Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-09-01
wv 1rH the changes in affairs, since the
w cessation of hostilities, the sentiments

N71rH the changes in affairs, since the
w cessation of hostilities, the sentiments
and policy Of many have undergone changes,
and the desire never to see the ''Old Domin-
ION" turn her attention to Manufactures for
fear that it might depreciate the value Of her
slave property or do away with the institu-
ton of slavery, must give away before the
march of events.
Virginia is fitted by nature to take stand
among the first Manufacturing communities
in the world She is supplied with an i'm
mensity of water power, vast and varied
assortment of metals and minerals of the
finest quality, soil which can furnish pro-
auctions more than sufficient to sustain the
immense labor which would be necessary to
develop and manufacture the abundant ma
terials buried beneath it, and is blessed with
one of the most pleasant and salubrious
climates in the world All these taken to-
gether give her the pre-eminance over any
Of her sister States, in material and facilities
for becoming the great manufacturing State
Of the Union With no drawback now, in
eident to the slavery question, to prevent the
full development Of her manufacturing re-
sources, it is the duty Of the hour to look
forward to and help her to reach an advance
etep in that direction.
Virginia can compete with New England
for the supremacy in this and she must do it.
In fact it is the only sure way left her to keep
pace with the progress of the other States of
the Union, and at the same time retrieve her
losses.
With the desire to advance the manufac-
turing interests of our State there must also
be kept in view, as the initiatory step, the
increase and improvement of her systems of
INSTRUMENTATION 1t has been the fate of
nearly all her works of internal improvement
TO start out for some point they never reach.
Whether it is inability, or want Of energy, or
what not, it is nevertheless true that they
stop short of their projected destinations. fol-
an unwarantable length Of time, and conse-
quently but few, if any, Of them pay any.
thing. Their stock is dreadfully below par
and all from the old fogy inertia which seems
heretofore to have possessed the people Of ou1
State. Oh! for live coal to put upon the
back of the terrapin Virginia.
Although we desire to see the rapid ad-
vancement of all our systems of intercom-
munication, yet we confess to feeling greater
interest in those nearest US. Especially would
we like to see the Virginia Central Rail Road
extended to the Ohio River. Then no! for
double track and many a branch road to
bring in the rich deposits west Of this point
to be manufactured at home, and big city
at the other end, really entitled to be called
Richmo(u )nd Cor mont, which, by the i'm
mensity of its trade, will rival the queen
cities of the East
With the improvement and extension Of
all her lines of trade, the development Of her
resources and the advancement of her manu-
featuring interests, will come the golden op-
portunity for the poor, unfortunate Virginia
of to-day to amass many times more wealth
than she has lost in her devastation and her
slaves, and then for the glory of seeing New
England, her successful rival of to day, by
her overwhelming resources for war, but
second best in the great race for supremacy
in manufactures, by Virginia's overwhelm-
ing facilities in that line fully developed