FARMERS' REGISTER— INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. 



8^ 



that it is not of the highest vahie in itself, without 

 a back country to sup|)ort it, is we think very ap- 

 parent from tlie present state of the town of Nor- 

 folk, Virginia. It is undoubtedly one of the finest 

 harbors on the continent, if not under all circum- 

 stances the very best, and yet though it is as old 

 as most of the large cities in the union, and has 

 <>i' late years received a great deal of patronage 

 from the general government, it is a town of not 

 very high rank in point of ])opulation, and does 

 not, we Delieve, abound in capital. A littld atten- 

 tion to the history of the large commercial cities at 

 home, and abroad, will show that they are the 

 concomitants of a successful state of manuUictures 

 and agriculture, or that they have been consequent 

 on them. And that unless in a few instances, 

 where they have enjoyed a carrying trade, or been 

 connected with fisheries, they have never preceded, 

 agriculture and manufactures. These causes are 

 without doubt sutFicient lor the efiects ascribed to 

 them, which ever ol' them be most ini))ortant. The 

 want of a foreign trade and of manulactures, and 

 the existence of an unskilllil husbandry are sutfi- 

 cient to depress the industry of any people, and 

 must continue to kec]) it dejjressed unless they can 

 be removed or counterbalanced. Though ditlicult, 

 it is by no means impossible to find a remedy for all 

 these evils. During the centur}^ and a half we 

 have been a political community, Ave have done 

 something for ourselves under the weight of all 



inclinations and our habits have made us farmers, 

 and will keep us so. It ie alike the result of ouf 

 naturnl situation and the dictate of sound sense, 

 that our whole energies should be directed to the 

 subduing our wild lands to the dominion of the 

 plough. When we have a. greater capil.il acquired 

 trom a successful cultivation of our lands, than can 

 be profitably re-invested in their improvement — 

 when our ])o])u!alion begins to grow larger than 

 can find room lor a gaintlil industry upon their' 

 native fields, (if we are a prosperous community) 

 our excess of capital and labor will be turned 

 under individual enterprize towards mechanical 

 employments and foreign trade for advantageous 

 occupations But assuredly if any thing may be af- 

 firmed as being beyond contradiction, in regard to 

 our present condition or future prospects, it is, that 

 we are, and must continue, for not less than a 

 century, chiefly, if not exclusively an agricultural 

 people. Nor let it be forgotten, that of all the em- 

 ployments by which n)an earns a subsistence, oi* 

 looks for profit, it is the most primitive, (and 

 notvfitlistanding much misrepresentation to the 

 contrary) among the most profitable and peculiarly 

 favorable to health, to innocence and to Iiap])ines^ 

 — to the culti\ation of the domestic and j)ublic 

 virtues — to make us good men and disinterested 

 patriots. 



All premature attempts to make us either forei(jn 

 traders or mechanics, will not only certainly fiiil, 



these disadvantages, and we can, if we will but re- as we have neither acquired capital or natural fit- 



solve on an united and continued effort,triumph over 

 them. We are not without the means of making 

 a complete change in our agriculture, which as it 

 is the natural occupation for our capital and indus- 

 try should be our first and chief care. If we have 

 the will, we have very certainly abundant ability 

 to make this change. We have, as has already 

 been said, an extensive territory, which though 

 heretofore it has not afiforded much spare wealth, 

 has supported a large population in comfort. Our 

 lands, if not rich, are not so hopelessly sterile, but 

 that by labor and capital judiciously applied, they 

 may be made productive. If once we can improve 

 our soil to an equality with that of our neighbours, 

 we may counterbalance the advantage they have 

 in the growing of cotton and other staples by les- 

 sening the cost of our transport to market. If we 

 can thus greatly increase the value and amount of 

 our agricultural products, we will acquire a cajiital 

 in lands and mone3', and at no very remote period 

 be able to commence manufactures, for which we 

 have great aptitude, especially in the mildness of 

 our climate — the cheapness of provisions, and the 

 •water power which is afforded by our rivers and 

 their tributary streams. 



Our agriculture being freed from its embarrass- 

 ments, we may even attempt, with a fair prospect 

 of success, the improvement of our own ports and 

 the commencement of a foreign commerce fiom 

 them, or perhaps what will be more feasible and 

 equally profitable, an active coasting trade. Our 

 first step to improve the resources of the state — to 

 increase our profits, and thereby to create or to 

 enlarge our capital, must be made in bettering our 

 agriculture. Our extent of territory, a large pro- 

 portion of it yet covered with the native forests, 

 invites to the cultivation of the soil. The pre- 

 dilections of our people are for a farming life; their 

 skill and capital, ever since the settlement of the 

 country, have been turned to it; our interests, our 



ness for these occupations, but are not even desi- 

 rable, as nothing is to be gained, either in point of 

 wealth or happiness, by abandoning our present 

 pursuits. Foreign trade, mechanical industry and 

 the cultivation of the soil, as sources of national 

 wealth, have each found at different periods, and 

 in difierent countries, its advocates, who have eX 

 tolled the favorite pursuit, at the expense of the 

 other two; and on account of its supposed pre- 

 eminence, have claimed from government, boun- 

 ties for its encouragement or duties for hs protec- 

 tion. We must not be understood so to advocate 

 agriculture. All the^e three sources of wealth are 

 looked upon by us as being in themselves on a 

 perfect equality, fmd that one or the other, or all of 

 them at once, are to be followed by any people 

 according to the means they have, by nature or 

 art, for a successful pursuit of them. We are of 

 the number of those, who believe it best, that in- 

 dividuals should be lefi by government to follow 

 their own interests, and tliat in general, nothing 

 more is necessary for the protection of industryj 

 than equal laws and an economical public expen- 

 diture. An exception is of necessity to be made 

 to the doctrine of non-interference on the part of 

 government, where there is some enterprize for 

 the public welfiu'e of such magnitude^ that it re- 

 quires the wealth and credit of the state to carry i( 

 into effect, or some obstacle ol" such tlifficulty, tlint 

 it is obviously not within the power of individual 

 capital, or that of private association to remove it- 

 Such, we think, is the case with us at present. 

 We believe that nothing less than the wealth and 

 credit of the whole state, nt the disposal of the 

 people themselves, through the general assembly, 

 can so improve our inland transport throughout 

 our whole limits, as to place our industry on a level 

 with our competitors hi frthcr states. 



It has been the })ractice of all wise rulers, fa 

 make works of national inji)oitaiice, at the coiB- 



