Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-05
V4sHINaroN NEWS AND GOSSIP

which RACES 30 violently Just now over the
country, affecting every interest and every
body to be aggregated by any possible twist
ing to that end. From railroad corporations,
DESTROYS of regulating the business of the Post
Office Department, down to the colored white
washers Of the cities and towns of New York
all the American world-seem bent on regu-
lating everything through convention machin-
cry, leaving nothing to individual enterprise
and character. Thus, conventions have be-
come the most patent humbug Of the day, and
especially the means of making very great
men out of the smallest possible patterns
Nevertheless, we are decidedly in favor of
conventions to bring about concentration of
intellect, public spirit, and capital, for the
development of the resources of our country,
which is not, in any quarter, within the COM,
pass Of individual means. The last we have
heard of, Of this character, is explained in
the following card Of invitation, addressed to
as and received yesterday, viz;
WESTERN Coal AND IRON CONVENTION
The undersigned, in behalf of themselves and
others, respectfully suggest that q convention
be held at Charleston, Kanawha county. Vir-
ginia, on the 18th Of November next, for the
purpose OF taking the necessary steps to de-
velope and demonstrate the immense mineral
wealth OF that section Of Virginia, watered by
the treat kanawba, QQyandotte, and BIG
Sandy rivers, and their Tributaries: and to
confer upon the best means of rendering II
svailabie. They invite delegates not only
from the counties lying in the section men
TONED, and on the projected works of internal
improvement leading towards il, but repre-
sentstives from the various coal, iron, and
salt companies embraced within its bounds:
and they also request the attendance of the
trends OF those lines Of transportation, any
part OF whose revenues are expected to be
drawn mediately or Immediately from this Sec
ton, and from any and all individuals in this
and other States, favorable to the increase Of
the mineral productions Of the country.
Signed by James II. Brown, Evermont
w ard, Charles Hedrick, L. r. Donnally, Job
English, Henry H. Wood, Andrew Parks, II.
NJ Onderdonk, Samuel A. Miller, Robert T.
Harvey, John D. Lewis, Thomas Dunn Eng.
lish. N"e
The business world as yet entertains but a
faint idea of the resources of the region re.
ferred to in this card, which may not be brought
fairly into play in less than half q century;
certainly not unless through the concentration
OF public attention to them by such means
as are here proposed. All that Virginia
wants is railroads and the proper investment
OF capital in connection with them There
slumbers within her bosom at this moment.
more substantial wealth than has ever vet
been disinterred from all the United States.
The work Of its evolyement has but hardly
commenced, though she may be said to have
built her fair share Of railroads and canals,
when compared with the rest Of such works
in our country. Her State taxes are very light
comparatively, and her people can well bear
to have them increased three-fold to the end
indicated above. Even though they should
press heavily on them for a few years, in a
quarter Of century, if the system il yigo,.
ously pushed, every acre Of arabic land within
her boundaries would thus be increased from
one to five hundred per centum in value, or
there can be no reliance placed on tho invari-
able result of the construction of railroads in the
United States.
True Conservatism Our readers will do
well to keep their eyes fixed on the present
noble attitude Of the old fashioned Wings of
Massachusetts,, under the lead of Messrs Win
throp, Choate, VALLEY, Stevenson, and gentle
men Of their stamp. We need hardly say
that the cO-wOrkers Of those we name above
comprise the best informed publicists in Mag
sachusetts; as that class of Wings there, from
the formation of the Government until Daniel
Webster's death, gave tone to the public affairs
of the State, making for Massachusetts, all the
public characters in political way that was
truly enviable and praiseworthy. They are
nen of real mind and sound and useful at
tainments, and approach affairs of the State
only in the sincere hope of doing good for their
fellow citizens in whatever they may do in
any such matters. Though holding sediments
with reference to the powers and duties of the
General Government by no means in conso.
nance to theirs, We respect them sincerely for
the integrity of their purpose, never more
signally manifested than on this occasion
They represent the class there who have
most to lose by dissolution Of the Unior, and
are sufficiently well informed to comprehend
the fact that, though demagogues and fanatica
and ignorant persons around them may scout
the idea that they cannot with impunity change
the fundamental principles in connection with
the slavery question, on which its settlement
was based by the authors of the Constitu.
ton, to make it plain that dominant party
at the North is bent on so doing, is des-
tined to shake the Union to its very foun-
dation, If not to bring about its speedy
disruption; certainly to create such q state
of things as cannot fail to prove most dis
astrous to manufacturing and other capital in
vested in New England in business depending
even indirectly on Southern markets for its
prosperity. The gentlemen to whom We refer
above, and those acting with them, have bold
ly thrown themselves in the bres,h, to prevent
the State from again falling into the hands of
such persons as passed the personal liberty bill