Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-20

Press, earnestly opposes all idea OF repudlat!ug
the public obligations in part or III whole; lie
argues that Virginia is too poor to repudlate,
and thinks she is able to pay, and enters INT"
an estimate Of public resources to show this.
Mr.. Hughes says:
'Repudiation by the State uvolvs more than
the State credit. 1t involves. III great degree
the credit of all private and corporate enter
prises in the State dependent for support upon
outside capital
"Now, sir, Virg is too poor to declare
war against capital, the most omnlpotent pow
er OF the age; greater than Caesars. or Emper-
glnia to cope within her present straits. Ii she
have the hardihood to make war upon capital
By repudating the obligation to pay her &C
kuowledged Indebtedness she lnaugurates
war which will prove even more disastrous 10
her interests than the III iatcd war which wa,
begun in 1861. She cannot afford to maxi
another disastrous mistake, so soon. She Is
too poor to he dishonest, Just now. Capital Is
too strong potcntatc TO be insuited, IN her
present need 1t has capacity to be her in
valuable friend or to be her rllnous enemy II
she propitate this mighty power, it has the
ability to lit her ont Of her present embarrass
mentS. and to restore her to prosperity and
wealth. If she offend this power it will lie, her
severely alone, Us it did Pennsylvania and ILL.,
uois until they cried for mercy and pardon al
its hands; and then, before very long, every
interest within her BORDERS will feel the piuclI
of penury and di>crcdit, and her people will
rise up in anguish and anger to curse the
counscls which brought this second ruin upon
them.
''Repudialon is political suicide no less than
financial self destruction We cannot cherish
too carefully, tondcrly, and 6lially the credit Of
our mother Commonwealth. 1t isa labor that
will be doubly blcSsed-blesSing him that gives
aud her that receives.
THE State has sustained many losses and
her financial and industrial condition is strait
ened. But do not her assessment lists still
disclose property. real and personal, reach
ing to four hundred millions OF dollars?
And can any State affairs be pronounced
desperate which can show such a schedule OF
assets? 1t is only by contrast with her for
mer condition that she is poor. But let her
people cease to look backward; let them look
forward Let her credit be religiously pro-
tected. Let her ma Ike friends with that great
est potentatc Of modern times. capital, and
under the development which will be caused
by the public works soon to be completed.
she will in ten years be in the enjoyment OF
wealth and prosperity undreamed Of by her
most Sangr,ine spirits. Let her people but will
it and Virginia has future Of greatness.
wealth. prosperity. and power, before her,
compared with which she will look back upon
her past honorable history as but period NJ
infancy in its normal fccbIeness.
A LoxDoy FOG. The London News desert
bes u dense log 10 that city, December % Il
says that ''on Saturday the whole metropolis
with its suburbs for miles around, was visited
by one Of the deDscSt iogs experienced for
many years. 1t lasted for more than half the
day aud was especially palpable and general
throughout the city. There has been nothing
like it in that part OF the town since the nom
when the civic pageant in the mayoralty Of
Sir Thomas Dakn. started by torchlighl from
Gnildhall on its way to Westminster. The
fog on Saturday seemed to set for the most
part from the southern side Of the metropolis.
though it was pretty general all over. London
bridge was barely visible from the Cannon
Street viaduct of the London and Southeastern
railway and the river traffic, especially heIo"
the bridge was suspended for some hours.
On all the suburban railways fog signals were
largely used from al early hour in the morn
ing and extreme care had to he used both III
working the station signals and in running the
trains In the short run between Cannon
street and CLEARING Gross the trains were r.
peatedIy stopped between stations, and detain
ed for many minutes, from considerations nl'
safety At noon it was as dark in the heart %!
the city Us at midnight, with this aggravation
that the public lamps We're not lit, and the
scene in the space in front Of the Mansion
House, with the constant aud angry alterations
among contendng drivers consequent upon
the stoppage OF the traffic almost baified de
scription. 1t was the same all along Fleet
street, from Temple bar eastward and in all
the main thoroughtares Of the city. Toward
o clock, when the fog was most dense, and the
confusion had become worse con
founded, an appeal was made to the ,properan-
thority at Guldhall to haye the public lamps
lighted for time but the answer was that the
contractors were only bound by their agreement
to light them between sunset and sunrise.
There must have been great risk to life and
limb at some Of the princi pal crossings. Al
length the large private gasamps 10 front Of
the Mansion House were lit as those on the
southern side Of the Bank Of England had
been for some time before, and in that way
The general gloom and confusion We're ,cnsibiy
esScncd Most of the shopkceperS in the
principal streets also lighted their gas. Short,
y after o'clock the fog began to abalr; the
sun which. until then. had only been visible
1T times, large blood-red spot il the sky, III
ength shone out and the metropolis assumed
rs accustomed appearance.
A STRANGE FAcT-It is but a few month";:
since prominent financial man Of Richmond
vas met, by an acquaintance and falling intn
made boast that the business
which had carried him to New York was Il
novel one, and to the astonishmcnt Of his COM
oanion said he went to lend money to New
fork
1t appeared, thercupon. that the capitalist
n question could borrow money very cheap in
Richmond, perhaps per cent, that the Rich
nond borrowers, Of tie safe class had as much
S they wanted at less than equally or more
afe parties in New York could afford to pay.
Icncc the financial man of Richmond was
bsolutey carrying money from Virginia. from
esoate, poor, down trodden, tax haunted.
ankrupt and regulating Virginia, was car
ying Virginia money to lend to Wall street.