The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-06
WEEKLY.
TUESDAY EVENING, FEB. 6, 1872
VIRGINIA EMIGRATION

younger sons, to whom the army has
ceased to be an investment for handsome
legacies, and some active gentlemen who
are shelved by the Admiralty, might in
this beautiful country WELD implements
more profitable than the sword, and that
migration would do more to secure the
only honorable object Of war--a lasting
peace-than either iron ships or standing
army.
What the ViIginians most dread is an in
flux from the Northern States, but that is
not likely to be till the next Presidential
election has decided good many anticipat
ed events, and by that time we hope all the
land about here will be tenanted by desira
BILE neghbors.'
The above is an extract from letter Of
a Mr.. b. A. Wake, an English gentleman
residing at Guilford, in Loudoun county, in
this State, published in the London Times
Of January 18th, which comes to us in all
the freshness and verdancy Of English news
generally. The writer describes himself as
gentleman "whose naval career in Eng
land was Terminated by age" and who
"commuted his retired pay' to get means,
with his "three sons" to make perma-
nent and desirable investment in Virginia.
We know this much of him, therefore, that
he is one whose naval career" however
brilliant, was "ended" before he came TO
this State, or before he thought of COM
muting his ''retired pay" for the superior
advantages offered to English gentlemen
Of the class to which he belongs, in the
matter of permanent settlement here.
The letter of Mr.. Wake is not long one,
nor is it particularly brilliant in the way Of
literary effort. Some of its suggestions are
good ones, especially those in regard to the
amount of pecuniary means necessary to
secure advantageous agricultural positions
here, and carry on farming successfully the
first year or two after settlement. 1t APP
pears to be mainly addressed to ''active
gentlemen" like himself, who have been
"shelved by the Admiralty" and to some
of the younger sons" Of Albion whose
genius does not lie in the line of
handsome investment in the army,
but is better adapted to WELD
the implements of husbandry in this beau
tiful country than either the musket or
sword in England. This class ought to be
numerous one, and we sincerely hope
that the efforts of cur English friend in
Loudoun county will be crowned with
abundant success. AS they are APP
parently backed by that potential arm of
the British press-the London TIaes--we
ought to feel encouraged in our hopes that
the un-dreaded "inhux" of these English
Admiralty gentlemen, of ''retired pay''
and more retiring manners, may be all that
the most enthusiastic friend OF exclusive
and aristocratic immigration could
wish. We have no objections to the letter
on the score of its exclusiveness in this
direction, only we are not quite so enthus-
astic over English Admiralty gentlemen
as successful agriculturists in Virginia, as
we should be over the same number Of
active, energetic, enterprising young men,
with or without families, from some of the
agricultural States of the North. And
this brings us to the only point we had
thought to notice in the letter-that of the
"dread of most Virginians to an influx of
Northern immigration" Here, we think,
is not little satire mixed with seriousness
of conviction, in this view of the real state
of feeling among native Virginians. We
have never fanced that there was any
dread Of northern settlers, in the sense in
which that term is used. That some of
them may much prefer Admiralty gentle
men" from England, or even the young
bloods whom nature has not entirely
bearded to the hirsute taste of the British
lion, to the .inquisitiye and omniverous
Yankee among Us, we have no doubt, nor
can we altogether blame them for their
preference. Educational prejudices are
things that cannot be done away
with in day, and we make
all proper allowances for them
where they mavoidably exist. We can
not expel nature with fork, nor drive out
an ill-brood of chickens before they are
Matched. Prejudiees must die natural
death, ana we propose 10 10 ui we can 10
make their death-bed easy and propitjoas
to the dying. We want Northern agricul-
turists here, and believe they are the best
class of men we can get. We want those
who shall bring wealth, industry and indie
fatigable resources luthia themselves here
men who have the practical skill to
sickle the earth with hoe and make it
smile with harvest"-to dig an abundant
living out of the soil, add to our wealth as
a state, and our productive resources as a
people. These men should be welcomed by
1he hundreds and thousands when they
come, and we believe they soM be by the
more sensible, intelligent and tolerant por-
ton Of Virginians everywhere.