New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-27

else Of their brains, endeayor to conquer compe-
tence. We do not say that Virginia can, in strict
equity, be placed in the category Of those trst
named, but we must declare that she has q narrow
escape of it, A great many medicines for her
disease are proposed, but few Of them are wise,
and many of them are simply laughable. Having
planted herself upon hypothesis which her whole
history refutes, and determined that if she cannot
make slave labor profitable she will have no labor
at all, Der whole ingenuity is expended in efforts to
insure prosperity by dogged adherence to an eco
nomical solecism. Hence, to the sharp eye OF the
intelligent capitalist all her projects, her oyster
taxes and schemes Of public insurance, seem puny
and insufficient, and are unquestionaby what they
seem 10 be. There isl vague idea that in some
way or other prosperity is to be drawn down from
heaven by virtue of long messages from Gov. Wise,
and this deluson is fOstered by the unquestiOnabe
fact that Virginia is exceedingly rich-On paper
Among the various remedies which have been
suggested for the Virgnan collapse, none has been
better praised in theory and more continually dis
regarded in practice than the establishment Of
direct commercial communication between the
State and European ports. There is an indefinite
notion that steamer plying regularly between
Havre and Norfolk would do the business at once.
AS we have before noticed, this idea is now under
going one of its periodical airings. 1.-The Franco
American Transatlantic Navigation Company
having eight large iron screw steamers, is very nat
urally willing to establish line between Havre or
Nantes and Norfolk provided money can be made
by doing So and We have no doubt would be equally
willing to earn dividends BY running other boats to
Terra del Fuego. With this company it is mat
ter solely of francs We find therefore that the
negotiations are opened in precise and business
like way which must be bewildering to the VIZ
gipian mind In its communication with Gov
Wise. the companyinduges in many theories OF the
probable profits of the speculation, which are not
however of so brilliant description as to seduce
these capitalists into the enterprise Ihey accord
inoly make il an express condition that they shall
8. receive $25, 900 per voyage Ito and fro) from the
:. safe of Virginia during period of five years.
Ibis is perfectly definite.
Now, what does Gov. Wise do upon the reception
of this communication He simply rushes to his
desk. SEXES his pen, and incontinently writes five
long columns to prove that Virginia is one OF the
wealhest States in the Union or if not, that she
ought to be. He ciphers like a DaboL. He pa
rades bis oyster scheme. He exhibits his great
insurance plan. Pray, of what possible consequence
is all this to 1.-The FrancO-Amercan Transatlantic
Navigation Company What it particularly wants
to know is whether Virginia will be ready with the
"S25, 900 per voyage for five years" This is pre-
ciely the point upon which it gets no satisfaction
1t is advised to send steamer at once to Norfolk
with cargo of French gOOds-to give thirty days
notice of the day of its arrival, and to trust to
general rush of all the merchants Of Virginia to
Norfolk to traffic We suppose that Gov. Wise an
ticipates sort of Leipsic Fair. We suppose that
he will issue his PROCLAMATION that Z" the steamer is
coming" We suppose that there will be some
thing like the excitement /" in good old Colony
times" attending the arrival of ship from
Europe
We have not heard of the reception given to Gov.
Wise's letter by the French Company, but We fear
that they will stick to their original proposal.
The Governor advises them to do sundry other
thiDgs-to apply to Congress for mail contract,
and to advance money TO complete the Kanawha
Canal and Coyington and Ohio Railroad. But as he
says nothing of being ready with the 5000, We
are afraid that for the present Virginia must re-
main in a steamerless condition.