Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-19

OF sll tho Southern towns that nave beeou
famous since the revolution, perhaps no one h
/; greater claims to attention than that Upon VIII,
!, the eyes of the world are now 6xsd--literaI
. fixed, and no metaphor for upon the fate ofth
! town may depend the future Of the whole world
! Richmond towit: the capital Of the State
!. Virginie, a community that will endure en-
.. .. also of the Southern Confaderacy whish ma
not have many weeks Of life in H. Richmoa
: Is not one Of the old places Of America, and di
! not become the capital Of Virginia until pero
that is yet within living memory The plse
was begun in 1888, but it was not incorborsts
! sntil 1742; and it was made the cSpital of Yn
ginia in I779 when it could have contained bu
q few hundred inhabitants. Nor was il fas
growing town, as it had less than six thousau,
, people at the close Of the eighteenth century
when the event Of the third Presidential election
! had prepared the way for the incoming ef " th
Virginia dynasty OF Presidents. But the tow
had even then certain sclis and resEsctabt
position ia America, witch it has eYsr sino.
maintained, while in some respects it n6s in
creased is influence. Being the capital of Vir
ginia, being then in every sense the chief Stat,
Of America, and full Of men Of tsleAt-nost o
whom had distinguished themselves in the con
tests of the revolution and for the C)pstitu
tiOn-it was impossible that Richmond should not
attract as mucs American attention as it does
a
great deal has been said about the power which
Virginia then had in the country, but was il
not q natural state Of things that shs should
be powerful, remembering what she then VISA,
and what she continued to be down aIsnest to
the middle sf tha present century, Her Eevs-
/ lutionsry services had been great, we s1ay say
I transcendantly gEsat, vixen we cast the mind's &
! eye over the roll Of the first class Of msn, ia
various capacities, whom she sent to take Issd-
I ing parts in the work Of making the Auelican
Hstion: Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Honfy.
1 George Maasn, Z. H. Lee, George Wyths,
I Henry Lee, and others; while Madison had
4 been one OF the trainers of The Federal Oonstitu
ton, and perhsps the sblest msn in the House
of Representatives. Monroe, too, was dis
tiaguished as a national legislator, and Rimusd
Randolph, thoBgh not faultless man, was re-
spected for his talents, SAD for valuable neryiess
wkich, on various occasions, he had rendered to
his country John Marshall had laid so;idly
the foundation of one Of the greatest regulations
that sE American is ever likely TO havs.
itwould require much space to mentioa Easrely
the names Of other prominent Yhginisns who
were then eminent, or rising to eniinence, and
some of whom became not unworthy successors
Of the men of the revolutionary aga-suoA men.
for example, IS John Randolph, Wn B Giles.
i. w Tszewell, John w. EDpes and William
Writ The supremacy that Virginia then held
was a Legitimate supremacy, the sscepdencv
that great talent ever has held, and which It
ever will bold and 10 complain of its existence
WAS then IS foolish as it would be now to sneak
Of il as the result Of usurpation or Of political
exeiusveness, or OF the existeuce of slavery
Virginia being what she WAS, it was in rule thst
her capital should be the grand center eff Ameri-
can political life. though the town was then not
so large IS are many AOrthern towns of the
third clsss, that have no weight beyond what
they hold from their votes. No town il the free
States ever held a position like hers or wss
looked to, apd looked up to, Sc was the town on
the James river, or the Jscmes, as they call it
with the true Yellow plush pronunciation
II was there that disuni5n wsg warmly
discussed while Washington was yet alive.
and befsTe the Constitution had completed
Its teRth yeaT, and two generations ear
lier than Richmond was elevated to the
dubious honor of becoming the capital Of the
Southern Contederaey Those 0utragos on
American political principles, the alien and
sedlaon laws, created much discomfort, and the
m0vements OF the ScntheTR leEders ia epaosi
ton to them, psFtOok of secession character.
though not of any deeper dye than belonged to
certain Northern movements of efer days
Whether the Southern men would have been
any more liberal than were the FederAlisss, ia
l79o, had they possessed power, is question
might have been if certain things had never
been; but is the fset that they whether from
being in opposition or not, did take the liberal
sids IN the great question that tlen divided the
world, while most Of the leading aen Of the /
North teok the side Of desPOtitim, and would /
have been glad to see England aud her allies /
victorious over France. This it was that threw (
the Northern democracy and the Southern aris-
tocracy together, and created Union that was 4
to snd In disunion. Originally that combina-
ton which became so offensive in our time was |
3 natural alliance, and but for the increase of /
cotton culture it would probably hsve worked |
well for the country for many years vet to conae
The society Of Richmond has ranked as high
IS that Of any other AHerieaH fsan fer ssvesty
years or thsTeRb0ut. 1t sontsiEed IS rzsnY cul-
tlVated men and women as cslld be fsuad in
many places Of much larger population The
press was pOWeTful-ihe Richmond EnO1rirer
Mr. RIschie's paper, having national rspuba
hon, he conducting it for mors than forty years.
NO otRer American journal ever hsd 50 great
"a influence as that which belonged to the En-
IusytT for the greater part Of its existence down
10 lS45, when Mr. Ritchie Wens 10 Washington.
10 take chargs Of Polk's hsHd organ the Union
by which he lost his reputation and did not ead
fortune. The Hhlg, which was established
nuch later than the EHglrr, was of great
weight on the anti-D Democratic aide There ware
md are, several other papers published at Rich
aond-s bakers dozen in all--most of which
have more than local Tsputstiona; the Examiner
n particular, having been notorious for many
Tears for the savage ability with which it has
lsssiled the North and FREQ labor, and upheld
Iiayegy and Southern rights.
Religious societies, educational institutions of
7arious kinds, and places of amusement, are
very common in Richmond, or were so in the
,aTly montbs Of 1861. The city was very pros
,erous, and had lis full part in ths material
growth of the country lis business was large.
Ind it had a worldwide renoyFn because of the
of its -four trade, and the vastness
Il its doings IN tobacco. 1t was town OF mills
md forges, and machine shops, etc, ss we have
earned to our cost SINCE the war began, as Ricb-
nond has furnished shs rebel srziss with many
f those things that render armies useful in the
ield. The position Of The lace ct the lower
alls of the james, and st the head Of tide wster,
lid much to promote its commercial growth
nd its natural advantages we're improved by
be making Of canals and railways the Rich /
nond traders, though the foSer of chivelry, of
ourss showing tbemselyes t be IS slreWd in
matters OF business As II they had been born
nder the shadow Of Bunker Hill monument and !
ad read Poor Richards advice not furloug
rom Plymouth Rock. The population Of Rich
aond at tae time that TIE ple,.s was made the
apital of The Southern Gonfederscy, usust have
cen hard upon 10000 Itwould be difficult to
sy what il is now but after the wsr shall be
Ver, let the event Of tne what it may, no
ouht Richmond viii soon become as prosperous
$ evsr she was and Tiss to greater enlinence
hau ever. Her natural advantages warrant such
conclusion, not TO sp,ak Of the go-ahead char
eter Of her population, who are Yankees in
oct, Whatever they may be in name.
!
aPorsuns Grom B4rePe-PrOpOsed me9Ia-
SiGR.
The Arabia, Of CIlpe Race, with weeks la !
.r ra.ns hrirrs anr,a ;-nnnnrtant irtclI:aa-o. !.