The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-08-26
AN iNrEREsTINa LETTER.

We publish to-day an old letter adj
dressed by the late Francis B. Deane, jr.,
Of Lynchburg, well remembered as one of
the most enlightened advocates Of the in
ternal improvements of Virginia, to the
Hon, Joseph Segar, then a member Of
the legislature from the counties of Eliza
beth City and Warwick, whose able and
persistent advocacy of the improvements
Of his state, and especially Of the James
River and Kanawha canal, has become
part of her history. l@cl
Soon after the assembling of the legisla-
ture, Mr.. Segar submitted aresolution re-
questing our representatives and instruct
ing our senator's to use their best efforts TO
secure from Congress an appropriation Of
public lands, to be applied to the construc-
ton OF such of the public works of Vir-
GINA as were Of national Importance. .
This resolution, so very plausible and
Just, Virginia having coded to the United
States a vast domain, constituting now five
large and populous states, led to a pro-
tracted debate. The prominent Demo-
Gratis in the house of delegates, among
them ex-Lieutenant-G Governor Montague,
bitterly opposed the resolution, while the
prominent Wing members as warmly de-
Tended it. Among the latter were the
Hon. William M. Burwell, the gifted and
atatesman-like delegate from the county of
Bedford, and the Hon. Joseph Segar, who
then and for many years stood alone in
the tide-water country in the advocacy OF
| the improvement policy.
When the vote come to be taken, the
Democratic vote against the measure was
unanimous, and that party being largely
in the majority, it was Of course defeated.
The Democracy would not even allow their
representatives in Congress to ask that
body for an appropriation from the public
domain, to which Virginia herself had,
without money and without price" lin
the purcst and most elevated munifcence
contributed hundreds of millionssof acres
enough, indeed, to have built the James
River and Kanawha canal and every rail-
road in her bounds, and hundreds besides.
To those who truly desire the compile
ton of our great water line, this action Of
the Virginia Democracy should be les
son and warning. May they not, should
they regain the power for which they are
striving with almost furious zeal, fall back
on their ancient doctrines. and may they
not do it consistently? Another lesson il
should teach the Republicans, that there
is no need that they trust this party for
securing this water line or any other boon
| when there is another party they can APP
4 peal to, whose very name is progress, and
whose orthodoxy ON this vital point ofstate
| policy is beyond suspicion. But to the
1 letter: t
i LYNCHBURa, December %, 1850.
moad.
i Dear SRI cannot Withhold from you my
acknowledgment, as q friend of internal
improvements, for your enlightened effort
to secure for Virginia her share of the
public lands before the whole of them
shall have been coniiscated by the greedy
politicians of Washington, 49,. e &. ~
Your resolutions, and the debate to
which they will give rise, will cause the
people to enquire how it has been that Their
representatives in congress have quietly
acquiesced in partition Of the public
domain which results in bestowing il upon
every one else but themselves. This in
quIy will soon put an end to the CONSUME
mate folly which the Observation-Disclosures
in our state have been perpetrating or
this and many kindred subjects from the
) organization of the government to the
: present day.
: Should skiing numberso defeat you now
trust you will, in this instance at least
follow the example of the leaders Of the
Democratic party and keep the measure
before the people. 1t will prevail because
it is founded in justice and sanctioned by
the dictates of common sense.
If Virginia could get back what she gave
away, nay, tenth part of IFS value--not
its value now, but the value received by
the treasury at Washington what is 1t she
might not accomplish in the next quarter O
century? lie who could now correctly draw
the picture of her grandeur then would be
pronounced mailman by nine tenths o
the Wise men of this day and generation
But You know enough of the great bene
fits that would result to stimulate you tC
labor for their accomplishment.
OF one reward you are sure-the thanks
Of all those who really have patriotic
care for the commonwealth.
Very respectfully, ~
Your obedient servant. ftt-