The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-13
0htGnteIEliiQen
RATEs or sUBSCRIPTION.
.ConsersV.latis tisRnd DB9an1ei By sE6nsel

.conser;v.aaItl.sIilla D9dnea BY E5nser-
i vatiye.''
The conservative creed of the Vir-
4 ginia rebels, and the spirit of 'conser-
yatism" generally are well q expreFsed
and Illustrated by the subjofned para
/ graph from an editorfaKarticle in late
number of the Richmond Times:
The danger now is, that the emigra-
4 ton comphnieS, which are becoming so
numerous, will not onlyacquire mon
opoly in the business ofimporting emf
| grants, but will also command degree
| OF political influence, which will, in
effect; make them the proxies for cast
ing the controlling Sbte I'M the State.
These land and emigration companies
are also colonization societies. Their
| general purpose is not to import labor
\ ers, for hire-but tenants, Tor coloniza-
ton. They are even now contempla-
ting ngbuYipgEup almost whole kcpunties,
4 with the view to dividing up the plan
tations into lots forsmall farmers. This
1 system, if allowed to proceed without
| necessary restrictions, Will, inevitably,
lispossess the present land owners, and
supply their places with liked commu-
mites OF Yankees, Ddtchmeh, Irish
men, Scotchmens and lSwedes, to the
utter subversiOn and destruction OF
those social and political habits, and
manners, and customs, and opinions
which constitute Virginianism.
We do not regard il as expedient or
safe to entrust the balance of political
power in the. State to citizens newly
made out of European peasants, voting
at the dictation of a corporate campany.
We would have our emigrants dispers;
lorganized into isolated communities.
And we would, moreover, prefer them
to go through pupilage us hired Ia
borers, before advancing them to the
dignity of small farmers. This would
be greatly'to the benefit of the immi-
grants themselves.
The General Assembly, by assuming
Legitimate control of the subject of emil
gration.conducting 1t Through State
agents, as has been nsuggested-may put
i down all competition and, without ul-
innate expenseto thei State, secure the
desired results.
We do not wish the population of
Virginia to be increased by huge land
and emigration companies dispossess-
ing our good old Virginia population.
We wish labor for the farms of our farm
ers, and the gradual sale Of portions of
| the large plantations to the better class OF
I'laborersS the Representative of the old
and noble race Of this State forever re-
tanning their position as landed pow
er. Without this race no body would
care to be Known as a 'Virginian.
We ask those of our citizens who
CHANGED to be born on the eastern side
of the Atlantic. to reflect upon these
declarations of the organ of the self
styled conservative" or democratic"
party f.Virginia, and to consider that
this same sentiment peryades the same
party everywhere, though it does not
find SO frank q declaration anywhere
else. Is the &fsoiH,iof the great terrific
rial empire of Virginia too sacred" to
be polluted by the ownership of those
who happen (and they have no occasion
to blame Providence for it) not to be be-
long to the "ffrst families of Virginia."
They are not. objected to s'as hired la
borers," but us to their aspiring to the
"dignity of small farmersH-itI Is simr
ply presumptuous and not to be tolera-
ted. None but the "good old Virginia
population, 1" "the old and noble race, y
without which "nobody would care
to be known ass q Yirgilnlilap,D Z are
good enough to possess that sa-
cred soili And so population
and capital are to be repelled,
and the schools and churches, the con-
yeniences, advantagesy society, iihstitu-
tions, ,refnementsy prosperity and ag-
gregate happiness, which an intelligent
and industrious people would bring
into andibliiid up onia Territory CbS ma
tnre most nobly endowed, are TO be re-
pulsed by a blind, selfish .egotism in
those who at most could but go on from
one Z stage. of poverty to 70 anothers
tilI they could no longer resist the
incoming wave of enlightenment
and progress; For as sure as fate the
landed -aristocracy of Virginia have
ditiieir day Labor Is to be the true
badge of chivalry in future; and those
who cannot submit to its degradations
must give way. Virginia may 1egislate
okeep. out the working Yankees, and
Germans, and Scotchmen, and Irish
men, but the war has brought to light
the fact that the territory of Virginia is
richly endowed with all .ths natural
elements that make it a field for, ,unlim-
tied enterprise and wealth. and the
working people are bound to goin there
and occupy the field and cannot bekept
out. These feeble. struggles against
such a result show nothing but the Bit
terness of the spirit of caste, which has
had its day, but dies hard. ei,s'i
Thank Heaven the loyal people of
West Virginia are not bound down to a
future OF t'shabby gentiIity, sueh as
the ayedlaristocracy.Offyirginia are
trying TO preserve, but cannoti Here