The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-13
WEDNESDAY EvE'G, NOV. IS, 1872
IL NEW

The Norfolk Vuginian sensibly says
+" Let us stand on Virginia's interests, and
with this ground under our feet, and new
leaders, we will be invincible." This is
precisely what zoe say, and what the peo-
pie want. Similar expressions come to us
in our exchanges from all over the State.
We welcome them as the harbingers of
better times, and respond to them with
hearty good will.
Get new leaders, and adopt for your
watchword, " The interests Of the People
of Taybia-frst, alacays and eccry time"
and we are with you, gentlemen. You
may take all the offices and govern the
State without challenge, if you wW be true
to the spirit of THIS tent. But %interpreta-
tion is everything, and what do you mean
by Virginia's interests" The interest
for Virginia, as w understand it, is to have
her people all well housed, fed and clothed,
profitably employed, supplied with means
of intellectual improvement, and with rea-
sonable leisure for healthful recreation,
They are a long way off from this now
How shall we reach this desired goal ?
That is the vital question.
We can only answer it by approaching
its discussion in calmStemper and with un-
selfish patriotism. The bitterness engen-
dered by party strife must be laid aside,
and the wants of the people studied in
the spirit with which every wise man looks
after his household. Our national poll
tics are settled for the next four years,
at least. We are at liberty to devote all
our energies to local State interests.
We can only do this by rising above
prejudices of class and caste to the study of
those great problems of social science which
our Constitution presents. Education for
every child in our borders employment at
remuneratiye wages for every man and
woman willing to work !; the relief of
debtors hopelessly bankrupt /; the improve
ment Of the lands the building up of man
ulaeturing industry; the construction of
common roads, railroads, and water lines
Of transit; improved prison discipline to re-
form criminals and make them self-support-
in arranging the State debt so as to meet
the impoverished condition of the people
restocking the waters with fish; imm:-
grafton and colonized settlements ; the con-
csntration and resurvey of the vast tracts
OF our waste lands. These are some of
the salient points Of that generalized ex-
preston, 'the interests of Virginia." as it
appears to us. 10 secure these purposes
we are ready to join with our fellow-citi-
zens without distinction of party, selecting
such men as the common judgment of the
State will approve.
No people can ever prosper who allow
their local interests to be drawn into the
Maelstrom Of national politics. Virginia
has sacrificed all her best hopes to this fatal
error since the war. She gives signs of
retracing her steps; but she must, as the
E~rginiaa says, have pew leaders. Her
blind guides will do no longer. Her
young men, full of hope and power and
insight, who respect the past withom being
its slores, and who have faith in the future,
must accept the leadership which is theirs
by right.
They must move forward to conquer the
foes which now threaten their mother
State, mighticr and more to be dreaded
than any that her battalions ever met on the
field. They are the demons of sloth, mac
ton, prejudice, ignorance, bankruptcy,
conservatism and caste. Overthrow these
and the great obstacle TO progress is re-
moved and the safety and regeneration of
the old State is secured.