The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-30
The Internal Improvement Heroes

The Internal Improvement Heroes
7, would be well for the different sections
If Virginia TO think over the on]ect ano
,r;ci, Of the public debt of Virginia. IL
would b. edifying. |
III, informal i'm orovement cause was kin |
died into 4 hlme about the iourth oecaoe vi
this century. Up to that time there was
General law which provided that the State
should pay two dfths of the cost OF works OF
;m,royement when private citizens paad TO-
xv,rlS them three fit,hs. The law vas passed
in the age of mudpikes, and related more
especially to tina, Kind Of public roads
The James River canal was projected on
this basis The public zeal for railroads came
afterwards. A man ser Of the ablest men oil
the State cspoused with wonderful araor
the various schemes OF the day. The etcer
FLOYD occupied the Governors chair, ana
gave the weight Of his Influence in favor OF a
liberal system Of improvements lie WIS not
q brilliant statesman, but nan oil strong
mind and OF Jsckscuian temper. he was
one Of the uebest ei the noble men OF the
dav. ds,insuishe for public devotion
amounting almost to idohEy. UBecr nina
powerful iuternal improvement party was
formed, und the gTandest faopes wee enter
tanned of promoting the wealth AID happl-
ness of Viryinia by u liberal policy.
WITH Josspa G. CABs.L leadieS the great
ENTERPRISE WITH which he becfaie identi-
fied-the clnal-and the McLhewELLs, DOR
MANS. and WATKIHsgs ably sustaining him
and engineering co comprehensive scaeme OF
railways. the people Of large part OF the
State became entbgsed upos the SUBJECT
especially of The Valley, where the COM
pIsiut was that the Blue Edge detained
them and denied them the compensation due
TO their labors 10 their plraaise of a land.
As time went en-, the array OF talent in the
Internal Improvement caE'e Increased 10
strength and distinction. First and last 1t
had the tEIoYrs, the Pay aesS, and the Pres.
TONE, of the Southwest; the McDowELLs, the
Moorzs, the DoRMASs, and ANDERsoNs, OF
the James river part Of the Valley and The
BN.pwINs, SrEwARrs, KENsEYS, FAULKSERs,
What is now West Virginia sent that able
statesman SUMMERS, and 4 number OF very
able men, among them the JACKsoSs, the
DpNcANs, the Prices, the CAPERToNs, and
that distinguished geuticmln who was a
IA ember of the Confederate Senate G. W.
RUSSELL. We should not omit TO say that
JOHN THOMPSON BRop N. who afterwards rep.
resented Petersburg, was first sent TO The LIE
gislaturc by Harrison county, West Virginia,
and was amongst the leaders in putting the
cause of Improvement fully and successfully
In operation.
Underwater Virginia bed little sympathy
with the movement. 1t opposed all the bil's
Involving the State in appropriations, and
that opposition drove tho.riends OF improve
ment ITO the eXPedient which took the name
of log.roliug to carry their measures. Tint
expcdient involved the STATE i'll great waste
of money. Her mcaus wee unwi>ely scat
tered, to the disadvantage OF the general sys-
TEN.
Finally, the Legislature changed the old
law intended for mudpikeS, and instead OF
providing that the State would give two
fifths when individuals gave ree.tiiths, the
State was required to give tksee ffths part
passs with the two-ftths of private subscrp-
ton.
Then came the heyGsy of enterprise and
expenditure. Public bonds wese issued III
millions, and the State debt was.sspidly run
up to thirty millions aGt. more. ahe second
F LoxS, with bis giant intellect. was amongst
the most influential Of thc advocates Of 4
free use Of means to complete the great State
enterprises, and thus INA ke'olicm efficient and
the means OF reimbursing Virginia sw her
enormous outlay.
The Underwater division remained frMly
rooted against expenditures from the State
Treasury for works of Improvement. Ii had
q strong auxiliary in SouthsdS NirSiaia,
which gave in only by degrees ard with Az
parent reluctance to the cause. gidewater
Virginia sent no prominent friend of iui-
provement save JosEPu SEGAR, whe lost his
election in Northampton by it, and WIS safer
wards sent by Elizabeth City. and continued
with his well-known zeal in the cause.
Now, then. it is clear that the Ealley and
the West did the work and made the elcbt.
The Tidewater might haze made it less by
joining the improvement party and saving
its friends from the costly process OF dog
rolling. This il very lricf but, az tar as
it goes, a correct glance u the origin Of the
debt.
1t was originated in lofty and hopeful
patriotism. We think Virginia ia better of
with her public works and ker debt than
she would be il she had neither the one nor
the other. We are clearly of opinion that
obligations SO assumed for the public good
ought to be met by all as good citizens asso.
ciated with one another for that protection
and happiness which government is formed
TO secure. But ifthere Is anything that should
increase the cause Of this obligation it is in
the case of she people and their representa-
tiyes living in the sections from which came
the great men whose abilities and great influ.
euce led to the heaping up of that large debt
the State now bears. Bad Us it is for any
one to falter in his public duty, what must
be thought of these descendants of some of
the noblest of statesmen whose deeds, while
they reflected honor upon their districts,
bound their successors in more than erdi.
nary bonds?
Hered'ty: A Psychological Study of its