Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-11-03
NUMBER TX.

lionS. Inc phrase down South raises q pic
ture In many minds of dense swamps, um
brageous woods, tropical plants, venonlous rep
tiles, sluggish streams, yellow fever, and mias
ma. How much this idea is due to picture,
Usually found In school books will not stop r.
inquire.
The North entertaining these opinions of us.
did not fail to impress the European mind with
them Accordingly Vernon Harcourt, one of the
the rising men of England who was the autbo,
OF the celebrated papers, written during the
war over the signature Of Historicus, upon the
nights OF bellgerents and the duties of neutras.
said the other day before the Social Science
congress at Manchester, at which all the Eu-
| ropean world was present, he, s'Gentle-
men who had travelled in the Southern States
have often seen persons sit down to peace
ful dinner with revolver in each coat tail
pocket 1t was, of course, only for the purpose
OF self defense. but then it very frequently hap
pened that before dinner was over two or three
were shot" [ doubt whether there is gentle~
man here, in this vast assemblage, with a pis.
tol In his coat-tail pocket aSs;
But we are to expect another SANDER. We
are to expect to hear it said on the other side
OF the water that this large amount of surplus
products, annually sent abroad from the South.
Is owing to the superior labor of the freedmen
But gentlemen who assert this,i forget that in
turning loose from the field four millions of
blacks, they put into it six millions of whites
Let US ask, how came it that these impress
slonS that the South was lacking In energy and
wanting enterprise got broad l will tell you.
Gentlemen from New England came here who
could understand and appreciate the value of
our water power, but who knew nothing about
the agricultural resources of our State; and
they, therefore, very naturally said to them
selves, what would not this water power, which
w ho
worth In New England? 1t is true that we
have water power which is running to waste,
and which. If utilized, would be worth more
than all the coal and iron of Pennsylvania, and
because we did not utilize it to it's full extent.
1t was taken as proof that we were ndolent
and idle. Again, gentleman from the mining
districts OF England would visit US now and
then, and he would see and appreciate the vast
mineral resources that lie undisturbed in their
veins and hidden In the mountains, and would
tell the fabulous sums that these would be
worth iaEngland. And because they were not
utilized, he would say that we lacked en-
ergy. But we knew that agriculture was
more profitable than them all, and we devoted
our energies and enterprise to agriculture, the
most remunerating industry. f-.-..-.
This water power that is running to waste
and these minerals that are lying idle are our
'taaings." 1t is sometimes very profitable, as
you all know, to work 'tquings." We now
want labor from abroad labor that is skilled
In manufacture and In mining to help US to also
turn these sources of weathito account.
But as for ourselves, our land is so teeming
with the benignant bounties of nature, that we
have not the force nor the time to attend to
these other great sources of wealth
Did you ever reflect that Virginia is in the
latitude of the promised land - that the same 3
skies upon which David and Solomon and our
Savior gazed, are garnishcd for US as they were
for them. The Plelades, Orion, and Arcturus
rise and set and shine upon they did upon
JOB. Everything that Is grown there, from the
fig and the vine, the corn and oil, grow here as
well. and other things besides.
Did you know that Virginia and North Car
olina have given the greatest gifts from the veg
etable Kingdom that have been given to man
since history began? that the Indian corn, the
potato, and tobacco besides other things, were
gifts from this part of the world?
Does that show any lack of enterprise or of
energy to turn such bountles as these to account
and to teach the world their value?
Talk of enterprise and daring who was it
but the sons of Va. and N. q. who first cross
ed the Alleghanies and drove away the Indian
and the wild beast? And in doing that, they
encountered DANGERS hardships, and suffcrings
to which those Of the Pilgrim Fathers bear no
And after they went, it was then
that your enterprising Yankee followed.
Let no man hereafter reproach you with a
want Of what he calls little Yankee enterprise.
We don't want it. What we do want is Yam
kee thews and sinews, the hard -fsted ernigrant,
the man of means, little of the industry and
good husbandry for which the Dutch and the
Danes, and the Germans are so famous-in-
spired and inspirlted by little Southern enter
prise and energy.
That's what we want. Give us that and we
will show you upon the hills and valleys of our
dear old Virginia, such an abode Of human hap
piness and prosperity as the world never saw
But how are we to get these emigrants? The
Virginia Military Institute has undertaken to
make known the great natural resources of the
State. But after it shall have published its ac-
count of them, how shall we get it to the ears
of those abroad who wish to know the truth
about us? We have no means of circulating it
there. Southern papers and Southern perlodi-
Gals are read only by the few, and they are very
fcw in Europe.
But we want the million to learn OF these
good things, and can think Of no better means
of doing 1t than that the farmers of Virginia
should exhibit degree of public spirit similar
to that which the farmers of Augusta have
done with regard to this Fair; and by raising
fund for the translation into the German and
other languages eff these reports and for extern
SlVely circulating tfeili
And that these reports shall convey the in-
formation most desirable and most useful to the
emgrant, it is very much to be desired that the
farmers furnish answers to the questions which
have been prOpounded from the Office of Phys
icai Survey of the Institute.
The Dutch are already alive to the impor-
tance of this subject, and are talking of line
of steamers from FIei-hing to Norfolk. Hol-
land is situated with regard to The centre of Eu
rope and the sea shore as is Virginia Holland
affords at Fleishiag the nearest and best sea-
port to all of Southern and Central Germany,
extending as far hack as the Valley of the Dan
ube precisely as the tide water harbors of Vir-
Gnia do the nearest sea port to the centre OF
the Mississippi Valley, to St. Louis, and all the
| landings on the Missouri river
| Virginia furnishes the ports which are far
thest to the North and which are never obstruc
ted by ice In winter. The same with t'lelshlng
ON the other side Fleishing is but five hours
steaming from England Fieishng and Nor
folk are between Baltimore and Bremen, where
there is already line Of steamers In suceesssu
operation And the Dutch Government, al
last appreciatng the importance OF Fielshina
as sea port town. for the heart of Europe IL
now doing what Virginia is seeking to do--ex
tending her lines Of internal improvement trou
our Dutch friends say, give Us a seconk and w
will bridge the Atlantic with line OF boats be
tween Ficishing and Norfolk.
| TIL re Is. think. one hi g which the farm
I ers of Virginia have to learn, and that Is 10 &C
: more in concert than thew have been doing
t. .aveling through the old countries one VIII 90
bow