Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-06
THE GAZETTE. /.
FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 6.
STARVATION and Depression.

StasnafiOn and Depression.
It time that the people of eastern Virginia
should nerve themselves and so to work with
life and energy, call things By their right names
and look facts in the face:
Every man you meet will tell you that eve. +
thing is stagnated and depressed, and Win
great complaceucy will give you to understand
that this stagnation and depression Is the rea
son why he cant do any better, There certain
" is a lamentable stagnat,on IN almost every
brnch of industry, and melancholy depreS-
SION of all agricultural interest drought eastern
VIRGINIA. It is true that this state Of things IS
nartly due to political causes which are beyond
the control of our people; but 1t is equally true
that they have left uudone much that they
m;obt have done. and that what they have
dome has not been done with that lite aud ener-
(which is necessary to insure success IN every
undertaking. 1t is a common thing to hear
men of Intelligence and positlon-men whom
the people consider as the wise men OF the land
say that nothing can be made at farming
nowadays. These wise men give solemn utter
ance to this melancholy declaration, and their
admirers accept it as comfortable solution OF
all their misfortunes, and content themselves to
follow the old grooves on to poverty and dllapl
dation.
Now, what are the real causes which operate
to dcpress business Of all kinds IN eastern Var.
ginia =? It is that considerable proportion, OF
the best lands are tied up in litigatlon-that
almost every man who is heavily in debt has
set himself down in the idle hope of provl-
dental dispensation either in the shape OF a
homestead or bankruptcy, or some other indie
finite relief, that will secure him his property
without even a respectable effort on his own
part. Those men who claim the benefit OF the
homestead exemption have no lnducement to
work, because whatever they accumulate over
and above support will be taken from them.
They have no permanent interest ID improving
the property. because it must ultimately so TO
their Judgment creditors.
Most Of those who go into bankruptcy suffer
grievous disappointment They expect large
allowances, but the bankrupt court consumes
the whole estate, and the bankrupt CITIZEN
comes out without either property or credit
In this wise the energies OF many good men
are stihed, and much ofthe best land tied up
in such hands as to make it valueleSs to the
State as a source of wealth. And even where
landowners are clear of debt, and have no capt.
tai except their land, they manifest no spirit
of Improvement, aud are impressed with the
same melancholy premohitionS OF failure that
affect such large portion of our citizens both
as to their own and the undertakings OF Others
What We need as people is hope and con-
fdence in the reward of labor and We should
remember that in this age OF improvements
and labol-saving machines that none but intel
ligent and we'll applied labor can be made to
pay and that wherever industry devotes it
self to working poor land instead OF to the i'm
provemens of poor land, we may expect to see
en- Impoverished and hopeless people.
It is time that we should turn our back on the
prophets ofevil, and trusting with confidence 10
that reward which God bestows upon all honest,
earnest, intelligent labor 60 to work with faith
and ZEAL and place our State where her soil and
climate entite her to stand-in the front rank
of agricultural progress. We have the most
charming honest and delightfu'ly social popula-
ton in the world; but if they are to continue in
this nerveless lists,ess apathy there is no hope
for us, unless a large proportion OF the lands
shall change hands. As long as the best lands
are in large tracts, and owned by persons who
have neither the means, nor the energy to get
the means that is necessary to work them pro-
pery, the country will remain poor. ltfarmerS
nave more land than they can work, let them
sell off parts Of their land and improve the
balance.
The history of agriculture shows that the
natural advantages Of climate and soil have but
little to do with the success of agricultural pur,,
suits-that many of'the most productive natural
soils have been permitted to grow up in bram-
bles and remain idle-the most sterile has been
wrought up to the highest standard of produc-
tiveness. Labor and capital is the key to agri
cultural success ...
So let us look at facts as they are; change our
views occasionally; shut our ears to those men
who are ever so wise in abuse of the present
but who were not wise enough to keep off the
evil day, and are not Christian enough to do
with all their might whatsoever their hands find
to do.-Glomestsr Herald