New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-08-09

The great question which now absorbs the
model Republic being whether or not boundies'
new market shall be opeLed to the sla7e-breeder'
and slavetraders Of the South, and whether the
average price Of their droyes of niggers snail
be raised from $500 head to $4,000 and So,OoO
az Gov. Wise authorizes US to hope il may be by
the election of Dir. Buchanan, it becomes more
than ever duty to study carefully the effect which
the pursuit of those kindred branches OF business
has upon the moral and CONNIE rcial prosperity OF
community. The facts in the case are already
tolerably well known to people who are wont 70
inform themselves on public questions, but, BY
way Of impressing them anew upon oar readers
let US look for moment at that once honored aid
powerful State, which boasts this same genial and
enthusiastic Wise az its Chief Magistrate.
Geographically, Virginia lies in the center Of our
Atlantic States She ia the largest of them, embrac
ing territory of over twenty million sores, less
than ten and 0 half millions of which are in ir-
proved farms, the remainder being wild land
and the value of the whole according to
the census of 1850, S2l6 40l AL. Neg.York
has nearly twelve end half million acres in i'm
proved farms and about ak and three. quarter mil.
lions uIinprOved, Of total value Of SJ54, 800, OOO
or more than tEice that Of the lands of Virginia,
possessing only two million less OF improved acres
Although Virginia shows about seven millions more
acres of territory than New.York. her whole soil is
only worth half as much. To be very liberal, we
will call the waste mountainous land OF Virginia
three times in quantity that OF York, and this
will leave Virginia au enormous surplus OF pr"duc-
tive acres over New-York, Cd an average quite as
fertile in its original condition. Virginia has pop
ulation, according to the census Of 1850, only
fraction short OF 100000 whites and 472,5
slaves, beside shout "A, 900 free cOlored persons
To make this mixed population on par with
whites, so far as productive labor is concerned we
will allow Virginia 100000 people equal to white
folks, though this is giving her too much; for the
machinery witch the Northern farmers use to aid
their manual labor far more than balances all the
available slave labor Virginia can CONTROL slaves
not bcirg able TO WELD this machinery, simply be-
cause they do not know how. Against this whole
population of Virginia we will put that of New
York in 1850, striking out the cities Of New-York
and Brooklyn which will Leave us about two and a
half millions to be divided among the agricultural
and ufacturiDg classes, and the country cities
and villages.
But look again at the geographical position Of
Virginia. 1t lies between ATTITUDES 3610 and 39so
Forth, covering also . of longitude, embracing
the finest climate in the United States and favor.
able to the fullest development of the physical man,
aid all the grains, animals and fruits which We
cultivate. She has three noble, navigable rivers,
two of which extend into the heart of the State
and the other for nearly 800 miles along her north
ern boundary beside numberless smaller Ones
which pour into the Loblest bay of America-snd
that bay half of it within her own boundaries with
the habor Of Norfo k, decidedly the best in Ameri-
ca, accessible at all times. In the inlets of this
BAY exist fisheries Of great value. Vast tracts Of
rich agricultural lands lie spread over her surface;
water power incalculable and accessible; scenery
the most magnificent in her hills and mOuutans;
springs and ANAL streams without number, running
in every direction TO fertize and water her farms
"mir es Of gold copper lead iron, coal, salt, lime,
"marls, gypsum, magresian and alum esrtn',
" marble, GRANTEES, soaps.ones and sands,ones,
amOIg the treasures az yet for the most
part UNDECIDED in the bowels of the earth
Such are her naturdl resources, huu YET NIguId
in her agriculture and populstion-once the frst-is
Low the fifth State in the Union In territory she is
still ODE of tie la gcst Her agriculture, her ancient
reuoyp. aid in which che should now show ascend
spcy, is low; her conmerce, trade and manu-
features are where; although in all the materials
TO build up and sustain a mighty State, she ia the
richest Of all III fact, Virginia has little left of
former comparative greatness bat pleasant mem
cries" to which she is always alive in the con.
temptation of great statesmen and Official dignita~
res VITO have enjoyed a nations honors. OF the
utter psuc,y Of her present great men, We need not
speak; it is in her past thst ste siorie'. Her
uagnsies have dwindled like her agriculture, and
decayed with her abandoned soils. Modern
Virginiaps show only their pre,ent proves in
slave breeding, and advocating the rotten
borough system Of past age. They are now
chiefly pertinscious in maintaining al exploded
system which some other Slave States even are
ashamed to uphold. Such is Virginia now
AL eaete tmpire-holding back in asinine
obstinacy to the politics Of Nathaniel Macon
and John Randolph, q magnificent specimen
II" Stationary progress, There shs Is,