Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-03
LETTER FROM VIRGINIA.
About Politics and Other Things

About Politics and Other Things.
Special Correspondence Knoxville Chronicle.
HARRIsoNBURG, Va, October 20.
My meanderings through old Virginia, for
the past six months, mingling with people
of all shades of opinions on State and
national matters of general interest, induces
me to pen a few lines for the columns of
the DAILY CHRONICLE, knowing that Knox
vile, and East Tennessee contains many
citizens originally from this State, and your
readers regardless of birthplace may be
interested in what is transporting in the ad-
joining State to Tennessee. Several weeks
since while travelling through the country of
Rockbridge, wherein stands the Natural
Bridge, my attention was directed to quite
large company of artists, sketching the
bridge and its surroundings, and upon
inquiry found they were there in the interest
of some Chicago publishers, who were
writing up and illustrating that part of the
State, which is now trayersed by the Rich
mond and Allegheny Railroad, lately COM
pleted and running along the banks of the
James River, and being substituted for
the obsolete canal now discontinued.
1t was remarked by the inhabitants of
Rockbridge that the lady sketchers were
homely IN appearance, perhaps uglyf would
suit my Tennessee readers best; but as
beauty and brains are not always mingled
in the same face and head, concluded from
the prompt and business-like manner III
which the gketchers piled their pencils, that
they were in possession of the latter If not
the first named component part of woman
hood Virginia and her people are wide
awake on the subject of building railroads,
and internal improvements generally; and,
just at the present juncture, nearly frantic
about funderism, reimbursement and isms I'D
intinituna, SO that, to an outsider, it APP
pears that the old commonwealth must
either sink or swim, by the success or fail
ure Of either one of the two contending
parties. had thought that Tennesseeans,
| when thoroughly aroused on political ques-
| tons, could discount any other people !;
but alas! for my people, they are far III the
| background in the use of abusive eplthets,
eXcitable language and the persuasive
argument of powder and lead. But, l am
informed, that this is an extraor-
binary campaign and ''some allowance
must be made for Virginians, sir" Granted.
| The code of honor, however, seems to be
maintained, if maintained it is, by blood
shed. The powder must be damp, or the
caps deficient when the Riddleberger,
Lewis and Wise men meet on the bloodIess
field of honor, sirs, to settle the long dis
puted, much complicated and terribly de-
moralized finance question.
The political chaldron boils at this time
(within ten days of the decisive day. to its
utmost capacity, and it is hard to predict
which party will be successful. In spits OF
all this turmoil and strife, Northern capital
lists are planting their millions in the State
| in building railroads, opening copper, lead
and iron mines and coal fields, which, as
time progresses, will tell more for the well
fare of the State than the success or failure
of either political party.
This town is the county seat of Rocking.
ham County, and in the heart of the famous
Shenandoah Valley, the granery of the South
during the war for the maintenance of equal
rights?
There was no mistaking the hearty and
undivided sentiment that prevailed inVirginia
during the struggle of President Garfield
for life, and many sad faces at the announce.
ment of his death, and the sentiment gen.
orally prevails that, although dead, he still
speaks for united, happy and prosperous
people, North, South, East and West. This
portion of the State differs from the Eastern
part. Here the whites predominant and dc
their work mostly; but in the tobacco
regions, ebony faces are as thick as bees al
swarning. As we get nearer the Northern
States, the ways and customs of the people
are more like the people of the North; theil
way of farming, crops raised, habits, sen
timents, and mode of life being quiet sim.
liar, and trust that the day is nor far dis
tant, when all the people will know nc
North, 20 South, East or West nothing but
their country ADJ.