The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-12-21
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
COMMONWEALTH ON VIRGINIA,
Exp-4lyE CHAMBERS.
iJ;.bn,ouJ Dacnuhnr e 1871 \

Rrhmond. December s 1871
| Gentlemen ofthe Senate and House Of Del
! ea1tes:
1t is with feelings of profound gratitude to
| Almighty God for the blessings we have en-
oyed aud the Ills we have escaped, as we'll as
| of sincere qualification at the auspicious cir
cumstances under which you assemble. that
extend to you hearty welcome to the
capital Of the Commonwealth. You are the
second Legislature elected by the people un-
der our present CONSTITUTION. Upon your
Immediate predecessors devolved the grave
responsibility of first putting in force, by
| proper legislation. the provisions Of Con-
stituton which they hid solcmnly sworn, as
you have. to support and maintain" Your
task, however, is far elsier than theirs. Ex-
perience, that just and severe educator of
mankind, comes to your aid, and by the light
of its teachings, you will be enabled to avoid
some of the eros into which they inevitably
fell, as we'll as to improve and perfect the
work by them begun.
| We have now had the benefit Of nearly two
years experience under the new order of
! things, resulting from the almost unanimous
action of the people of 1869. We were the
| first voluntarily to inaugurate the experiment
of universal suffrage and equality before the
law. Perhaps nowhere else could that expo
riment have been so successfully tested
certainly nowhere else has it been so faithful
y and SO impartially tried. Radically op
posed to preconceived and well considered
| opinions -fraught, as thoughtful men vel.
knew with the gravest ssbili5ies--neverthe-
less our experience has demonstrated that
under favorable circumstances it may be rem
| dered not only not antagonistlc, but rather
conducive to good and stable republican gov
| eminent.
Certain it is that since the restoration Of
| civil government in our State we have enjoy
ed degree Of peace and good order, Of ODE
dicnce to law and respect for authority.
egualled by few and excelIed by none of our
sister States While it is true that this is
due in very large measure to the law-abid-
| ing character and high moral sentiment of
our people, it cannot be denied that to GER
tain extent it is due to the fact that every
citizen OF the State. no matter what his race
or present or previous condition is, or may
have been, has been fully protected in all the
| rights and .nmunities of citizenship
| Progress and prosperity, the natural and
in this country, almost inevitable sequence of
reace and good order, also obtain It is I'm
doubtedIy true that all portions OF the State
have not yet felt the quiekening influences
OF new life and new energy. but it is at the
heart, and will ere long be felt throbbing
through every vein and artery revivifying
and reinvigoratiug every portion Of the body
polite.
Il IS your high privilege, by wise legisla-
tion, by modifying, amending, and perfiectng
| such laws as have been found defective. and
by the enactment of new ones, to essentially
aid not only in the preservation of the high
| standard Of honor and good government
which we have ever maintained but also to
foster ard encourage those powerful agencies
which build up communities and States and
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 coun-
ellis.
You assemble at one of those fortunate PC
riods when high resolves and noble aspira
lions for the good, the advancement, and
glory of the State may have full scope for
patriotic action and grand results. The Con.
,titution makes it obligatory upon the Gov
ernor not only to communicate to the Gen
eral Assembly at every session the condition
of the Commonwealth" but also to 'recom-
mend to their consideration such measures as
he may deem expcdient.'
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 CAPT.
tai and population. With an erea OF rs.
$4,000 acres unequalled in richnes and va
rlety Of soil and productions, capable of sus-
tanning population of five millions, with
more mineral wealth and creator natural
commercial and manufacturing facilities than
any of her sister ATLANTIC States, she yet has
population Of but one and quarter mil
lions, and but 8 l65, 900 acres under cultiva-
| ton. Her vast mineral wealth is almost
wholly undeveloped. and her great manufac-
| turing and commercial advantages have been
but little utilized.
Situated as our State is, midway between
the northern and southern portions of the
Union, with climate unequalled, and with
an tH''oC udthi al oiCiAC1so VI Wtditu duu pros
perity in bounteous profusion, how is it 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 it is not necessary nov to discuss them.
The question rather for our immediate con
sideratlon is not so much the cause of the evil
as the remedy for it. The remedy for this
that which is to place Virginia in the po--
sition which her advantages entite her to oc-
cupy-is to be found in system of immigra-
| ton which will attract to her territory a pop
ulation that will develop those natural re-
sources and superior advantages With which
nature has endowed her. Much discussion
has occurred upon this subject, and many
| plans have been suggested, together with
some abortive attempts at execution. To
| fully understand the requirements necessary
to success we must clearly comprehend the
conditions to be met. In the first place, we
must place ourselves in the position to sue
cessfuly compete with all systems and COM
binations now in active operation. Hereto
fore the tide of immigration has set west
ward and as consequence large and pros
porous cities have sprung up as if by magic,
and great States have been formed and filled
x,;ti,