American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-06-18
DE BOWS zHTrnRs, &c.

Here is an extract Of another of De
Bows "Letters on the resources, i'm
proyements and commerce of Virgin
ia" which will be found richly worth
perusal. We are really much taken
with this writer. He writes good hard
sense on eminently practical subjects.
1t would afford US much pleasure to
SEQ these letters copied into every pa
per published in Virginia. Why do
not Democratic Editors copy z? They
are published in Governor Wise'S or
gan--the Richmond Enquirer:-
In this connection, we may add, with
out seeming to dictate or censure, that
the public press has the means and the
power to bring about those desirable
results, by diverting popular attention
from mere party politics, as generally
discussed, to the wider and more in.
structiye subjects of political economy
generally; from the one-sided pursuit
of tilling the earth, to the more diver.
siiied and profitable ones of combining
and utilizing the various products of
the earth. The interest exhibited by
the public in every item or paragraph
which relates to the resources of the
State, whether agricultural, manufac-
turing, mechanical, mining or CONNER
cial, is evidence enough of the deep in
terest felt in every substantial note of
information, whether local or general
which the newspapers may contain;
while the long parliamentary speeches
and the barbed editorials, on party doc.
trines, we are sorry to say, are neither
read nor appreciated by one in hum
dred, simply because they take but lit
tie interest in that which is not pro,
ductive or valuable, in business sense
and which only agrees to disagree
But We digress.
In our last we treated of the pre-
clous metals in connection with our re-
sources, more in reference to their gen.
eral utility, and value as medium of
exchange, than especially to the local.
tiles where they are formed, or as un-
important items of our mineral resour-
ces. But as we consider the pursuit
OF mining or obtaining gold, less prof
liable to communities than most of the
other industrial pursuits-however it
might reward the operatives--we do
not think proper to devote much time
or attention to them. The reasons
why we come to such conclusions are
simply these: Iron can be obtained
with more profit than gold, therefore,
VIC had better make iron to buy gold
than mine gold to buy iron. Iron re.
mains with us and utilizes labor; gold
Leaves US and impoverisbes labor. Yet
though we advocate the developement
OF iron and coal as preliminary and
auxiliary to the remaining available
metals, it is certainly desirable that a
diversity of pursuits should be encour.
ss,ged, in order to economise each other.
thus iron and coal enter largely into
the operation of producing copper,
gold, &C., and even themselves. Rail.
roads are required for the cheap trans
portation Of the ores and metals, and
IN procuring other facilities for mining:
the produce of the farmer and the pro.
auctions of the miner and tho manu-
'aoturers are economised, where they
exist in the same community; the same
area of ground will support diversifi-
ed population--that is community
where tho buying and selling, the pro-
ducing and consuming, are carried on
at home, Of five times the number it
would support Of agriculturists or far
iioers alone; or in other words thick
" settled farming district, if in min.
eral region though containing as ma
ny agriculturists as it could well support
would be in the very best condition to
support another population equally as
Dense of miners, or producers Of Goals
and ores, and yet another as dense as
the two first combined of manufactn.
rers; and all these connected would