The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-11
Tho Revolution In vlrgtnia-<sovcrnor Wise
Waking up ut Last.

The Revolution In vlrgtnis-lsovcrnor Wise
Waking mp ut Last.
TIE old State of Virginia, the mother of States,
and once tie leader Of the oonfederacy, has
reached a crisis in her history which is exciting
the grestest concern lot only among her own
people but in her sister States. The operation
Of peculiar laws has prevented her keeping
pace with her neighbors in the march of progress,
population, and plenty. Partly because the sys-
ten Of labor used in that State h not az profta-
be now as it was a century since, partly from
injuoicous agricultural systems and partly from
vorious local causes, Virginia has begun to 90
backward. in spite of an accumulation of natural
Advantages which are hardly paralleled in the
world The phenomenon has a wakened the at
tenton of several shrewd Elen 10 this part of the
country, and commercial corporations have been
formed for the purpose OF bringing to bear new
operative and agricultural systems upon tue i'm
poverished lands in severa, sections of the State
One of these companies was incorporated by our
Legislature during its last session; and we have
published several manifestos from Mr.. Eli Thayer,
who appears to be the leading man among these
schemsss, briefly developing the sound add prac-
teal aims which he and his associates propose to
themselves :-''t''
But knowledge of the facts, and concern for
the future are not confined to Northern men.
Gov. Wise of Virginia. IN speech recently deli
veled before the Mechanics Institute of Rich
mond, and published in Saturdays HERALD, d.
lated at length upon the undue backwardness of
the mechanical arts in Virginia, proposing vari-
Gus remedies, among others College of Mecha-
Mica And in the letter from him which we pub.
lish elsewhere, he takes occasion. apropos of
proposed line Of steamers from Norfolk to Havre,
to enter more deliberately into the subject, to
discuss the causes which have producer the de-
cline of Virginia, to propose various remedies n
the shape of railroads, and foreign sesports, and
finally to predict under Gods blessing and an
uncommon shsTe Of good fortane. glorious des-
tiny Tor the State of which be ia Governor.
Thus Gov. Wise arrives, 10 roundabout way,
and with much amplfcation aud rhetoric, at the
same conclusion az MIR. Eli Thsyer namely that
Virginia requires help badly Practically he
stands on the same ground a. the Massachusetts,
ana New York emigrant societies. the only diffe-
FENCES between them are that he uses foe Ian
guage, while they talk in homely strain, and
that be proposes hundreds Of miles Of railway
State aid to steamers, and general combination
Of merchants to sustain q French line, while Eli
Thayer ard his friends go in SLOPPY for ''subsou
ploughs." On the main principle they are
agreed.
1t must be very gratifying TO Mr.. Thayer to
find himself sustained by 70 high an authority
as the Governor of Virginia, in opposition to the
of the Southern journals. He, no
doubt, likes railways and steamers as vel as
Governor Wise, and, though In the rnanifestoes
we have read, he SCENE to consider "sub soil |
ploughs" more immediate necessity, when the
proper time comes, after the immigration of his
people TO their new virginisn home, he would
probably be prepared to 90 as far as any South
ern man in helping to establish Southern line TO
Europe, or railroads TO the West For the pre-
sent, We are inclined to think that Virginia
stands more in need Of what be offers than of the
improvements 20 graudly proposed by Governor
Wise. A great foreign seaport cannot be built
up with few strokes Of the pen, or even q few
guarantee che pleases to a Norfolk and Havre
line Of steamers; unless there is the trade for
them q free, natural, and profitable trade, they
viii not succeed, and the enterprise will be "A
losing business TO tho State and 10 every one
concerned. At the present time, We greatly
doubt whether such trade exists Virginia
neither takes foreign goods enough, nor exports
domestic produce enough to warrant the estab-
iisbment of such line. When Mr.. Eli Thayer
and his 'subsoil plOughs' have been at work
R certain number of years and his exam
pie has been followed in other parts OF the
State. then. no doubt steamboat lines
will b. started. and railroads built, aud colleges
and taxes raised, TO the hearts con
tent of Governor Wise. But hi.bcrto. experience
tells us that a great seaport 10 the necessary
outlet TO @ rich and teeming back couotfy; that
you can no more create il without such coun-
tIy than you can create a well disciplined army
withou' drill.
Gov. wises letter, however, is an able one,
and viii repay pernsal 1t was not written with
out q thought Of the important election Of mem
bers OF Congress and State Legislature which
Is TO take place on the Goth inst The course Of
politics having utterly discounted the Know No
things and old wings the democrats are nov the
only party in the State. They are divided, If
we are to believe their newspapers, on various
local and political issues Of secondary moment;
hut the real issue between them is whether Wise
or Hunter shall be the next United States Sena-
tor. The letter on the French steamers may be