Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-09

OF industry and holy contempt Of profgacy
have already made their long and successful |
strides iu the march of progress They have
enriched their lands and made them produc . |
stony and rockbound though they are, fly |
and hundred fold; have planted them far and |
wide W tn orchards, aud decked them with the |
most slightly and comfortable farm houses in
the world. They have projected and carried
out their great schemes OF utilizing all the
means which God and nature have put 10 their
hands: They have set into operation oil the
great industries which have at length given
them immense factories, ship yards, railroads,
excellent turnpikes, and bridges, Furnishing
towDs and cities, and handsome cdi6ces of
learning, from which 70 out without stint to
every nook and corner of the land the seeds of
wholesome know ledge aud intelligence. So
that now, 10 their prosperity, and having no
great State debt hanging over them they can
auord to Indulge 10 clam bake now and
men, and nobody need call them to account.
But We In Virginia have all this work of im-
rroVement yet to accomplish, and heavy debt
pressing upon us, therefore it behoovcs us TO
let tournaments and their kindred customs
90 to the dogs until We shall have paid our
debts, got rich, and improved our State. So
much tor tournaments.
In regard to the cause of the present cond-
tion OF things within our borders, l have only
TO say that still maintain that Virginians are
maniy responsible for the evils they so much
| oewail. Governor Kemper in his last message
says: "On national government built firm and
deep on the foundation of constitutional liberty
| was The best ever devised BY the wisdom of
man" SO say $50 said when driven from
| Virginia because | would not take up arms
against 1t, and so said s the people of the North
| when they organized their armies TO sustain il.
| wei, II we had the best government in the
| wrong Wlen she made war against it. aud like
lhe wrath OF Achilles to Greece opened the
| spring OF Woes unnumbered'' in their midst
and destroyed with their own hands the capital
when q" says and which say too, we ought
now to have to assist in developing our bound
less natural resources l should not have made
the toregolng ailus ms had l not been SO COM
pelleu oy challenge to answer the question of
the responsibility for the troubles
have quoted the eloquent tribute of our Gov.
GrnoT 10 the good government founded by
! washington, Jefferson and their wss compa-
triots, and in the same connection it is certainly
| u cheering and encouraging omen to hear him
AS eloquently calling tho people to again unite
with the people of their sister States IN support
ing and perpetuatlng it.
My object in these blessed DAYS of peace is not
to quarrel and indulge in useless examinations
about the past, but to contribute my humble ef-
forts to the great work Of reparaton
In THIS work am willing to cooperate with
my ola ioelnen In all enterprises ana works for
the good of thu old "commonweath" as earnest.
~ as II we had never boon arrayed in deadly
! hostility. The war is over. No army with its
| dragon folds encompasses our beautiful hills
and valleys, desc latng our farms and leaving
| III Its wasted track tho smoking ruins of towns,
villages and happy homostoads.
Tranquility relgns in all our borders, and
mono are Inocsted III their rights nor made
afraid Virtually we are beginning the world
anew, and It Is the great duty of US all if we
waat to make great strides in the march Of pro-
gress 20 begin right. Untirng industry in every
department of lsbor-frugsty, economy and
severe retrenchment in all unnecessary expenses
these and only those are the great appliances
by which the desired work is to DO accomplish
ed, and while we WELD these potent instrum mont
alltes we must not forget the great duty of Gull
tivating feelings of amity and conciliating all
the snlmositles VII Oh have grown out Of tho
psst, and harmonic ng all the social elements
and directing them to the achievement of high
| huCpo.es.
Thus shall we 60 on prospecting and TO pros.
per until we shall surely solve the vsxed ques-
ton and realize ali the blessings Of ''reconstruc.
| ton in good Old Virginia
have already extended this communication
| further than intended in the beginning. To
have been loss brief | could not have full an.
| swcred my friend HI and vindicated myself
And now thank you, Mr.. Editor, for yaur in
Gu gonce. promise that shall not renew the
| controversy. A PLAIN FARMER.
Collingwood, Va
EXTENSION OF TIE Z. & o. CANAL.-A
meeting Of the CIT ms Of Westeroport, Nd,
was held on the 9th inst, to take action in re-
gard to the extension of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal to the mouth Of Savage river.
Owen Rlordan, esq.,. was chosen President,
and Geo. W. Shcclz, Secretary.
Hon. L. llamiil, of Garrett county, was
presentand addressed the IN eling showing from
st'tlsucs the rapidly increasing reveuue of
the Canal over railway transportation Of coal
| and that the extension to the coal fields has
become necessity 10 order to carry our coal to
market at low rate Of freight to compete
W tn other Goals. The extension to this point
will give to the Canal ab'ut 800 900 oUs ad
dltlonal per anuum, aud the cross GU, to Bal
lmorc will pr our coal into the Baltimore mar.
| ket ut about ~ cts per ton less than the rail
way can do, which will direct the whole trade
to Baltimore, whereas considerable portion now
goes through Pennsylvania over the Pennsv
yanla Il road to New York aud philadelphia
Mr.. Hamlll has spent great deal of time and
labor during the past year 10 the interest Of
this much-needed Improvement.
The following gentlemen, p Hamill, G. w.
klldow, Owen Rardan, I. Fuller, james
Hughes j. S. Jamison and John NJ. Kelly,
/
friends Of the extension throughout the State
10 meet the cltz us at a general meeting to be
bcld here Thursday, December It, to make
arrangements to have the matter brought be-
fore the Legislature
| HOUSE The Washington cor
respondent OF the Baltimore Gazette says:
The Military Committee, as well as that on
Naval Affairs, will probably 90 to Southern
men, Eppa Hunton, Of Virginia. having been
member Of the former during the last Goa
gress and Whtthorne, of Tennessee of the
latter. There is disposition, however, to
| carp at this 90 the part of few. They say
| that the House intends to cut down the appro-
prlatlons Tor both the army and navy, aud III
| ex-rebel Generals are chairmeo of these CON-
| mittees tie cry will be raised that they are cut
down for spite. There is really nothing in this,
because the Appropriation Committee will alone