The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-06-22

pahanock. the Mattaponi. n "a
munky. the North and South Anna.
the York river. the lordiy James. n
it's tributaries. the Appomaftox. the
Nansemond, the Elizabeth, peSloeS
many inland rivers not ~navigabie ex-
cept to a limited extent. as the Ian.
the Stanton. the Roanoke, the Black
Water and the Shenandoah. your
great network of ~navigable waters
onened I'D your territory to settle
ment and commerce to a degree hat
was not equalled by any The State
in this Union and in foreign countries
it is rivalled perhaps only by France
and China. Your n~avigable facilities
led not only to the early and mme
date settlement of your State but TO
the ready marketing OF its
with the result hat at the beginning
of the American Revolution your
State surpassed in population and
wealth any other of the thirteen Colo
MES and your people by reason of
the frequent communication by water
with England and the constant in
f1ux of new settlers possessed probably
the best informed population.
ca Climate. The temperature has
in all history had great effect upon
fitting any race for p~re-eminence. The
line not IF latitude but Of tempera-
ulS LII III iAAi1 ~
| through the ancient seats Of empire
of Rome. of ConStantinopie, of Per
| STA. and of AthenS corresponds very
closely to that of Virginia in this
hemisphere.
Location a Factor.
90 Location. Your location was
also a great factor in your early sue
cess. You were midway h thirteen
colonies You were the largest
colony at that time. for you embraced
West Virginia dow to 1868 as we'll
as possessing the prestige Of owning
the vast and unsettled regions of Ken
lucky and the vast territory north Of
the Ohio. You were not only the
largest colony and the central colony,
but you were the dominant element
in the southern half. AS a result,
it was necessary to select a
commander = in = chief, Massachusetts
and the other Northern States which
were then the object Of attack at Bun
ker Hill and in the siege Of Boston
naturally sought to make secure the
adhesion Of the Southern Colonies by
giving the command to a sOutherner
Among the Southern %colonies natur-
urally the choice would go to thu
largest Colony, and among Virginians
Washington held the highest militar,
reputation. besides being a man O
large wealth and offering to serve
as he did for eight years-withou
compensation. 1t is in noWise a dinai
mutton of Washington's fame, which
t he earned afterwards, that we cal
: thus trace the cause of his selection
Had Virginia been the early seat O
e war, as was Boston. h woul la
S sought doubtless to attach northerl
e colonies to her fortunes by the selec
ton of a soldier from Massachusetts
the leading northern colony, as com
mander-in-chief. Ia consid cratic
was greater at that time than at pres
r ent, for the thirteen COLONEL were nc
parts of one nation, but thirteen indie
pendent SOvereignS, each with it's OW
history and with its own aspiration
and with many j~ealousies betwee
e them. When Washington was at Bos
IS ton, brave old Daniel Morgan led
body Of Virginia soldiers to his all
n Washington road out to meet them o
l. his approach, Morgan at the head {
l. his saluted and said, poin'
Is ing to his men, From the right ban
e Of the Potomac, General" Washing
,e ton dismounted and went down til
d line shaking hands with each, soldie
n in turn. The commander-in-chief /
u remained every inch a southerner al
especially a Virginian. Every mar
n MOrgan'S command had sewed on h
RS breast in white letters, Liberty
death"
ne ca Population. A fourth eau.
of course was the character Of yo,
population. You were not only IL
is first colony a was permanent
ad settled, but the name of your settl
- ment brought hither the most ente
prising part Of the emigration fro
England. Many Of the settlers we
younger sons of the nobility, you
"a men Of education and of some NEAR
70 enterprising and ambitious or men
IT the middle classes seeking to bett
their fortunes. Your numerous rive
20 as | have said, readily opened up yo
IN country to the early settlers, while
no most of the other colonies the settl
,o3 ments chung to the seaboard.
n uGhoo' tle fNoyaliSt eau
in sent to Virginia a large element fro