National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-10-21
THR SITUATION IN VIRGINIA,


The real difficulties under which the peo.
pie Of Virginia labor Just now are ably de-
picted by Col. Segar In the accompanying
extract from his speech at the late Republi-
can convention at Lynchburg. How many
thousands Of the poor laboring white farmers
Of central and interior Virginia will recognize
their own circumstances In the picture: =.
And there Is one thrice sacred and blessed
result awaiting us-a glory the brightest of
any that will light our pathway back to the
concord OF old, and to the ancient love Of the
Union.
do not belicve--I gricvc to say it--that
the South Is fully reconstructed. | am sure
my State Is not. / believe the fcud Is as
deadly as of yore, more so than soon after
the war. Thorns still ranklc. believe there
Is among her people but little OF genuine at
tachmeut to the Federal Cnion-I mean those
who took part In the secession movement. /
believe there arc yet bitter personal hates and
bitter political hates---a sectional embittcr-
ment that will not yield to the 'sobcr second
thought, or to the suggestions of charity.
see no prospect OF oblitcratlng this deadly
cmbittorment and sevcrlng antagonism but In
the operation of some great physical agency,
which, addressed to the interests Of our pco-
pie, shall gradually reach their passions, and
by degrees assuagc them down to unmallg-
nant mood.
That physical agency Is to be found In the
pacifying influences Of the railroad and the
canal--ln this instance chiefly the canal. The
mutual dependencies, the constant intcrcom-
munlcatlon, the reciprocal intcrclangcs,
commercial and social, that this almost
omnipotont cause will engender-thcse are
the powers that will smooth down the asperi-
ties and round of the sharp corners OF the
4 bitter sectional cnmity that the civil war he
got. ] believe that the completion Of the
watcr-line will fabricate a bond of interest
that will forever unite the great West and
the great East, and fuse the two sections
Into one, making the people Of each bury the
animositlcs and III biool Of the past, and
once more joyfully and proudly rally under
one common flag. The accomplishment may
be slow--wlll be slow; but the great cause
will not fall Of Its effect, and that effec. will
be to ally the East and the West by physic al
commercial and social contiguity, and make
them nelghbors and friends forever. After
| that no dread Of secession and civil war
again.
Aud now to a point which will go right
home to your heartsi
The people of Virginia are still under the
blight OF civil war. Their crops have been
short from the close of the war to this sea-
son. OF course they have but little money.
But here comes measure redolcnt Of re-
llef-the building eutire of our matchless
water-line, which for successive years will
scatter through the heart Of Virginia several
millions of dollars u year,
The cost OF the whole work Is estimated at
forty millions Of dollars, exclusive Of the ten
millions to be reimbursed to Virginia.
| IL Is calculated that In SIX years from the
first appropriation the work will be finished,
so that more than six millions and half q
year of grecnbacks will be expended In Vlr-
ginia along the line Of the canal!
| And what class Of the people Is It that will
not come In for Its share Of this fructifylng
strsam3
The farmer along the line will find q mar
ket right at his door for his corn and his oats.
his meal and his flour, his pork, his beef, and
his pigs, and his fuel and his timber.
Every poor old woman living near the canal
will get the cash for her basket of chickens,
her milk, and her little spare stock OF butter,
her few dozen eggs, for every spare head OF
cabbage and bunch Of turnips and peck of
potatoes, and every apple and peach and
pear that her little patch can produce. To all
OF this humble class an appropriation for the
canal will be the ''glad tldlngs OF great Joy"
And for every mechanic, Of whatever de-
nomination on the line Of the work, the car
penter, the blacksmith, the stonemason, the
wheelright, the brickmaker, will End re-
muneratlve wages, and every laborcv EN-
ploymcnt and prompt pay.
Take this point home TO your own bosoms
my hearers aud when II shall have done lis
softenlng work there talk to your neighbors
about 1t when you reach your homes.
Such are TO be some OF the fruits of the
completion OF the water-line.