1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



623 



homes, as if they dreaded to be starved to death, 

 should they remain in them longer, whilst those 

 who are left behind, are plunged up to the ears, 

 (all of which are stopped, except to their own con- 

 federates,) in reckless political strife, about matters 

 over which they can rarely, if ever, have any ef- 

 fective control, instead of constantly and most 

 anxiously directing all their united efforts towards 

 the preservation of our dear old state from aban- 

 donment by her citizens and political degradation. 

 We have only to continue our exterminating party 

 quarrels a little longer, and we shall have nothing 

 left to quarrel about, but the inexpiable guilt of 

 having ruined Virginia. 



To you, our representatives, our "forlorn hope," 

 in this fearful crisis of our affairs, we must look 

 for some remedy, some curative process, if any 

 can be devised, for the evils which are now spread- 

 ipgover the land like an all-destroying pestilence. 

 Listen not, we entreat you, to any who will cry, 

 "peace, peace, when there is no peace;" who would 

 fain persuade, you that "all is well:" that Virginia 

 is fast resuming her former political importance in 

 the union; that her voice is still attentively heard 

 and highly respected in our national councils, and 

 that little more than what has already been done 

 for education and internal improvement is required 

 to bring back those palmy, prosperous days she 

 once enjoyed. Rather be assured, that without 

 all the aid which you can give her, the diseases 

 both moral and political, under which she is now 

 suffering so intensely, must finally destroy or re- 

 duce her to a condition of which every true Vir- 

 ginian must be utterly ashamed. 



These are very unpalatable truths, and some 

 possibly may blame us for uttering them, nay, 

 may accuse us of presenting too gloomy a view of 

 our real condition. But we verily believe, that 

 had similar exposures been more frequently made, 

 our legislatures never would have wasted so much 

 of their precious time in vain attempts to regulate 

 the affairs of the nation, when both duty and in- 

 terest required them to spend by far the greater 

 part of it in regulating our own state concerns, as 

 the only certain means of sustaining our original 

 rank in the union. The exercise of the latter 

 right, none were likely to dispute, however we 

 might differ about the mode; whereas all attempts 

 to exert the former, have invariably resulted in 

 aggravating our internal dissentions, and making 

 "confusion worse confounded." In the mean 

 time, all the best interests of our state were suffer- 

 ed to lie dormant, as matters that could be taken 

 up at any time, and therefore were not taken up at 

 all. These interminable quarrels, instead of pu- 

 rifying our political atmosphere, as party conflicts 

 are said to do, by those visionary politicians who 

 are led away by false analogies, have overspread 

 the country with contagious moral diseases for 

 which there seems to be no cure, nor any escape, 

 since both the doctors and their patients are alike 

 infected with them, and never come into contact 

 without re-infecting each other. 



Until very lately, we have almost entirely ne- 

 glected the great, "the vital elements of state pros- 

 perity and aggrandizement. We mean popular 

 education and internal improvement. At the head 

 of the latter stands agriculture; for, according as 

 that flourishes or declines, so must all the other in- 

 terests in the community also flourish or decline. 

 Yet if there ever has been one solitary enactment 



designed specially to promote this first of all arts, 

 we have yet to learn the fact. 



It is certainly true, that your petitioners are all 

 agriculturists, and may therefore be suspected of 

 undue partiality lor our own class. But we are 

 unconscious of claiming, or even desiring more 

 than our real importance, in all calculations of na- 

 tional good, entitles us to claim of all our legisla- 

 tures who honestly make that good the object and 

 test of every legislative proceeding. Always 

 considering commerce and manufactures our na- 

 tural allies, our political brethren, we have ever 

 been ready to act towards them as such. But we 

 know no better way of manifesting this fraternal 

 regard, than by constantly fostering our own inter- 

 est, as the most, essential, nay, the indispensable 

 means of cherishing theirs, and elevating them to 

 the highest degree of attainable prosperity. On 

 this deeply interesting subject, we have but one 

 heart, one mind. Our sole and most anxious de- 

 sire is, to promote, as far as we possibly can, the 

 full developement and proper application of all the 

 resources of our beloved state; to consult together, 

 with one accord, for her interest, her permanent 

 good; and to devote to this vital cause, all the ta- 

 lents, and all the knowledge we possess. Differ- 

 ences of political opinion in regard to federal pol- 

 itics we certainly have among us; for where is the 

 hole or corner of the state into which they have 

 not found their way? But we have unanimously 

 resolved, (strange as it may seem,) that they 

 shall neither disturb our deliberations, nor in any 

 way mingle with our proceedings: Virginia re- 

 sources and Virginia improvement, by their fullest 

 culture and developement, being the exclusive aim 

 of all our present efforts. If ever there was a 

 time, since the establishment of our common- 

 wealth, which, more than any other demanded 

 such efforts, the present, most assuredly, is that 

 time: and much do we hope, confidently will we 

 trust, that our own harmonious co-operation to re- 

 suscitate dear old Virginia, will be fully met, on 

 your part, by far more effective exertions. 



Had our legislatures, in the incipient stages of 

 our federal union, extended their fostering care, 

 with due solicitude, to the agricultural interests of 

 Virginia, and to the general education of her peo- 

 ple, we have no doubt that most of the evils, if 

 not the whole under which she now suffers, might 

 easily have been prevented. But it is not yet too 

 late, "we hope, at least to alleviate, if not entirely 

 to remove, them, by future legislative effort, made 

 during your present session, and cordially sustain- 

 ed, as we believe it will be, by your constituents. 

 Something, it is true, has been attempted of late 

 years, in behalf of popular education; but we can- 

 not forbear to repeat, that up to the present hour, 

 nothing, nay, less than nothing, (if we may so 

 express ourselves,) has been done, for agriculture 

 — the nursing mother of every legitimate trade, 

 profession and calling in the community. Such, 

 however, were the natural advantages of Virgin- 

 ia, that this shameful and ruinous neglect of them 

 was slower than might have been expected, in 

 producing all those disastrous consequences which 

 ought to have been anticipated in time to prevent 

 them. Hence the fact of their coming upon us, 

 as it, were, by surprise. 



Some six or seven years have now elapsed, 

 since the first unequivocal symptoms appeared of 

 that emigrating pestilence, which has, ever since, 



