The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-01-11
The Prospect.

The Prospect.
Promising that the future Of our s'a'e uo
pends somewhat on the wisdom OF the preseh'
isla,ure-upon the iiberality ana sasae'.'
of it's measures touching trade ana sap,sa.'
and expressing the hope That 1t Will oe "o'o "
elevate itself TO the height of the exRe"eS' We
will saw a few plain words on the s"oJ.
Man are much inclined 10 look do"o''nsy ~
the future, in9uirinG whefe "''
~. or. the means of bringing in
-, s,,oo we have nothing to sell, and will
h,ro no,hinr for n long timer The reply OF
,or,,,o, .en.e would be Have we not seen
wilderness, without crops, without even
ae,d. 10 cultivate them, settled up in few
wears by thrifty and independent and fiou-
rishing population. having plenty of money
and plenty of the necessaries Of life
And is there not here country already
cleared and civilized, possessing rich
lands, immense mineral wealth, unsurpassed
water power-and all ready for the laborer, the
artisan, the man Of science and the capitalist
It may be said that the land in the wilderness
cost only dollar and quarter an acre, but
then the labor of clearing and settling brought
Il up 10 fifty dollars an acre; nay, nearer a
hundred Here we have cleared lands, which
NAV be bought for from five TO fifty dollars
an acre. with all their improvements-the
highest price being for most beautiful and
fertile lands. Now, will not these lands and
the mineral regions of the State attract i'm
migration and capital from the North and from
abroad. Ought not these attractions to be
stronger than those of n wilderness, with none
of the comforts, none of the advantages OF
civilization and commemorative neither
houses nor roads, nor mills nor any thing for
comfort and shelter-the immigrant ha wing to
carve these out of the savage wild Yet, rs we
have seen such a country grow rich and popu
lous in a few years, we may reasonably calcu-
late that the superior attractions of this old
State will, ut least, be rs inviting to the
stranger, and that under the new STATE of
things we shall have added to the means and
resources of the State very considerable
immigration, with the capital and industry
that belong to it.
II may be asked why has not that immgra-
ton tended thither heretofore? The answer
is simple: Slavery repealed it, 1t could not
be drawn here under the system. Slavery re-
qured large plantations. 1t could not be
maintained in land of small farms; nor
could free labor exist successfully in contact
with it. Slavery being abolished, free labor
and small farms ensue. The immigrant finds
here cheap lands, good houses, roads, mills,
his hand. The capitalist finds country richly
endowed with mineral wealth and wa ter
power; and the incoming immigrant, swelling
the supply Of labor, assures him of the force to
conduct the operations of mining and manu-
featuring at economical rates.
We shall then see the new coming laborers
and CAPT talists. Villages and manufacturing
towns will spring up the country be cut up
into small farms, carefully cultivated and
condition of prosperity and activity will
prevail-indicating the vast increase in the
aggregate wealth and population. The COM
merce will be greater, the revenues Of the
State and her ability TO pay her debt greater
than at any former period.
1t may be said that we cannot count upon
the trade until we have some production.
Very true; but in the interim we will have the
benefit of capital through the sale of lands
and the provisioning Of new corners. But We
will not wait as long as many suppose for the
production. People are going to work very ear
nestly, and are much more hopeful than they
were TWO months since. The African is gradu-
ally perceiving that nobody can get along with
out labor. lie is finding that his first concep-
tions on the subject, after he was liberated,
were erroneous, and that he cannot avoid the
curse pronounced upon all men, that in the
sweat of the brow they should eat their bread.
The lessons of q winter will shed much light
upon his situation and his duty, and we may
hope he will prove this by his conduct the
coming year Treat him fairly, patiently and
kindly las we know he will be treatedl and
then if he fails he must give place to others.
But We have reasons TO believe that he will
not, and that the resources from productions
of the State will soon raise the tide Of our
good fortune, and restore prosperity and
cheerfulness to the country.
All that is necessary 10 enable us TO realize
this is, first, that the Federal Government
should, by some frank and liberal measures,
perfectly restore US to equality with all the
States, and relieve us and the world with
which we deal from all apprehension of
policy which may seriously affect our rights of
property, or degrade Us or shackle our indus
try This Will not only inspire perfect con-
fidence here, but elsewhere, in u.s. Secondly,
that our Legislature shall, by its own energy
and spirit, and by its sagacity and hberality,
give assurance to us and the world that Vir
ginia is still a great State, full of resolution
and enterprise, and actuated as ever by that
high public and private honor, and good faith
TO all obligations, which have won for her q
fame without stain before the world.
----------------------------------
Virginia Stocks.
Tho rhifrary rule of the Board of Brokers