Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-01
President Hayes in Richmond.

Alter breakfast yesterday morning tne Licsl'
dental party were driven IN carriages to INC
various places of interest under the escort OF
the Citizens Reception Committee, and at II
o'clock we're taken to tho Fair grounds and
turned over to the authorities Of the State Agrl'
cultural Society," 80.
The party we're conducted to the building oc.
cupied as the headquarters of the Agricultural
Society, and from the upper porch the speeches
were delivered. The crowd that gathered
around the building vas large, but not 50 large
as it would have been had the weather been
bright The officers of the society, members
of the City Council, and distinguished citizens
were stationed Oh the porch with the Pres
ident
Governor kempcr, having been selected by
the Society to welcome Mr.. Hayes, came Tor
ward and spoke as follows -
Mr.. Presdent-ln coming to this ancient
State you are naturally reminded oil the prlnGl-
pies which undcrlie lis earliest foundation. 1t
was here that our fore fathers devised the 1lTst
complete written constitution OF government
ever ordained by States or nations Of the world.
1t was before the Declaration OF Independence
was adopted that they here lauuchedlnto being
an independent organized Commonwealth, aud
it was here first declared through the organic
law Of Virginia that government Is Instituted
for the common and equal benefit, security and
protection of all people, and that the Govern
mcpt is best which produces the greatest degree
Of happiness and safety for all. Believing It Is
you coed fortune sir. TO stand in great crisis
on this fundamental principle oil our fathers,
We therefore rejoice ip every assurauce OF your
determination TO rccogrz, and respect equal
integrity and honor the equal rights OF sell
government and the equal liberties OF the sec
tons, States and people Of GU! common county,
AnxiouSly Virginia watches ard halls the daWr-
ing Of universal paclhcatlon with iallh and COM
posurc. She waits tic return OF her own al
cicut historic era Of good feeling.
1t is in her name that L greet you TO day, a5G
| welcome you. sir, a5 friend, not OF Virginia,
not Of Ohio, not Of any section, State, party or
class, but as the friend Of the peace loving Tree
men and law-abidng States OF an indlSsoIublc
and indestructiblc UoioD. Cordially | tender
you the hospitaliies Of This Commonwealth,
and tender Them as the Offering OF those who
stand for official purity, those "ho uphold the
cause Of constitutional peace, OF lmrar!lai Jus.
tce and Of equal rights Tor all nl"inhcr> OF the
American Republic
Fellow citizens | have the pleasure 10 ia
troducc to you the President Of the lIclted
States.
Governor kempcr, Ladies and GcniIGmen-
| am admonishcd by the Icarn sky ard thick
ching mist that my remarks in reply to the
welcome we have Just listened to must be very
brief would gladly give expression TO the
satisfaction and qualification 1t elrcsmc 10 have
this truly Virginia welcome | understand very
we'll the general purpose OF The Society whose
annual meeting brought together this large as.
sembly. Tho growing lotcreSt OF Virginia, the
leading interest, has been promoted by the work
Of this Society, aud 10 trying to 10 something
to further the great interest We shall attempt
suitable return for The hospitality anu knduCss
with which VIC have been SO cordially received
am glad to contribute something to the work
the Agricultural Society Of Virgioia is cndcav
oring to do. The State Of Virginia has wisely
undertaken to make known to the world her
advantages, to make them known 10 Intelligent
and cnterprising and good people who desire to
better their condition by change of hcmc.
The Virginia Board o! Immigration has boon
very fortunate in securing an officer who reports
to that Board an Interesting and satisfactory de-
scription of the attraction which Virginia pos
sesses for the cuigrant. A few days ago one
of the Senators from Virginia furnished me
with Hotchkiss' description OF Virginia. No,
ny friends, 10 undertaking to contribute little
to the work your society is doing shall not be
guilty Of dealing with facts and statistics. 1t
would be, indeed, carrying Goals to New Cas-
tle' to tell FirginianS what NIrglplalS. Thanks
to these gentlemen Of the press who are report
Ing these proceedings, may be able to reach
large numbers Of people 10 other States that
cannot conveniently be represented here and
witness what We behold. do not intend to
enter into an elaborate description OF any all
vautages Of virginia. | merely wish to invite
and to put intelligent poop e in other States On
the track Of Investigation about Virginia.
| merely wish to read sort Of catalogue OF
the various attractions and Claims OF Virginia
upon the consideration Of those who anywhere
condition by seeking new and better homes.
Virginia possesses about as many acres Of laud
possesses an area Of territory about equal to
PENNSYLVANIA, aud it is ono eighth larger than
Ohio, but its population is only onc.third Of
Pcunsylvania, and docs not reach one. half Of
Ohio. There is. then, in the first place IN Vir-
gina too great space Of uuoccuplcd laod. uo
der your former system it was the ambition OF
your men to have large estates. Your State,
therefore, must be divided into q greater num-
Der of smaller farms. Thus it will be fifty years
hence the population will Increase BY people
coming 10. Thus general prosperity will be
promoted. If am cxpouodiog a little, the
sky, you notice. is Frightening, ADD happily
find them Frightening in another direction.
As there is abundant territory for cmicrants
10 possess, what, then, is the character OF that
territory? As some is worn out, [ hear our
agricultural friends arc doubling whether there
is skill to restore that land. Your plan was that
it was easier to clear new land than 10 restore
old; that has been done 10 Virginia; Now
comes the time when the soil has to be brought
up again. With capital, skill, and appropriate
applications, what is not fertile can be made so.
Along your rivers there is abundance OF good
land yet. In the Valley Of the South Side and
in the mountain regions the emigrant can see
it. lie can get it cheap. 1t is cheap land that
the cmigrant wishes. The land in Virginia is
possibly about $50 az acre FIR good land. That
is cheap. for in my owa county laud ranges
from $25 to 500 per acre Ia addition to
cheap land the next thiog is 4 market easily
reached. How does Virginia stand in this re-
spect? In this State the most pcrishabIe veg
ctablcs can reach market before they are
Next build up your own growing