The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-05-23
FHOM RICHAoSD.


alton Of Virginia and the SOUTH
TOEa RlatteFinE Picture.
Both the Richmond Whi0 and Tines
! newspapers of Tuesday last contain
melancholy articles in regard to the
commercial and financial situation in
Virginia and the South, and especially
in Virginia. One OF them comments
upon the fact that nearly five months
Of the year 1857 have expired, and that
it is becoming ominously apparent that
the mirage of.Southern. prosperity Ia as
distant and Elusive now as it was
twelve months ago. ''The dire shadow
of last years failure of our most i'm
portant crops, y says the TINES, is dark
sning and chilling thousands of South
ern homes, and famine, gaunt and ter
rible as ever scourged ireland or India,
is now ravagiug several OF the cotton
States" Neither" continues the
editor, ain those States nor in Virginia
is money as abundant as it was in 1855,
and there is perfect dearth Of credit"
The Times finds some comfort that
the situation in the North is not fiat.
,eriug, although SO infinitely preferable
toIthe status Of the South. We quote
from It's view OF The two sections as fol-
lows:
The returns of the Collectors of In
.tarnal Revenue, also, show that at the
North the commercial collapse has re-
duced the incomes Of the mercantile
Z s.Iz IN, Ill
/ denied, and thousands who gave in
I income returns last year at thousands,
now exhibita few beggariy hundreds
I FOR taxation. No Que can doubt that
/ yse are entering the gloomy portals of
one of those terrible periods OF financial
! paralysis which return with almost Pc
riodicsl Certainty to scourgp and afiict
mankind.
At the South the extreme scarcity,
both ofnoney and credit, NAV save Us
I from all !h6 consequences Of the i'm.
pending crash which Is unprecedented at
the North, but we cannot a void bearing
our share Of the disaster.
In Virginia, although the Inhabitants
+ of the rural districts are not Represent
ed as absolutely psEishinR for want of
! food as they are In the more Southern
/ States, the general destitutfon and posi-
tive want can scarcely be exaggerated.
Few ofthose who reside in our cities
and towns have tine remotest eoucep-
I ton Of the deplOrable want of money
/ in many sections OF the States where
I no crop has rewarded the labors of the
! farmer since the conclusion of the war.
I While among those who were wealthy
before the war there may be sufficisn-
cy Of the coaEseE Decessarfes of life.
they are strangers to new clothing. i'm.
proved agricultural machinery and the
lower class Of t'luXuTies" which were
once in reach of all. The tobacco re
gion" of the States constitutes the onIv
exception to this sombre picture, and
only during the last few weeks have
the cultivators OF tobacco been able 10
sell their great staple in considerabIe
Quantities.
Inc extraordinary promise Of the
growing WheatcrOp was a source of un-
usual Joy until within the last ten DAYS.
but We learn with regret from several
OF the most successful farmers Of this
section that there are indications that
the yield Of this most important cereal
Will be much less than was anticipated.
The unparalleled severity of the winter
months, the heavy and continuons
rains OF March, and the unusual cold
OF April and the present month, leave
bot little hope of a large yield OF corn.
and we have met with no Intelligent
planter who anticipates even an aver
age yield on corn.
The "fruit crop" is the most promIs-
ing ever known; but while this NAV
add TO theo comforts and pleasures Of
life, 1t forms In this State an inappre.
ciable element in the wealth Of the PEG.
pie.
As the capital OF a State depending
almost exclusively upon agriculture
for the prosperity Of lis Inhabitants,
the people and the business of Rich.
mond have much at stake in the sue
cess Ofour farmers. Their misfortunes
In 1855 and 1855 have almost paralyzed
thetrade of the city. The recent heavy
arrivals OF tobacco have impaired some
life toone class Of business men, but
the great mass of our men of business
are NOT We tmagine, paying expenses.
Ihls dullneas Of trade Is, of course.
telling with terrible effect upon me
owners Of real estate In this CITY. who
have long since ceased to be masters Of
the situation, as they were a wear ago.
There Is, We imagine, not u town or city
in tEis country in which rents have
fallen lmore rapidly than they have
done In Richmond since the autumn
and winter Of lS65'66. The landlord
can no longer dictate terms, but Is now
at the mercy and caprice of the tenant.
We have deemed It our duty 70 write
frankly upon this subject, because
every business man knows that the pic
ture OF the condition Of the country
which we have drawn Is not exaRRera-
ted nor too highly colored.
The prospect, as we have described It,
u gloomy and sad enough. The South
Is hlled with families born and reared
in athuence, who are suffering for the
want OF the necessaries OF lie. Edu-
Gated men and refined women all over
the land are either bearing their suffer-
ing with the silence of proud despair.
or are content to accept the humblesk
occupations. Nothing can be more
melancholy thans the Contemplation Of
hundreds Of respectable families going
down hill atan accelerated pace to inter
and hopeless ruin. The anticipated
prosperity Of Virginia is still along
| way of, and Is separated from us by
broad, deep gulf of poverty and
present embarrassment. Our people
are In debt, they have no capital, and
Ior Two years the seasons have been nm
| propiious. Our people have been par
uhliy cured of the extravaganza of
better times; but our condition de-
nlands lar more rigid economy than
| We nave yet learned to practice. There
Is no pc Tor US but in saving, All
sorts Of tricks and jugglery have been
ueNlSeu Lot eNoktnS money out of Vacu-
nm nm put although u, plausible on paper,
they nave al had one great OF failing
IN practice. Saving to the very verge
OF parstmony Is not easy, but our on1v
| pathway to future prosperity and com.
fort leads through the narrow, rugged
defiles of economy. We must war mon
luxuries and ruthlessly but down onr
expenses TO the lowest possible figure.
/ With costly apparel, expensive uphol-
stery, and stunning eQufpages, rich
wines and viands. and gorgeous furni-
ture, We can have nothing to do for
mauy years.
Judge Underwood had in reality only
a minor part In the farce played a
Richmond last week. The Administra.
ton was at the bottom OF the greatest
travesty on judicial proceedings history