The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-12
Politics and Broomstraw.

Sweet are the "reminiscences of the days
that are gone. Delightful are the gay pic
lures of the life that is past. But to make
their contemplation the occupation OF the
mind is to become y drone and nuisance.
No man who turns his face to the past ana
makes if an object of worship can be any
,onrer Of use, and it were better for him that
be were dead and buried. The past indeed
70 be remembered with affection and in
rart with admiration. But, for present
uses, it can only be made available by i'm
proving upon it when we can, and wasting
no time in idle lamentations for inability
to reproduce what was good in it that is
past redemption.
The institution of slavery stamped GER
tain pcculiarities upon the public character
of Virginia. 1t gave q direction to capital
lthc gains of Industry hostile to manufac-
turing, mineral development, and general
improvement Of highways and means OF
TRANSFORMATION. Wealth was naturally alb
sorbcd in the vocation preferred by the
neutrality-suspicious. more land, and more
negroes. Advancement in the arts was OF
course retarded in such o state Of society,
commerce found little encouragement,
wealth was not rapidly accumulated, and
the country furnished no such signs OF
thrift as are met with in communities
where labor is diversified and the mechani-
cal arts are prosperous.
Another feature was the public devotion
to politics. Men of means had leisure
their chief study was politics and their
chief ambition political dignity. COM
munity of statesmen, whose domestic inte-
rests were all confined to agriculture, natu-
rally were averse to much government and
earnest advocates Of simplicity and
economy in it's administration. The taking
of money for public improvements was not
much favored by gentlemen educated and
situated as they were. sTheir talents were
devoted to the science of government, and
!heir own personal promotion to its honors.
The cause of improvement struggled through
long wears with but partial success
in virginia, and when it did succeed 1t was
onlv through system of log-rolling-the
combination of many local interests in the
appropriation of public money alike to bad
and to good schemes-that 1t trlumphed.
Such a triumph was calamity to the State.
For enc dollar appropriated to works de-
serving the aid of the State several we're
voted to others that were worthless. Thus
the State has been subjected to an enor-
nous debt for system of works that is
badly dcvised--conferring no such beneht
upon the State MS the expenditure should
have sccured--and which is yet incomplete
This was al due 10 the political turn OF
tile minds Of the public men and their de-
votion to party feeling and their personal
ambition. They studied not the physical
development and growth of their State.
DAYS. months, and years, were devoted by
urca; men to partisan studies anu discus
SONS, and to their own personal advance
mcnt. who never gave an hour to the pro-
jnoion of any great work calculated to IN
crease the population or wealth OF their
STATE.
Slavery is dead. and we are in the begin
hung of new political dispensation, which
must change the tendencies Of the public
n.ind, the occupation of statesmen, and the
whole face of the country, unless, indeed,
there be something so deeply seated in the
Virginian character as to defy the powerful
causes which now war upon the ancient
spirit and habits Of the State.
We cannot, however, see that successful
resistance to these causes for any long pc
Rod of time is possible. They must gradu-
ally work Il great change. Public men
must devote themselves to the practical in
tercss of society. The death of slavery
will increase the variety Of occupations
introduce closer and more careful system
Of tillagc-the desire for much surface OF
land will he lessened-farmers will better
cultivate smaller areas, and Will De
unwilling to pay taxes on land that yields
ITO profit. The gains of agriculture, in
stead of being devoted to buying land and
slaves, will be invested in stocks or i'm
provemcnts Of lands and buildings, thus
increasing the capital for trade and i'm
rroycment, and promoting the thrifty ap-
pearancc of the country. Thus will the re-
sources of the Commonwealth be greatly
increased, and its weight in the national
councils become greater by its growth in
population.
Now, this new order may indeed be de-
layed, but cannot ultimately be prevented.
The delay may be occasioned by the agita-
tions OF those who are unable or unwilling
10 give up their old occupations who
have lived upon political excitement and
the places secured by party service. These
viii be unable to sink the issues of days
by-gonc and will endeavcr to revive them.
Their agitation can only disturb the public
peace and retarl the public improvement.
Their whole theory and political practice
tends to q shackling industry and reck-
less domestic economy: to s. broomstraw."
They will only make bad worse, diminish
the sources Of public revenue, and increase
the private embarrassments.
Against such agitations--such truitless
and hopeless efforts to restore the past
the public sentiment should be irrevocably
fixed. The revolution that has begun is
inevitable, and to delay its progress would
be to increase our troubles to no good end.
We should 60 ahead and facilitate the
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