Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-02-24
0ur FutBre ProSuetts.,

l.
l." Our Future Prospects.
The operations of the general govern
ment. through long course Of years
have tended powerfully to stimulate thu
growth and prosperity ofthe North, ant
at dire same time to depress and retart
the growth and prosperity Of the South
! as well as to circumscribe the influence
and extension Of her Institutions. And
the North has,takeG. advantage Of its Pc
sition and increase in the government, tc
make fierce and uncompromising war on
the institutions of the South. =
For instance, they enacted high Ia
riff, which, in its unequal operation.
drew millions from the pockets of the ag,
ricultural people Of the South, and put
millions into the pockets of the manu-.
fac,uring people Of the North: The
commerce of the North which was least,
soon rose to be the. greatest, and the com:
merce eff the South, which was greatest,
soon sank to be least. By turning com.
merce from the Southern to the Northern
ports, the tide of emigration and wealth
was turned with it and as population and
wealth flowed westward from the COM
mercial cities, the western lands were ap-
propriated !; until now, it seems very
questionable il they viii not be with
drawn altogether from the objectof their
original grant to the Union by the sever
al States, and sauandered in5corrupt L.
gislation,: ~
Under these combined influences; the
South has lost her political supremacy
and eontrolin the Union and the grave
question now is, how can she re-
sist the: hostile encroachments of the
North. The nulliier says, nullify the
laws of Congress; the secessionist says
secede the submissionists says buster,
and if that does no good, submit. The
masses say they think and care very little
about the matter: but the patriot and
statesman says, We have, assumed obliga-
tons as members Of the Union not to be
violated and the enquiry returns, how
can wekeep our covenant, and yet defend
our rights2 -, !
We answer emphatically, that the way
to do it, is for the South, with Virginia
in the lead, to develop. her physical re-
sources. In her moral derelopm ent, she
far excels the North-in physic al devel-
opment, she has also all the ele mehts Of
superiority and future greatness.
Let Virginia at once complete her great
Central Trunk Railroad, and what would
be the result?
Just What has happened in a less de-
gree every where else under sim liar cir.
cumstances. 49, 4
With that road completed, the finest
sea pert in the world would be put in di.
rect conaeedon with the great producing
States Of the Northwest, with Kentucky
and the whole boundiess valley of the
Mississippi, and by the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad in connection with
great States of the Southwest, and by the
Danville and other Southern Railroads
with the whole South. That best sea,
port ip the world, is in Virginia! 1t is
now proposed to connect it by a steam
ferry line with the next best sea port in
the world, situated in, the greatest g ON
mercial empire on the gists. Complete
this world 5 highway, aud the steam ferry
starts. Pile up on our borders the pro,
ducesof the New World and the merehan.
dizeaof the Old, 'till they sit on the
shore like mist on the hill, y and rival
in their magnificent proportions the Peaks
of Otter. =. @z
Pay no more tribute to the North to.dc
your exporting and importing, nor te
Northern shipping and Northern Rail,
roads to do your carrying. ]
| Pay your revenues at Norfolk instead
of-Ne~ Forf-tHrn back into our border:
the tide Of emigration--fill up our forest:
with an industrious populatiop-eplargt
our cities with warehouses and wholesale
establishments. Instead of retail stores
and candy shops-unlock our bidder
treasures, and develop our mineral wealth
-let. such be our policy and such GU,
work, and the South will be stronger
than the North-stronger in the Unior
than out Of it-strong in men as in mo,
rails, in political power as in materia
wealth, and Virginia the strength ofthc
South. Z
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