reproaches them with
their want OF" cohabitalion" and towns if such
was their want il was no fault Of theirs for their
general assembly made all the attempts 10 foster
trade and industry, which were suggested by the
views oil political economy prevalent at that time.
In l6i2, they declared freedom of trade TO be
the blood and life OF a acommonwealth'hh The his
tory our colonial legislation is repete with acts
10 encourage the establishment of towns. As
early as 1867, The Legislature offered premiums for
The production Of silk flax and staple commod-
ties a Adventures in iron works" were stmu.
lated by exemption from taxation, and other pr.
vileges;U Acts were passed AT various times
h.
The State itself sometimes embarked in these
undertakings, as in the manufacture Of salt in
l776&& Sometimes individuals raised money by
subscription, and the State appointed trustees 10
receive and distribute the money in premiums
| for the production of certain commodities And
| yet the various forms of social Industry did moi
| thrive in Virginia. The genius and mission of
the people were for other objects. In the north.
eastern British colonies, they looked more 10 the
| forms OF association for the means of develop
Il ant SAtfl fl.1 all \
| erned, society was invested with large powers
over individual action; social strength and priy.
eges were the great objects Of their culture and
social industry, in its various forms, received a
large and early development. But natural taste,
and the circumstances in which she was placed,
gave virginia enterprise another direction. She
became the pioneer colony amongst all the British
| provinces Like Massachusetts, Virginia was
The mother OF cluster of states INN She sent ex-
| plorng parties into Carolina, with a promise OF n
| fourteen years monopoly of The profits and such
expeditions she continued 10 send both 10 the south
and 10 the west but mainly the west Upon the re-
motest confines OF the white settlement we slward
the smoke of the Virginian's cabin ascended and
IN the farthest fastness OF the forest or widest
gorge OF the mountains, the crack OF his rifle was
heard. Upon the hun ting grounds Of the Six
Nations and the Cberokees, he was known and
feared as the long knife = with the axe and the
| rifle he made good his advance into the wilder.
| ness. FEELING the forest, and driving the Indians
pciOIc MIN course OF progress, he made
the settlements upon which the new States were
| afterwards TO be founded. Never turning her re-
| CARDS from the Mississippi after they had been
once directed 10 that quarter by her governor
Spotswood, Virginia pursued the dream of west.
ern empire, with determination which nothing
could shake
| As said before, when the French made their
appearance before Fort Du Quesne, il was Vir-
ginia who first demanded the cause of their com.
ing Il was she who, at the Great Meadows,
| opened the hrst hre in the French and Indian
war, and who, with all her aversion 10 paper
money, for the first time conquered il upon thar
occasion, and strained her credit TO the ut,
| most TO raise funds for the prosecution OF
that war. One OF the first roads 10 which she
ever contributed money directly, small sum Il is
true, was 10 connect the north branch OF the Po-
tomac with the Ohio al Fort Pitt, and the pream.
| bic OF the act declares this TO be done both for
military aud commercial purposes.nR Amid all the
| perlls OF the great revolutionary struggle, in
which she bore part as conspicuous and difficult
as any, she still faithful 10 the great aspira.
tions which long had guided her The early
history OF Kentucky, which is our history shows
that the people Of that country then n part OF
/ Virginia, with such aid as the State could afford
without assistance from any other quarter what.
ever, make good our possession Of the country
| upon the Ohio, in series Of heroic struggles
| whose interest was so deep, and often so tragic
that they seem TO wear the air more OF fiction
than OF fact. The Six Nations were the mo,t
warke Of all the Indian tribes, and Kentucky
their favoritc hunting ground they contested with
more than their wonted energy. And yet on
this /" dark and bloody ground, did Virginia ex.
tend her settlements, in the fercest period OF the
revolutionary conflict, and engage in one long
struggle, not only for the freedom, bat for empire
from the shores OF the Atlantic 10 the waters OF
| the Ohio and the Mississippi itself
In I'LL, when Spotswood, the ablea OF Virginia
governors, proposed 10 strike al the French settle.
ment OF kaskaskia,oo by the incorporation OF
Virginia trading company, he was ahead OF his
time. The western boundary OF Virginia settle.
ment was then about the Blue Ridge, and hun.
dreds OF miles OF wilderness formed an obstacle
too great TO be surmounted by such power AZ
she could WELD. She could, and did, bide the time.
In l744, she acquired by treaty the Indian title
over the basin Of Ohio,pp and by ITS, she was
seated on that river. George Rogers Clark one
OF her greatest sons, and who for military seniu.
must rank amongst the distinguished men OF the
world, renewed the idea Of governor Spo,swood.
Then Kaskasks, as before Fort Du Quesne, was
the centre from which Indian incursions were
directed upon the Virginia settlements His com.
prehensive nnd active mind enabled him not only
TO appreciate the military value OF the post but 10
suggest the means by which IA yos ~ ~, ooc