The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-09
WEDNESDAY .......JANuARY ., 1867.
incarceration and IIomesteads

are highly desirable; yet, in our preseh
POLITICAL condition, IL Is much easier 10
our brethren Of the press to pile up plau
sible suggestions than for the responsible
representatiyes Of the people to see thei
wsy TO practical measures. 1t is, indeed
usinfal and pitirul to notice the entire
nullity of all efforts hitherto attempted 70 70
the encouragement Of Immigration ,ho.
Virginia. with view Of increA 80
n,oSrc,. of the soil and furnishing = sup
DIV Of white labor. The noa.N ~ uon.o
r,s.;on uresensed its report 10 inc nou,e
cns,.cstes on Monday, and have simply
o cav. that the result Of their labors isna'
Va. they have assuredly done what they
cou,d II is no fault Of theirs, nor OF the
legislature, that their address to intend
inc emigrants from foreign countries meets
with no response. Neither is II SURPRISING , =
% learn. from the accompanying report OF
cenera, RICHARDSON, that the Correspond
.nce -onened in June last with u.
" American Emigraut and Homestead
Company of New York, mas ~sr
to "no practical results" = W.
York company knows that the mus .
,r;ou. neople continually crowdins lh'o
tina, barbor are capital, are treasure Oh INC
49,. nrec;ous kind; and such prudeh'
onmnanv prefers very naturally the ln.e-
80 sc ia own State and city, and oil the
-. c,.,l,or west which feed and
swa,l the greatness of New York. The
.rents Of that company are rather ikeiy 10
I'll the arriving immigrants that virginia
i.a poverty stricken and turbulent Sot' VI
n,ace. that no new homesteads can DC pro-
,o;sed here to bona tide settlers; tha' Pco-
nile settling here would find themselves IL
an inferior political position, without
voice in voting the Federal taxes lhes "'o
compelled to pay, and with every prospect
Of seeing their very title to their JANUS
called in question. In short, one can well
imagine what plausible, and what rea'' ana
what yeritable reasons would be gwen Oy
the New Workers to turn aside the stream
or foreign immigration from our borders,
and direct 1t mainly towards the very re-
gions which feed the traffic Of New YORK
railroads, and swell the business OF Ne"
York importers.
Yet few countries on earth could offer
more tempting inducements to industrious
settlers than this rich and pleasant Nlr-
pipia. And Heaven knows there are mil
lions upon millions of the swarming people
Of Europe who need, and ask for, and
search for just such spot of earth as TINS,
Is bring to il their strong hands and indus
trious habits, and their savings from life
of toll, if we would but open the way.
And it is not the Legislature that can do
this. II is the landed proprietors, and they
only who can do it. General RICHARD
soS's report tells us that in September last
n select colony Of 700 Danes could haue
been settled in Virginia if farms of fifty or
one hundred acres could have been pro-
cured on reasonable terms; but that all
negotiations failed, on account of the high
prices demanded for lands. This Danish
colony brought with it, we are told, $780,
900 in gold, and what is yet more precious
than their gold, they brought the patient
and willing industry which had created
those savings. Where are they now, those
Danes Settled in some western State,
where they are making the wilderness to
blossom as the rose-and making business
for New York merchants.
Senator OULD, we observe, has brought
in what is called a Homestead bill"
Totally useless for promoting immigration
because Virginia has no lands to bestoW
on new settlers; and only useful, II Ut all
useful, in staving off ruin for time from
present owners of farms, and inducing them
to hold on desperately until devoured by
taxes and overwhelmed by debt. Ihe
obstacle to strong flow Of Immigration
into Virginia appears to be the high price,
n, which farms are held on the one hand
and the gloom and uncertainty OF ou'
no,;,;cal condition upon the other. Ho"
these obstacles are to be speedily removed
we do not perceive. The Legislature is
doing what it can with the scanty means
and powers at its disposal. The colony o
Polish exiles settled in Spotsylvania hae
been authorized to contract loan for the
purchase of stock; and that is we'll so IA
rs it goes. Much might hereafter depend
upon the known success or failure OF
pioneer colony like this, which Therefore
commends itself strongly to the encourage
ment both of the Legislature and of the PEG
pie. There is going to be an immense migra
ton from Europe this year. The tyranni
cal annexations of unwilling communitie
70 Prussia-the disaffection Of Hanoverial
and Danish, and Saxon populations, and
their reluctance TO serve in the Prussial
army: the total abolition Of the Polisi
nationality in the Duchy of Posen by
recent decree annexing that to the Prus
sian crown the apprehension of genera
war and confusion the total failure ant
disappointment Of Irish Fenianism, which
has kept thousands upon thousands
home these two years, waiting for tn
opening of the STEPHENS war, and fulfil
ment of "PAsToRINIs prophecies" a.
these causes together will displace IN
counted thousands of hard working folk
from their hearths and homes, in search
q quiet life and the rights Of freemen j
some new land. This is precisely what W
cannot assure them in Virginia at pre-
sent; and, therefore, let the Legislature d
Is 1t will, We shall seethe strong current Q