The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-11-29
THE FUTURE OF THE STATE.

1.-The lands of this State, during the
past two or three years, have steadily de-
clined in price. Their sdleable price is con-
siderably below their assessed value."-
Enquirer.
We do not quote the above as text to
lecture anybody. We simply reproduce it
as fact in our columns, and propose to
write few plain and simple words, in all
kindness to the people with whom we are
henceforth to be identified, and in the hope
that they may take counsel from us, as we
design to form them, in all that appertains
to the future welfare and prosperity of this
noble old Commonwealth rich in re-
sources and so great in historic fame. We
assume that the extract which we take
from our contemporary is true +; in fact, we
know it to be true. And it is especially
true in reference to the farming lands of the
State, which, from their superior quality,
their diversified character and attractions,
and the marketable value of their products,
ought to command as high price as any
farming lands, the same distance from the
seaboard, in the United States. We ex-
cept, of course, lands in the immediate vi
entity of our great centers of commerce and
manufacturing industry. These have an
adventurous rather than an intrinsic value,
which enhances their price materially be-
yond any lands of our own. But what we
claim for our State is this that it has agTi-
cultural lands of unsurpassed productive
ness and attraction, a climate of unequalled
yigor aud healthfulness, and higher ave-
rage of mineral wealth and resources than
any other State in the Union, if we except
those so marvelously developed in single
sister State.
We have also what, in commercial
point of view, is of far greater value to our
State as well as our city-a water COM
munication with the world that is unsur-
passed by that of any other State in any
other country on the civilized globe. Yes
sells of the largest draft, including ocean
steamers, can sail up our harbor over a
hundred and twenty miles from the sea-
board, reaching the very capital of our
State, itself as centrally located, geographic
cally, as any of our people could wish.
Our navigable river is, in fact, almost an
open estuary from the sea. 1t has width |
and depth sufficient to bear the commerce
of the world. With the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad completed, we shall have
almost an air line communication with St. |
Louis, with belt of agricultural and mine
raj lands lying along its entire length,
which may challenge the world for its pro-
iuctiveness, as well as its probabilities of
mighty center of population,
labor, capital, and enterprise,
rom almost one end Of the line to the
,ther. With this and the other railroads
eading to it, forming general network of
eeders to the main line of communica-
ion, the immense resources of this
,elt of land will be poured into the
ap of our State, if not of our city, making
second to none in the Union in point of
dvantages such as we have named. This
) no oyerwrought picture. IL is what ,
very intelligent and well informed person
isiting our State knows and feels. Why {
J it, then, that such poor and unpromi-
ing State as New Jersey was few years
20, is now teeming with wealth and indus /.
,ial populations--brim full and:: almost run :
ing over with the activities Of agriculture, g
trade, commerce and labor i
while Virginia, the historic mother of %
tates as well as statesmen, languishes for /