206 VIRGINIA. [Cmp. XV. 



maps and reports of the State Survey, which have been admira 

 bly executed under the direction of Professor W. B. Rogers. 



The division of legislative duties between a central power, such 

 as I had just seen deliberating at Washington, and the separate 

 and independent states, such as that now in simultaneous action 

 here at Richmond, seems the only form fitted for a widely ex 

 tended empire, if the representative system is to prevail. The 

 present population of the different states may be compared, on an 

 average, to that of English counties, or, at least, to colonies of the 

 British empire. At the same period of the year, when each is 

 managing its own affairs in regard to internal improvements 

 schools, colleges, police, railways, canals, and direct taxes the 

 central parliament is discussing questions of foreign policy the 

 division of Oregon ; the state of the army and navy, questions of 

 free trade, and a high or low tariff. 



By aid of railways, steamers, and the electric telegraph, it 

 might be possible to conduct all the business of the twenty-seven 

 states at Washington, but not with the same efficiency or econ 

 omy ; for, in that case, the attention of the members of the two 

 houses of Congress would be distracted by the number and variety 

 of subjects submitted to them, and the leading statesmen would 

 be crushed by the weight of official and parliamentary business. 



While at Richmond, we saw some agreeable and refined so 

 ciety in the families of the judges of the Supreme Court and 

 other lawyers ; but there is little here of that activity of mind 

 and feeling for literature and science which strikes one in the 

 best circles in New England. Virginia, however, seems to be 

 rousing herself, and preparing to make an effort to enlarge her 

 resources, by promoting schools and internal improvements. Her 

 pride has been hurt at seeing how rapidly her old political 

 ascendency has passed away, and how, with so large and rich a 

 territory, she has been outstripped in the race by newer states, 

 especially Ohio. She is unwilling to believe that her negro 

 population is the chief obstacle to her onward march, yet can 

 not shut her eyes to the fact that the upper or hilly region of 

 the Alleghanies, where the whites predominate, has been ad 

 vancing in a more rapid ratio than the eastern counties. The 



