Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-02-22

failed to appreciate and cherish " 10. ltne
last hour Of his existence, and to feel the
iinoalculable extent OF his indebtedness to
Ibis friends, which amount was far beyond
4 the hope of liquidation. II was true that
he had been made to feel strong IN otice
by the frequent demonstrations of appro-
val and undiminished confidence on the
part of his friends-it had d'imparted much
lof that renovating, self-sustaining conti-
idence growing out Of the consciousness
of reciprocal good will between the rep.
resentativs and the constituent It cau-
ses the former to feel his title strong; and
that he can confidently repose upon it -
But. grateful as he had felt for those to-
kens Of appreciation and good will, coming
from his constituents at large, they had
failed to produceto to the same extent those
deep and indescribable emotions which
fcluster around the heart at the meeting
an extended separation. He repeated
that that with him was no ordinary event.
After, and at the close of public career
of forty years duration, (it was now 40
years since he first entered the Legisla-
ture as delegate from Harrison county
much more extended than brilliant, Or, he
feared, useful, most Of the time in their
Immediate employment, and sustained, by
their partiality and friendship, he found
himself surrounded by his neighbors and
friends, regardless of party distinction,
many of whom he had known from youth
to old age, whose opportunities to scan
his conduct and appreciate his motives
had been better than any others, those
were they who had assembled around
the festive board that day to signify their
approval of his public acts, and to greet
him with hearty welcome to his noun
tain home. Cheers. Such manifasta-
tions of abiding friendship and contiI Iued
confidence, coming from such a sources,
was ut all times grateful to the feelings of
the faithful public servant, but doubly SO
when bestowed upon one who, like him
self, had spent the prime of life in the
public service, and now having arrived
at its termination, and in the autumn of
life, when the yellow leaf portends the
approach of winter, it falls like the dew
from Heaven 10 Yivify and turn green the
rendered. an oblation springing from the
purest feelings Of the human heart, sa.
criice on the altar Of patriotism, and a
solaoe to declining age. To say that it
overpowered him, was but family express
ing the emotions. which the scene had
awakened, and were he TO indulge those
intruding emotions, he should be con-
strained to conclude by the following
quotation from the poet: ''.@
'rho heart fscls most whom tho lips movs not.'
He hoped lie would be excused for
having wasted SO much time in TALKING
about himselr-alwnys,irk to an au.
dience, and ordinarily inadulissible. He
said il afforded him much pleasure to in.
form the company present that every 9TH
err portion of the Commonwealth, like
our own, is in most prosperous condi.
tion every interest is fourishing, aud
new sources of wealth are being develop.
ed every day. A new era has dawned
upon Virginia. She has aroused from
the long Rip-Van Winkle slumber, and
like the strong man rising from deep
sleep, shaking his inyincible locks, she has
commenced in good earnest the work OF
reform which promises the most happy
results. Her Railroads and Canals radi.
ate in every direction; some of which
have been completed, while others are in
a forward state, and imperiously demand
the fostering care of the Legislature for
when those leading lines shall have been
completed, the immense treasures now
i locked up in the bosoms of our noun tains,
4 will be developed: which, with the un-
told productions of a large portion Of the
teem!ng West, will find transit through
the deep gorges OF our mountains, in
search oil foreign market, when he fond
ly hoped we should cease to be tributary
to Northern speculators. who grow rich
upon contributions on the South, who, in
return, steal our property, aud in justii-
cation of the thieying ProcliviIy, appeal
to the Heavens higher law. Immense
applause.
The introduction Of fertilizing manures
have doubled the crops in the eastern
portion of tho State, while the enlarged
and improved state Of farming, have tre-
bIed them in the West. Her cities and
towns are rapidly growing up. her com
merce increasing; and when compared
with her northern neighbors, her moral
and intellectual superiority entitle her to
the cognomen Of the banner State. True,
her public Indebtedness has been increas-
ed and the taxes Of the people augmented
in similar ratio, but have not our pro-
perty and the wages Of labor increased in
a ten fold ratio ? The demagogue would
tell us that there is more money expended
il the East than in the West. More in
the South than in the North West, and
therefore our Representatives. should with
hold appropriations, though our system
should fail. and orr Unfinished Rail-
roads delapidated and sink into ruin. Sir,
said he, the doctrine is suicidal, and in
contract alike, with the patriotism and Pc
cuniary interest of the State. As well