The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-07
GOVERNORS If EssAGE
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
EXECUTIVES CHAMBERS.
Rschmond, December 8, 1871.

TO Almighty God for tho btessIpBs we have
enjoyed aud the I'LL. We have escaped, as
wen rs Of sincere Qualification at the auspi-
c,oas circumstances under which you as
Eembfe, that I extend TO you hearty wet
come to the capital OF the Common eslth.
You are the second Legislature elected By
the people under otir present Constitution.
Upon your Immediate Predecessors de-
volved the grave responsibility OF hrst put
ting In force, By proper legislation, the pro,
| visions of that Constitution which they nu -
solemnly sworn, as you have, TO "suppcr.
and maintain" Your task, however. Is .at
| easier than theirs. Experience, tnat Jus.
| and severe educator OF mankind, eohcS ~
yollr aid. and by the light OF i's teacninss
vo,, will be enabled to aVola so OIL IN vi VIZ a.
srrnrs into which they inevitably ie,i, as
,raIl ~ 70 improve and perfect the Work oy
them begun. A., ,o,,o6t of near]v
.wn years' experience under the new olutI
of things, resulting from te a,i.U Geo ulI W.
a,ern the first voluntarily to inaugllrate tne
oxnerime mt of universal suffrage and equal
i,y before the law. Perhaps nowhere else
could that experiment have been SO sue
ces.fIllly testcd-certainly nowhere else mas
y hcen so faithfully and So impartially
tried. Radically opposed to preconcelyed
and well considered opiDions-iraRght, as
thourhtIul men well knew, with the gravest
possihilities-ueverthcle our experience
has demonstrated that under favorable
circumstances it may be rendered not
only not antagonistic, but rather conducive
to good and stable republican government.
Certain it is that since the restoration OF
civil government 10 our State we nave en-.
loved degree of peace and goou cruer, OF
obedience to law and respect ;or authority,
eauslled by few anu eXcelled by none OF
our sister States. While it is true that this
Is due In very large measure to the law.
abiding character and high moral sentl,.
ment Of our people, it cannot be denied
that to a certain extent it is due to tho
fact that every citizen of the State, mat.
ter what his race OF present or previous
condition is, or may have been, has been
fully protected in al the rights and ii,m1l-
mites of citizenship.
Progress and prosperity, the Daturai and,
in this country, almost inevitable sequence
Of pence and good order, also obtain. 1t
Is undoubtedly true that all portions OF the
State have not yet felt the quickening In
iuences Of new life and new energy, bet 1t
Is ct the heart, and will ere !ong be felt
throbbing through every vein and artery,
revlvlfying and reInvigorating every por-
ton Of the body polite.
1t is your high privilege, by wieo lc@isla-
tion, by modifying, amending, and perfect.
/ ipy such laws as have been found detective,
and by the enactment OF now ones, to es-
sentially aid, not only In the preservation
Of the high standard Of honor and good
government which we have ever main.
| tanned, but also to foster and encourage
those powerful agencies which build up
communities and States aud tend to the
! elevation of the condition and fortunes of
the people.
know Of no questions Of foreign or do
nestle policy which need distract your at
tention or create dissen.ioDs in your coun.
ellis.
You assemble ut one Of those fortunate
periods when high resolves and noble aspi-
ratons for the good, the advancement, aud
glory OF the State may have full scope for
patriotic action and grand results. The
| Constitution makes 1t obligatory upon the
| Governor not only to communicate to the
General Assembly at every session the con-
diton of the Commonwealth" but also 10
recommend to their consideration such
measures as he may deem eXpcdleut.'
| The first measure to which | desire to
| call your attention, and upon which /
earnestly urge immediate action, is
IMMIGRATION.
The great need of Virginia to-day is
capital and population. With an area Of
"a ,512, 900 acres, uuequalled In richness and
variety Of soil and productions, capable of
sustaining q population Of five millions,
with more mineral wealth and greater
natural commercial and manufacturing
facilities th4n any Of her sister Atlantic
States, she yet has population Of but one
and quarter millions, and but 8,1B5, 900
acres under cultivation. Her vast mineral
wealth is almost wholly undeveloped, and
her great manufacturing and commercial
advantages have been but little utilized.
Situated as our state is, midway between
the northern and southern portions Of the
Union, with a climate unequalled. and
with all these natural elements of wealth
and prosperity in bounteous profusion,
how is 1t that Virginia is to-day the tenth
instead of the first State In population, and
the twelfth In wealth? The causes which
have produced this result are not difficult
of ascertainment, and 1t is not necessary
now to discuss them.
The question rather for our immediate
consideration Is not SO much the cause OF
the evil as the remedy for it. The remedy
for this-that which Is to place Virginia ia
the position which her advantages cntitle
her to occupy-is to be found in system of
luuISCdliOu WHICH, " III atiIaCl 10 utl
tory population that will develope those
natural resources and superior advantages
with which nature has endowed her. Much
discussion has occurred upon this subject,
and many plans have been suggested, TO-
gether with some abortiye attempts at exc.
cutiop. To fully understand the require
ments necessary to success we must clearly
comprehend the conditions to be met. In
the first place, we must place ourselves in
a position to successfully compete with all
systems and combinations now in active
operation. Heretofore the tide OF immi-
grafton has set westward, and as q conse
quence large and prosperous cities have
sprung up as If by magic, and great States
have been formed filed with an energetic,
prosperous, and progressive people. This
immigration has been induced and con-
trolied Ivy combination OF the great rail
road, steamship, and moneycd corporations
at the North and Europe, eXcrting pow-
erful influence abroad, and securing cheap
and fertile lands, together with reasonable
and rapid transportation here.
These instrumentalite aud inducements
we must equal or exceed il we expect to
| successfully compete with them. We must
have thoroughly organized system OF
agencies abroad for the diffusion of accurate
| information and the management of the
| business there. y.
| We must transport the immigrant from
| Europe to our shores and overland as cheap
~ and eXpeditiously as is done ut the North,
and the immigrants must be as well cared
Tor and protected here as there and, last
ly, We must secure homes for them upon as
advantageous terms, all things considered,
as can be offered them In any portion Of
the country. With proper organization
and effort am satisfied that we can success
fully accomplish all this.
Already a semimonthlY line of first. class
steamers bas been established between Liv.
elpOol and NOrfolk-eXperiment at pre-