Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-08
A NEW SORT OF sOuTHERNER.

made by Hon. Charles w. Williams,
at a railroad meeting where all the
magnates of the North were assembled.
1t shows man of genius, up TO the
demands of the times
: Mr.. President and Gentlemen: While
am flattered at being called upon to
represent my native city on such an oc-
casion as this, and while feel all of
the regard and affection for Richmond
and her people which it is possible for
any of her sons to feel, | trust am ca
pable of seeing and feeling as n cosmo-
politan. My grandfather marched to
Massachusetts with the first battalion
of Virginia troops during the war of
the Revolution. | married the daugh-
ter of a gentleman from Maine and
lady from Massachusetts,. | have
friends every where in this country. |
feel impelled, therefore, by natural in-
stinct, by family tradition aud domes-
tic association, to claim my citizenship
not onl Y within the confines of Rich.
mond, but throughout this great coun-
try-my country, rs it is yours. |
confess that have not always breath
cd SO catholic spirit. | have enter
tanned all the prejudices of n Virgin
ian, but | have had them one by one
removed upon the reflection suggested
by observation Of other places and peo-
pie. A line of thought was suggested
to me some years ago by visit TO the
Northwest, from which deduced con-
clusions which should give encourage
ment not only TO Virginians, but TO
you gentlemen from the North who
have embarked your capital here. No
doubt you wish your investment to pay,
and while am neither a prophet nor
the son of prophet, | venture the pre-
diction that it will. Reflect, gentle
men, that one hundred years ago the
whole population of this country was
less than 100000. Now it is over
50,000,000. With any thing like ma
tural ratio Of increase, what numbers
will inhabit these hills and vallies in
few years? The increase in popula-
ton in Virginia has not kept pace
with other States of the North and the
West heretofore, but in future it will.
At the organization of the Government
of Virginia was among the foremost in
wealth and population, but unfortu.
nately she failed to retain her position.
| Why2 Because she has contributed
largely of her population and brains
and energy to the great West and
North. Go where you will among the
busy and industrious in this country,
and among the foremost men you find
Virginians or Virginians' sons who
have gone elsewhere TO seek their for
tunes. There was reason why they
did 80, but that reason no longer exists.
In the days of slavery the planter who
owned his GOO or 900 acres aud his
filteetr, or twenty slaves, and had
family OF five or six boys, was at loss
what to do with them. After making
u doctor Of one, preacher Of another
and lawyer Of third. perhaps occa-
sionally q mnrchant was developed
from the fourth. The rest had TO en-
| igrate; there was no place in our econ
omy for them. The planter owned his
blacksmith, his carpenter, his wheel
wright, his bricklsyer; in short, all of
the great field Of labor was filled by
the slave, which at the North gives
employment and profit 10 your labor
ing classes. The overseer class, and
the other men of Virginia who had not
the wealth of the planter, but who had
their families Of sons to provide for,
we're at this further disadvantage, that
they could not provide the necessary
education TO make lawyers, doctors,
and preachers even of part of them,
so all had to leave the State. But,
gentlemen, all is now changed. We
have State abounding in all of the
resources which capital and labor
united must develOpe into enormous
wealth. You and many other citizens
of the North and West bring your ca
pital here, and invite our young men
men to stay at home, and they will
stay, because they see employment be-
fore them, and have something to look
forward 70 in the profits of their indus.
try. In the name not only of Rich.
mond, but in the name of Virginia,
and especially on behalf of the labor
ing classes of this State. | extend you
cordial welcome. Il is as sincere Is
our declaration made in 1861, when
you came with arms in your hands,
and we promised you hoapilable graves.
/ appeal to the efforts made in the war
to make good that declaration as a
guarantee of the earnestness aud hon
esty with which we nov offer you our
hands and = place in our hearts.
THaexERY's house in Kensington
Palace Gardens, London, has just been