The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-02

,..., prp,cctcd in the South, the numerous
..he,ncs of railroad and other improvements
before the Legislature Of Virginia, bear wit
ness 10 the wonderful recuperatiVe energies of
our rcople we see all around Us evidences
of that incxhaustible vitality which has
enabled the race from which we spring to
overcome all the adverse forces Of nature and
misfortune. 10 grow stronger from wrestling
with difficulties and discouragements, to
derive from danger the inspirations Of hero
ism. and 10 pluck the flowers Of hope from the
very Jaws Of despair.
The history Of our mother land Is illulnina-
ted on every page with achievements that Will
never perish till the fast-ancrored isle
rrumhles into the sea which she has made
tributary 10 her power but nothing in all her
rcSplcudent annals is so wonderful, 50 pecu-
liar j. invested with such moral subli
mlty n the tcnacity, the endurance, tho per
-.stcut energy, with which her people
from the very first, have encountered
and overcome the most adverse circum-
stances. Romans, Danes, Saxons, Normans,
have. each III turn, swept over the little
island and held its people in subj"ction. But
Britain. IN spirit rs in name, survived them
al: azsimilatcd where she could not conquer
uy contact with the ..arih. OUT Of the discord
sut elements cams forth national charac-
;cr, which combines the military energy Of
Romans, the chivairy Of Normans, the mari
umc harlihood Of the sea kings, III" patient
industry Of tn" SaNous. with Ia" lntens"
p1irio;i>m and nGonitahle pluck OF the origi-
rat inhabitants Of the soil, Wars within her
yn borders. wars between til" three islands
worse than these prolonged and bloody civil
and religious wals-;tud, when she had reCo-
>ylpd from all these, the most tremendous
for.ign war. in which y country ever was
engaged, combined for her destruction, and
out Of each and all Of these She came forth
with undauEted heart, with smews strength
enrt hy the struggle, with Will which stood
Hh.. an anvil. and wore out the hammers that
wasted their blows Uponit. The whole world
NaS once arrlycd against her in arms raging
youud her like III" eucompassinc ocean, but
when the fury Of the elements subsidized, the
no~ that for 4 thousand years has brayed the
h.ttlr and the breeze was waving IN triumph,
and the World like tn" sea, was her tributary
and her va sal.
Nothing OF Ill the manifold rcnown OF Bri-
tain is 50 Glorious as the inll"Xible determine
non and uncong gucY~Iblc manhood with which
.na has batlled against the most discouraging
..d almost plralyz!n~ mlsfortunes. Her
NAKthuE0rGu-, her NsLsoNs, her SHAKs-
fn,rr-. her BAcoSs, her BrRKEs viii live Ms
t,ts.. - uulnau genius Is revrrcnccd, bat more
marvellous and unparalleled than any and all
a., tlr,.. /, the creative energy which has made
.. n,,Iu island not larger than Virginia, over.
r,f,t and suhugatcd tv SuCc, ssive foreign con-
.uu,s,s, rent a>uuder by internal conrulstous,
uad dr>poiled by the American war OF It's
tf.hr>t colonial poss, SSiOns, more prosperous,
,rur. powerful. more triumphant after every
disaster than il was before, until this mere
,urrk on the sea has become The commerc!a!
.#.i~trrss OF the world.
unr,rItY III one of his most interesting
CHAPTERS. bears eloquent testimony TO the
powerful recuperatiye energies of the British
people II. tells us that no wars, no floods, 40
l.r,s no pestilances. no calamitics of whta-
ever kind. have been able TO destroy the public
..osuoriiy - fast as III. efforts of each indi-
,adG;l man 10 improve his own condition
would repair the ruin. The civil wars, the
rcut flrc in London, the great plague, merely
produced Il temporary halt in tn" progressive
taurrh of industry. The tide was partially
damned up for a time. but the fountain from
distractions were removed, the current sought
- accustomed channels. and flowed with
accelerated volume and velocity In On incred-
div short period. :hc places rendered barren ny
..ar wcrr blooming with fertility, out OF the
nsncs Of H., great ire arose new, and NOR"
',"autlful, aud more populous, London the
E,ry spot, wh'r" tho prstii"uce had run riot,
I'r:,Ia" the most crowded thoroughfares Of
busy life England, in fact, never attained
n"r meridian Of glory till her sun had stru8-
led ~ 1n arch bcset all the way by darkness
md storms and lhen she burst, tn!i oTbed,
#nOu IL, nations.
Ihr people of the South are, In the main,
- elWe race which has demonstrated III
Enricud that individual energy, struggling 10
improve is own condition, can rapidly repair
a. the injuries that the calamiti"s oil war and
gt..>tIicucp can bring upon people. Evidences
are multiplying around us that the spirit OF
our forcfathers has not degenerated. II would
'e an eternal shame and scandal II we, the
descendants Of such race, should entertain
lie sugges1iOus Of despair, OF even OF doubt.
We have suffered no calaniiles which deserve
aD br named In the same day with those
:, hich, for centuries. tried and brought out
he sterling gold OF British character. We
uara 4 territory compared with which the
British isles become almost invisible dots Oh
Ia, map The South embraces eight hundred
nd :ity thousand square miles, ana Is rs
large IS Great Britain, France, Aus'rla,
Prussia, and Spain. We have three thousand
'qI!c, Of coast line, indented with bays ana
crowded with islands. We have staple pro
4uctIons upon which the world depends iol
manufactures and commerce, ana "hlch no
other part Of til" world can produce
Ia equal perfection We have The lhost
Productive soil and genial climate OF
virgin continent. The recupefall'e
powers of such region are periecl'S III
calculable Virginia, the leading southern
STATE. is the geographical centre OF inc Amer
IN Union, marked out by the hano Oh 'h'
Create. for "A magnificent destiny. we nave
oaly 10 abandon the prontiess Pui9ui'' ''
politics, to ignore their very existence ana
devote oar undivided attention 10 the ADVANCE
,n"nt Of our individual welfare 10 poiSoh"t
and effort, aud 10 the deSeiol'i.ien'o!
he material wealth of the State ana the !a''
traces of the war will disappear py the Gnu '1
rhe next decade The State VIII De lichei'