The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-07-29

4VOs 10
8 tFor the VIRGINIAN.l
D v1rg1nla's Past, Present and Future.
1t is common thing to hear old citizens
speak OF the good old-long- time ago. Vir-
glnia OF their early manhood, and boast of
the prosperity and primitive glory that
clustered around her in the hallowed Lang
Syne, and to compare it to the degeneracy
OF to-day. They Of the modern type are
TOO much disposed to treat such as old
fogies-as people to whom the past is all
Utopian, the present degeneracy. and the
future hopeless decay.
The conclusions Of these old fogies, as
they are termed, however, are conclusions
which are logical deductions from an array
OF facts that have been forcibly presented
TO them in the history of Virginia during
their lifetime.
In their experience in ante bellum times
they enjoyed an independence and sub
stantial prosperity that might very plausi-
bly, excite the emulation of Virginia to-
day. 1t is true that the old State was not
then canalled. and railroaded, and threaded
with electricity, and interspersed with
cities and towns resounding with the hum
OF great manufactures, but still she was
self-sustaining and independent.
Then. as now, her interests were chiefly
agricultural, but every farm house might
have justly been considered home man
ufactory. While she supported what is
now termed slave holding aristocracy,
nevertheless her wants were comparatively
few. With all the refnements and ele-
gance Of manner characteristic of the old
Virginia planters. still they knew little,
and cared less for the effeminate luxuries
of modern society.
| The old county patriarchs, though the
possessors and masters of souls, were plain
men and lived simply. There was rarely
little If any furniture in their houses that
was not common home manufacture the
| old fashioned cabinet-makersa and ingenious
slaves about the farm having supplied the
| furniture market.
Wool and hemp and flax were grown in
abundance, and all manufactured at the
farm house or at the little factories scat
tered around over the county. The raw
material for all of the bags and bedding
and carpeting and nearly all the clothes
was raised on the farm and substantially
all manufactured and made up at the farm
house. Numberless little tanneries were
scattered oyer the country which con-
stunned large quantities of bark and fur
n;shed all the leather for the home mar
ket. Boots and shoes and hats and all
kind of wearing apparel. and plows and
harrOws and WagOnS-in fact the entire
farm outfit was made at home, developing
skill in slaves and giving profitable en-
ployment to the white laboring classes.
Ready made imported clothing was a nov
city. Our farmers never then dreamed of
going across the Ohio or Potomac TO pur-
chase their farming implements. Large
crops OF all kinds were grown without the
use OF fertilizers from abroad. Stable and
farm yard manure were the only fertilizers
used on the farms. The then virgin soil
yielded remunerative crops The expenses
did not then as now consume all the profit.
A surplus of farm products was yearly
produced to export. Her imports being
smaller balance of trade was in her favor.
Exports exceeding imports brought money
into the State. Wealth was kept at home
and more added to it f.om year to year.
Then old Virginia was made lot only self
sustaining and independent but snbstan.
tal prosperity was established
Besides this She Was Il slave producing
state. She grew slaves for the Southern
markets-her genial and salubriulls climate
peculiarly fitted her for such an industry.
Her slaves always demanded the highest
prices. They brought per capita from fif-
teen hundred To twO thousand dollars in
gold. Droves We're sold every year To the
negro traders for the cotton and sugar
plantations of the South. Thus streams
Of wealth poured into the Old Dominion,
and her population was rendered rs pros
porous and happy as could rnssihly be,
eau I'd us it was by an inlquitnus and in
human institution. She was honored,
rttrred. feared.
But when the very highest of her pros
lrriiy and glory hal been attained there
calne the awful. bloody and destructive
war of The rebellion, The old mother
State was made the centre of the most
sanguinary and destructive revolution
known in modern times. A rev0-
luton that crushed her government
ont of existence and |, 1T her
that counterftittd htrcnrrtncy destroyed
her credit and swept away her labor sys
tenn forever: that laid wa, tt ard barren
her fairest and most fertile sections, and
left her hills and valleys stained with the
blood and strewn with the bones OF her
hravest sons. Bankrupted, devastated,
and overrun by insulting thousands, she
was overpoWered, but her proud, brave
spirit was not conquered. She went
through it all with her glory and fame
unsullied save by secession
During this revolution, SO direful In it's
effects On Virginlt, the most unrivalled
prosperity sprang up in :he North and
West; money was extremely plentiful and
as result was lihrraIly expended on every
species of industry. Manufactures were
built up as If by the hand of enchantment.
An unrivalled era of invent ion and wealth
was instituted; every article of manufae
ture seemed to spring from the brain of
genius like thought.
When peace was restored the produc-
lions of the genius Of the North and West
poured i'll profusion into Virginia. She
wa, without money and skilled labor to
build up rival industries. The small and
old-fasliioned industries had to compete in
the home market with the capital, ma
chinery and skilled labor nf the North and
West. The old fashioned work remained
unsold. Her shoe aud wagon and cabinet
shops and little factories and FORCES, and
furnaces and tlnnerie. have ,nsequently
been gradu lily closed Gu THUS The en-
ergies of her people have been turned ex-
cluslvely to agriculture. But even in this
the same old beaten 1T is followed
Wheat and corn AMI t.,tacco are The sta
pies upon which all DEF end. 1t is true
that these products have been greatly in
creased nv the use of commercial ferti]i-