Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-09-03
[Fromthe RichmondI iIoFnine. iS,,eV,s..ig 3
VirRInIa-IEeEsD eeIiIsss

We have been so much accustomed, tosIistehE
to high-sounding eulogies upon the S6ristine.
greatness of the "Old Dominion and the san.S
Client fame of hersworld renowned sons, that ne
are too prone toibelieye that the genius of her
ANCIENT glory still fingers around the sacred
precinctsso of her political fanes as tuteary de-
lily, and that her Briarean arms of material
greatness, reaching from the Atlantic to her far
Western boundary beyond the Mississippi, are
still as gigantic in their vast proportions 2oyers
Ishadowing world Of grandeur and magnifi.
cence unparalleled in the world s historys La.
inevitable as itmay appear, tits nevertheless
true, that her material prowess has been VAST
Ing and the sinhuencesshez once aexeFtedanpon
the commercial interests of the county has
passed to those sister States that drew their
nourlshment from breast, and gathered
strength from her own. weakness. "A single
gance at the statistics Of the population of
Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois, will afford efficient
evidence of the decline Of our own. State in one
of the most important elements Of material
greatness. Wedo not recur to thisssublect as
one peculiarly pleasant to us, neither do we re-
sort to lnvidlous comparisons fort the purpose Of
gratifying any feeling of rnalignitY that,we may
entertain towards this good old mother of US
all, butt is purely with the hope that the
delusion which5the syren song of the politician
and the demagogue has thrown around the de.
caying energies of our people, may be broken,
and that we may noilonger slook as through a
glass darkly," but that US face to face friend
talketh to friend, we may be led to look upon
the tremor which has seized her once Hercuean
limbs, that we may gaze upon the PROSTATE
form OF ancient power dragging, out misera-
BILE existence, with degeneracy stamped upon
every element of ancient renown. This should
not be so.
Virginia possesses now every element OF
greatness Except territory which she ever pos
sessed, with better knowledge of the extent
and capacity of these clements for making her
material greatness second to no State in the
Union. We have all the natural advantages OF
water, climate, productive soil, vast deposits OF
mineral treasures, awaiting but the touch oil
vital energyto come forth from natures prison
house, and contribute to the upbuilding of that
vast system of commercial enterprise which can
alone redeem our State from her fallen condi-
ton. What energy and enterprise has done foJ
other States, the same and greater results would
How from the same causes in Virginia. The
same causes that have given wealth, prosperity,
and population, to Ohio and Illinois, would soon
convert the barren rocks that now lie beneath
the rushing tide of our waterfalls into so many
foundations upon which manufactures would
Spring by your river side, as if by the hand OF
enchantnent; your cities would be populated
and the hills and valleys of the Old Dominion
would be made fruitful beneath the hand Of an
intelligent, prosperous, and happy rural popu.
iotion. This same spirit of enterprise has given
to the State of Ohio, which but a few years ago
was county of Virginia, an electoral vote o
40O, OOO-to Illinois, which was another slip
from her colossal body, an electoral vote OIL
100000; whilst Virginia, in very animated
contest for Governor, polled about 100, 900 votes
Figures do not lie, and we should heed the
truths they reveal.