Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-09-04
Plea for Southern Immigration.
FROM the New York Tribune,

FROM the New 0rk Tribune.
A party of twenty-five gentlemen from Vir-
ginia, headed by Gen Flzhugh Lee. arrived
in New York on Wednesday FROM Fredericks.
burg. 1t is their purpose TO attend confer
ence with leading northern residents as TO the
bes, means Of beueGting the material interests
of that section of Virginia which was the chief
tbeater OF active operations during the civil
War and has ever since suffered owing to the
want OF immigration.
My recent visit to Boston" said Gen. Lee,
10 conversation with the reporter Of The Tri
bune has convinced me that it only needs
frequent Intercourse between the TWO sections
OF oor country to cement that bond of fraternal
union which is the only safeguard of orr Re
public We had expected hospitality in the
North, but such an ovation as was rendered US
there was far beyond our anticipation. We, 10
our section, need the North; we want them to
come to Virginia, aud see that We are DOT bush
whackcrs; that We have schools aud colleges,
and other good institutions there, in the midst
OF which II Is as safe and pleasant to live as in
the North. We want them to join their MA
tera Interests to ours. The counties of Spot
syvaula, Stafford. King George, Westmore-
land, Carollue and Essex, all lying between the
Potomac and Il irpahaDuock, contain the most
fertile lands in Virginia. They are what are
called river bottomed' lands, with easy access-
blly to market These lands average from
SIX to ten barrels OF corn, and from ten 10
twenty-five bushels oil wheat; and for four
! cents per bushel the wheat eau be sent to Balt-
more
Now at the close of the war our people
were lett pcnuiless. All they had was 10 Con-
tederate money, aud they could not we'll pay
their farm hauds with that. Only few of us
property holders, several of whom have come
on With ME to see New York, have been able
to work our lands and we have done well by
them. But We have not been able to work them
all. 1t IS different thing now than in the
past, when We did not have to pay tor labor.
The new system works remarkably well-White
aud colored men alike getting their IS and $40
a mouth aud board for farm labor-but it takes
great deal Of capital, more than some of our
people Can command, to ,rk the thousands of
acras lying 10 that beautiful section OF Vir-
gina, the only section, IN fact, where, during
the entire war AID after, never the least appre-
henslon was felt tor want OF food. The coun
try there abouods 10 fish, wild fowl, canvas back
duck and other game, quite palatabe, | am
sure tor Northern mouths We want YOUR
people to come down there and settle there;
take some of these lands off our hands aud
work them This will give US working capital
aod give pour people chance to turn their TO-
vestnents safely and advantageously. With
S5,OOO or S4,O 900 man Can buy there q nice
| tract OF land, and take NY word for 1t, he will
do better with 1t there than he would with tie
same amount 10 any other part Of the country
we nave had some culgrants there who To-
| vested all they possessed 10 one tract OF land,
keeping no money in bank for working capital.
When bad crop happened to intervene, they
turned round aud abused US for not giving them
a chance, while the fact is that if they bad
learoed how to husband ADD divide their means
they would have Jared better We want peo-
pie to invest only moderate amounts, keeping
enouvh money TO work with.
We have also had in Fredericksburg some
New Engianders who are afraid of their lives.
! met one gentleman three days after his ar
rival 10 Fredericksburg. He was delighted to
have some one oear him, as be was afraid of
| bushWhackers, though he acknowledged to me
he never met with one WHAT we want is to
disabuse the minds Of the North of all these
outrageous libes upon the South. Let the
people come down there, settle down with US,
make money with Us, aud you will soou fud
out that material interests will still closer &C.
ment the bond of union between North and
South, aud there will be an end 10 the bush.
Whacker stories. The property-holdcrs have
often talked over these matters uutil finally we
established the 'Rappahanncck aud Potomac
Immigration Society, with headquarters at
Fredericksburg. This society counts hun.
dred members, owning an average Of 400 acres
each. We have come on here to meet your
people face to face and explain to them our DE-
cessitlcs and their advantages if they will take
hold oft There need be 40 middlemen. We
are all owners OF the land ourselves, are bound
to assist immigration, and trust that in this
city of New York we will meet with sufficient
encouragement to 90 90 with our work"
The conference at Barnum's Hotel, where
last evening the Virginia State fag was float
oe with the Stars aod Stripes, will be held at
Il a, m., to day. Gen. Lee will preside The
Secretary, MIR. Borst, stated that several let
ters had been received from various persons in
the North, who were only awaiting the result
OF this conference before entering into engage
ments with the society. Among other promi-
nent Virginans 10 attendance at the conference
are j. A. English, of Fredericksburg, j. l.
Staushury, Of Srotsylvania, Withers Waller,
OF Stafford, and Col. 5. SWIM, of Caroline.
lu the trial of Wes,ervct, yesterday, on the
charge of being accessory 10 the abduction of
Charley Ross the cross examination of Super
luteodent Wang was completed.
New ork paper estimates the cost of
respectable funeral 10 that city at S2l9l.