American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-03-19

tieFiou upon tne people at this time, and
tundor existing circumstances would
produce a state Of dissatisfaction to-
ward the dominant party in this State
that might probably leadrto the result
to which the gentleman refers. 9 a|a
Mr.. DAyIS-The gentleman at the
time was discussing the policy of con
structing railroads, and he opposed
that policy upon the grounds that it
would lead to an increase of taxation,
land that that increase would tend to q
dissolution of the Democratic party
pof Virginia. Now / take issue with
the gentleman upon the explanation
he has given. do not believe that
Ethe Union loving citizens of Virginia
would dissolve the Union or the Dem
|'ocratic party ifone fourth of one per
cent were added TO their present i'm
posts. If thatis is the slender tie which
Eholds the Union together, God have
mercy upon US. Laughtcr.) 1 have
heard it asserted in days gone by, and
long before | took much active part in
the politics Of the country, that ''the
Democratic party was held together
by the cohesive power of public plum
DER but | never imagined for a mo-
ment that such small consideration as
the one fourth of one per cent. would in
troduce division into the ranks of that
old party. (Laughtor.
Railroad improvements give increas-
ed. demand for labor, and is not this a
question worthy Reconsideration when
we reflect that hundred of thousands
from the old world land upon our
shores seeking employment? And is it
not better to employ them on our rail-.
roads than to.feed them at the public
expense in the poorhouscs 1t increas-
es the facilities of the people for obtain
ing knowledge. In the state of Yir.
ginia we have built schools and found
Ell colleges; but the people from the
wait of facilities for intercommunica-
tion have hitherto been benefited lit
tie. by them. We have lived isolated
and have known but little of each 9TH
er; but railroads have annihilated
space; and they do more, they bind
the interests of the different localities
with bonds of iron, so that disunion can
never come. .....-r....
But there are other wants of the
people which require that we should
perseverc in internal improvement pol
icy in this State which | shall not
now enumerate. We are not at the
beginning of this system. We are not
here to settle new principle. Sir,
the State of Virginia has adopted that
policy; and we are gone too far to back
out from it. We have now nine mil
lions invested, and shall we say that
these nine millions shall be lost be.
cause we refuse to do what we ought
to do complete the great works that
we have begun? [ have endeayored
to show indirectly how railroads do
pay; and now | come and ask the
question why do not railroads pay bet
ter? l say, because they are not fin
ished. Allow me to make one ;lustra-
tion in this connection, which, ap-
prehend, will be fully understood by
every member on this floor. Suppose,
sir, as a farmer, you invest So, 900 in
wild lands, and then you spend $4,000
more to improve it, making in all an
expenditure of $1,000. With all this
you have only cut the logs and piled
up the brush. After you had made
this expenditure of money and labor,
| want to know if you would abandon
1T, when it has not brought you sin
gle cent? Would any intelligent man
abandon this enterprise after it has
been advanced nearly to d stage when
it would yield q full return for all that
had been expended? No, sir; he would
summon up his energies; he would
nerve himself for Increased exertions,
and make a larger expenditure of lal
Dor and money, roll up the logs, burn
the brush wood, put in the seed, and
then ne would realize the benefits of
his outlay. That is the condition Of
the railroad improvements Of the State
OF Virginia We have not fairly clear
ed away the bush. We need little
more energy, or, as a distinguished
individual i'll the Mexican war said, ga
little more grape" in order to com
Iplete this great system and make it
profitable. The Southern States c&.
port annually to foreign markets a.
bout one hundred and thirty millions
of dollars worth Of products cotton,
rice, sugar, hemp and tobacco. How
does it reach that foreign market?---
What is the course of this Southern
trade? 1t goes down into tho South
West, and then upon the Mississippi
] to Cniro. Mlfnncn. hv sornn rnilrnnl, Is