Washington telegraph., 1862-01-22
B.Nks-Now that "old things have

BaNKs.-Now that sold things have
been done away aud all things made new
| it is very desirable that we should beg''
70 question also, some of our old political
ideas. which have been so fixed in the
minds of Arkansians, as to entirely control
tbeir legislation This has been eminenfly
Ian uncommerciai State during the past
We have seemed to utterly disregard all
commercial facilities. even to the extent
of destroying, for all practical purposes tine
negotiablity of bills aud notes. And Il
bank has been horrible monster In the
minds of men, any proclivity towards
which would have ruined the political
prosp poets of any man. Whether 1t mas
been the result of this spirit OF uucom-
merciai legislation, or from whatever
s,pree the fact exists that Arkansas has
20 mart of any very extended commerce
within her borders, aud the hum or clang
Of a manufacturing establishment is the
| rarest of sounds.
Whether this be desirable condition
of things, is preliminary question which
each mus, determine for himself. Ii on
the whole, ole should conclude that 1t is
best for us to make cotton aud corn alone,
aud send off enough to import at high
prices, through country merchants, every
thing from needle to cotton gin, it is
the safest from his point of view, to let
things be. But if he begins to imagine
that it would, after all, be good thing
to see our mines of lead, aud iron, aud
coal all worked and rail roads lain down
to take it away and large commercial
luarts grow up upon our river banks, and
our agricultural implements, and shoes,
aud oznaburgs, and bagging, and rope. and
household furniture all made in our midst
aud the money kept circu ating here and
if, further, the pround aud ambitious
amongst US should wish to furnish our
daughters with a piano and our wives
with store dress occasionally, at mode
rate prices and if further we should pre-
fer selling our cotton at our doors and
avoiding the deeply scaling processes OF
freights and insurance, and commissions
are all Of US unduly profane, at times
and if when we come down to the low
lands with our mules and pork from the
mountain counties, we would always like
to find some money ready to buy them
with, such as would pay our debts, and
lay in our supplies, (small keg included)
aud make a payment on that piece OF
land, OF buy may be another nesro-in-
stead of being compelled to sacrifice them
or drive them back for want of what is
classically called the "spizerinctums"
Then it is fast coming time to consider
whether Virginia, and the Caroliuas, anu
Missouri, aud Tennessee aud Georgia, and
Louisiana have not been possibly right on
The matter of banks IL this time, aud Ar
| kansas little mistaken
1t happens to be dull time just now
for exciting war news, and then we are
SO sure of having this war game in our
own hands, that we cannot help Begin
nipg to speculate ou the good time We
will have after the War is over We
should now begin to make up our minds
as to what positions We will assume in the
new political world which will arise then,
and " hat new Influences we can exercise
for bringing about happier aud more
prosperous condition OF things. Depend
upon it, that matter of banks is not Ii
nIshed up satisfactorily by our experi-
ments with the Real Estate, aud State
Banks. More than two steamb boats have
been blown up on our Western waters,
with much loss of property, and horrible
loss OF life slckenlng to see Still for all
that We do not remember any considerable
party vino advocate the abandonment o.
steam boats, and restoration of the olo
broad horus and barges. Most people
prefer to see the steamboats, improved,
and accidents guarded against in future
being satisfied that steam boats are good
things in the main but require careful
pilot, and captains. Politicians are per
haps not good baok pilots 1t looks like
1t certainly. Perhaps if practical mer.
cauiile men and disinterested old farmer.
were mixed up and tried-(having an in
terest themselves In the boat) it might d .
better, and run long time.
PORTRAIT PAINTING A. NJ.
Black, wife of the Rev. B. j. Black, is
an amateur artist, who now, for the first
tine, offers her services to the public. by
advertisement in another column. w,
have examined some specimens of he,
painting, aud considering the fact tha