The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-07

performance of great public duties In grave
public emergency. No one can close his eyel
upon the evil. What remedy may be a subject
for discussion. But that there should be sonst
remedy, none can deny.
Don't be SO cast down and gloomy. We
must look more hopefully into the future!
Things are not nearly SO bad as they are
painted, nor are the difficulties so hard to
overcome as they appear. With little
more energy, industry, and liberality in
sentiment on the part of the people, the
burdens of the State might be lightened
at least one-half "There is life in the cid
land yet"
| In regard to paying the interest on the
debt, the Enquirer favors paving the full
interest to widows and orphans and other
needy persons, and leaving the foreign
creditors out for the present. To use its
own words: "The rest of the public debt
we might leave-just as West Virginia
leaves it," But will not that be repudia-
ton, and will 1t not operate to prevent
Virginia from receiving either capital or
immigration from abroad 2 We have the
property--the means-and ought certainly
to make an effort to preserve our credit by
meeting our obligations with honest
| promptitude.
Speaking of Governor Geary's message,
our contemporary says:
Governor Geary, of Pennsylvania, seems to
be showing some game spirit in defence of the
liberty of the people who made him Governor.
He may be the coming-out man after all.
There is something of sturdy value in those
Pennsylyanians. Even the most Objectionable
OF them do not stay wrong all the time. Gov
ernor Geary's message shows manhood as well
as ability.
In the name Of any number of Peunsyl-
vanians we thank you-apd "may you
live long and brosber"-aud your Vir-
ginian shadow never grow less.
The Wing takes stand against the idea
that the Ohio river is the objective point of
Virginia's hopes for her future trade. 1t
declares that she must look to the more
direct West and Southwestern the direc-
ton of Memphis and the Mississippi--and
must complete her railroad communica-
tons in that direction as rapidly as posi-
BILE. 1t says:
1t is very hard to uproot traditional ideas, to |
lift the common mind out of the ruts of an old |
habit, to galvanize and vitalize an old effete
preconception into living practical thought. |
The very tap-root of obsoetism, in the respect
to railroad connections with the West, has had |
It's bed in the congenial soil of Richmond |
and volumes OF argument have had to be writ
ten to prove to the chronic wisdom of our city
that the proper route to the West is not via
Point Pleasant that the left bank of the upper
Ohio not the Ultima Thule of her objective en-
terprise, and that no great share of the
estern trade can come to her except
from railway lines setting in from the lower
Ohio and the lower Mississippi. As to the
bulk of trade in the old Northwest seeking
market, the competition on that ground for it,
BY four wealthy railroads leading to three
cities overgrown with wealth, would continue
to cut it off from us for some time in the future,
as it has always done in the past. road on
that line will be of undoubted value to Rich
nond and the State from the local minerals
and resources which it will develop but in
reaching ont to the real West for results hav-
ing continental proportions, we must aim
directly for st. Louis and Memphis, and grasp
1t the heart of the giant West.
Whoever wrote the editorial we have
under consideration, has cultivated very
'top-loftical" style, which we would not
ike to be forced to initiate and do much
If it on morning paper. But, neverthe- =,
ess, we differ with the writer The trans
traffic below Memphis will
'ield nothing for Virginia. New Orleans,
Charleston and Savannah can carry off all ,
hat comes that way.
Our main dependence must be to draw
If the trade of the Northwest, from the /
titles of the North to our own. We can
10 this, and reach out to the Mississippi
md beyond it, with all our arms of iron. e
But let US not persist in building up one
Enterprise upon the ruins of another.