Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-11-02

4
this youngest of the children of an illus
trious mother leaped forth in an inaus-
picious hour to assume. for veal or woe,
the high attributes and grave responsible
tiles of an indestructible State.
with near 5000 square miles of ter
ritory, chiefly unbroken forests, narrow
valleys and high mountain ranges, to
which the eye of attention and the hand
of improvement had scarcely been direct
ed treated fol a century by the mother
State as the transalpine region beyond
the reach of present maternal solicitude.
With ffty-four counties and scarcely
means of modern transportation in more
than twelve; with little more than a
quarter of a million of population; with
contending armies within its borders and
sentiment divided on the great questions
of the civil war, its people commenced
the task of rounding into form the
crude material that environed them.
- Profiting by the experiences of the
past; inspecting patiently the methods
of the present: working upward toward
a safe and expanding future, they have
bui1ded slowly, cautiously. but well.
Conceiving clearly the blighting infiu-
ence of high taxation; convinced by his
toric evidence of the proneness of each
generation by schemes of public loans. to
put its fingers into the pockets of its sue
cessors; as a first step they imbedded
firmly into the States organic law the
positive inhibition against creation of
public debt. except to suppress iusurrec-
ton, repel invasion, or for defence in
time of war.
They prohibited the loan of the States
credit, or its assumption of any obliga-
tions of counties, municipalities, corpora
tions OF persons, and municipalities and
counties from incuring debt, except to
limited extent. and by consent of the
people,
They declared for equal and uniform
taxation, and when upon property in pro
portion to its value. They adopted and
broadened the great principles of the Bill
of Rights, and restrained the evil of spe-
cial legislation. They guaranteed to ev-
cry individual due protection and equality
of rights, and as constant reminder of
these Blessings of freemen they inscribed
upon its seal the motto, "Montani SemPer
Liberi."
Aspiring to high and exalted life,
seeking to elevate every human being
within its bo rders, and bless with prosper
ity, education, refinement and religion,
its many happy homes, they dedicated
the Public Domain to the cause of edu-
cation.
Thus constitutionally equipped for the
stern duties of statehood the young COM
monwealth embarked upon its career,
with self-reliant and intreprid will.
Blessed with central location. geog-
raphicaliY neither North nor South, nor
East nor West, its mountain nists CON
geal form or feed the splendid streams
that fertilize the fields and valleys of all
sections.
"WhetherNorth byMaryland andPenn-
sylvania South by Virginia and Ken
lucky, or Westward by Ohio, the citizen
of West Virginia may imbibe within the
limits of its own territory. the influence
and genius OF each.
The product of its mines, the produce
of its soil. the timber from its forest, the
workmanship of its artizaDs. following
the streams that spring from out its hills.
can find the ships of commerce either
upon the Atlantic or upon the more dis
tant shores of the Gulf.
Endowed with salubrious climate. it
has neither the saturated atmosphere of
England, nor the rainless skies of Cali
fornia; but the pleasant medium, by which
the blasts of winter and the rays of sum-
mer are neutralized and tempered, both
for animal and vegetable life.
Health loiters within its borders. wheth-
er in the green valleys or altitudimous
mountains, and from its hills varied
medicinal springs come forth, in every
section, as Natures offering to the pleas
ures and ailments of mankind.
"The early spring, with gentle frequent
showers, the summer less humid than in
surrounding States. and the mellow au-
tumn trespassing upon winter. make
glad the hours of seed-time and insure
the safety of the abundant harvest
Grasses spring green and fresh, even
upon the SUBMITS of its 1oftiest noun
tains, and annually watered by the pro
verbal rain fall, sustain the cattle brows-
ing upon ITS ten thousand hills.
Within the wales along its many
water courses, and conspiciorsly in the
great Shenandoah Valley, described as
the Paradise of Agriculture, the great
fruits and cereals grow with undiminish-
ing fruitfulness.
''Atits eastern gate, washed by thePoto-
mac and the Shenandoah, lies the great
county, baptized in honor of the author of
the Declaration of Independence. which
stands the recorded superior in this broad
union for the production of grain. and
where, after century of use. the fertile
soil responds with never failing generos-
ity to the caresses of the careful hus-
bandman.
Rocks. crags. dwarfed trees. or gem
eral barrenness are described as the US
ual associates OF mountain regions The
tourist searching for scenic grandeur /;
Alps piled on Alps. and interspersed with
quiet dells of sylvan beauty and wales
where gentle rivulets water outrageous.
trees and birds of varied plumage warble
their sweet songs, with but poetic eye