Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-28
our civ and fts In.erests.

while the thorny, and frequently uninviting field
of political dspa,afion, with the asperities which,
unhappily, il 10 wont to engender.-to enter upon
the more congenial and grateful investigation Of
Subjects inaediately connected with the prospe-
rity Of our beloved Commonwealth. 1t has been
the error. we might ais.ost say. the vice Of Virgil
mia, that she has pAid too much attention to fed
eral affairs, and too little to her swn Originally,
the iirst State Of the Confederacy in political in
faence and power. ss well as ia the orler Of time.
she has scemsd 10 be intent chiefly upon maintain
ing her supremacy in the councils II the nation
all the while losing sight II the fact that TO be in
fuential aud powerful in the nation she should be
rich and prosperous within herself; and that all Of
her vast resources shoud be in constant process oil
development. From inatlention to this sr.b ect.
aud the devotion of the greatest minds Of Virgi-
MIA to federal Politics; have. whilst TN aintai
ming still no mean position in the linton. fall
fallen behind our sister States in the rIaech Of
improvement; and from the first, have declined
to the 9Th rank. in that which constitutes real
political power. IL is true that we have. Of late
years, been endeavuring to make amends for for
mer inatteation to these things and tina, Virginia
has, in the last fifteen years, made more railroads
with her own resources than any other State in the
Union: The only room for regret being that she
was too late in setting about the work and per-
mitted other States to get the start of her.
If the practical mind Of our great Washington
who was the first TO perceive tho Importance of
connecting tho waters Of the Chesapeake with
those Of the Ohio, by means of canal cut through
our territory--coud have been concentrated,
he himself woud have desired, upon snlcc Is
connected with the development of the resour e.
OF his beloved state we have doubt that tb g
would have received an impetus that not iag
could have restrained; and that to-day, every part
of our extended domain would be linked W, tn the
other Cur population would double que d rurlo
what it is and Norfolk would be the gr,a com
rncrcial emporiumof the South, If not o f the m.
ton But Providence. aud great crisis such as
rarely happens in the history Of any at ion, call.
ed this illustrous man to wider thcp trs; vet the
works which he planned during the ,rief inter
resnum allowed him by the nation, give evidence
Of what he would have accomplished if ciroum-
stances had favored Virginia he's n ow, however,
as we fondly trust, entered upon ew career and
will yet realxe the magnificent dos tiny that is be.
fore her. Discouraged by this pr aspect, we hero
conclude all that we intended to say respecting
the Commonwealth, II being our purpose to sub.
init a few thoughts concerning this city and its
interests.
At-no periol within our kno Wedge, has Lynch.
burg afforded so many concur rent evidences Of
prosperity as she presents now When we came
to reside here only three years ag there was ev-
a. rhnt ;
lind been even the year preceding. Dwelling
houses and stere rooms in abundance ere await
ing occupants whilst the general inte- rests of the
town. 50 far as we could judge. had ncl.rl reach
ed the point Of languishmcnt. This mp parent
siagnation could not have been occasionci Ivy tho
then impending crisis, for we ~ ca king
Of the Spring of 1857, and the pressure aid not
come on unit. the Autumn, and it is the moe
remai kahle tina, it succeeded year Of unusual
prosperity to the chief industrial interest thaa
tobacco manufacturing. But wha, aoon,rast doe,
this retrospect afford to the present! Our mer
camille establishments have increased in number
largely: every suitable locality for business is
cnpiej. and vacant dwelling house c.rcely,
il at all, he found. New store houses havo been
erected, whilst the old ones have been ,as'fully
and elegantly remodeled. SO that Main Stree, re-
ally presents an attractive aud city like appear
ance. The number of our Banks, Savings Instu-
tons aud Insurance Companies has been aug
mented; all, all, giving unnistakablc evidence OF
the growth and expansion Of our city. Aud not
wthstapdine THE increase Of business and enter
prise, failures have been rare 40 that may
boast, as we do with peculiar pleasure. that u
more stable and reliable business community in
proportion to population can no where be found.
Amongst these evidences of real prosperity, We
have purposcly failed to enumeraie the many hand
some and elegant buildings that have lately. and
are even now being constructed FOR the purpose
Of manufacturing tobacco We doubt whether.
in the ten years preceding the past, there had
been so many manufactures erected in the last
year. Aud yet, whilst are gratiGed at this
accumulation Of capital in trade and manufac-
lures candor compcls to express the regret that
it has not been invested in some way that would
tend to diversity our interests. This, we humbly
apprehend, has been the great mistake made by
the business men Of this city. aud has made it's
prosperity to depend almost solely upon q single
interest; 80 that when it languishes all others
suffer. 1t is low Of trade, that capital will
seek the best sources fer investment. and as to
bseco has heretofore presented the most attractions
in this regard. capital and Tabor have been dedi-
Gated to II In Lynchburg and thus that healthy
equilibrium which is maintained by proper dis
tribution of capital and labor. making one inter-
est support and foster another. has been impaired.
Bat this state Of things cannot continue. We
think that. considering the population Of the city,
and the proportion which this interest or occupa'
ton bears to ell others, il is overdone; and have
no doubt that II haM the capital. talent and en-