THB 



iOUPiNAL OF RURAL ART AM) RURAL TASTE. 



Vol. II. 



JUNE, 1S43. 



No. 12. 



At this moment, when the old world's mo- 

 narchical institutions are fast falling to pie- 

 ces, it is interesting to look at home, at the 

 prosperous and happj' condition of our new- 

 world republic. 



Abroad, the sovereign springs from a 

 privileged class, and holds his position by 

 the force of the army. His state and go- 

 vernment are supported by hea\y taxes, 

 wrung from the laboring classes, often en- 

 tirely without their consent. At home, the 

 people are the sovereign power. The safe- 

 ty of their government lies in their own in- 

 telligence ; and the taxes paid for the main- 

 tenance of public order, or to create public 

 works, fall with no heavy or unequal press- 

 ure, but are wisely and justly distributed 

 throughout all classes of society. 



In the United States, the industrial class- 

 es are the true sovereigns. Idleness is a con- 

 dition so unrecognized and unrespected with 

 us, that the few professing it find themselves 

 immediately thrown out of the great ma- 

 chine of active life which constitutes Ame- 

 rican society. Hence, an idle man is a cy- 

 pher. Work he must, either with his head, 

 his hands or his capital ; work, in some mode 

 or other, or he is a dethroned sovereign. The 

 practical and busy spirit of our people repu- 

 diates him, and he is of no more absolute 



consequence than the poor fugitive king, — 

 denied, and driven out by his subjects. 



The CULTIVATORS OF THE SOIL Constitute 

 the great industrial class in this country. 

 They may well be called its " bone and 

 sinew ;" for at this moment do thej' not 

 only feed all other classes, but also no in- 

 significant portion of needj' Europe, furnish 

 the raw material for manufactures, and 

 raise the great staples which figure so large- 

 ly in the accounts of the merchant, the ship 

 owner and manufacturer, in every village, 

 town and sea-port in the Union. 



The sovereign 'people has a better right 

 to look over its ^^ rent roll" — to examine the 

 annual sum total of the products of its in- 

 dustry-, than any other sovereign whatever ; 

 and it has accordingly employed Mr. Bubke, 

 the excellent commissioner of patents, to 

 collect statistical facts, and publish them in 

 the annual report of his office. 



An examination of the condition of this 

 country, as exhibited in Mr. Burke's re- 

 port* of its industrial resources, will, we 

 think, afford the best proof ever exhibited 

 of the value of the the American Union, 

 and the extraordinary wealth of our terri- 

 tory. The total value of the products of the 



• This report is now in press nt Washington. Our data 

 have been copied I'rcm an abstract nlreudy published. 



VOL. n. 



68 



