AGRICULTURE, A NATIONAL INDUSTRY. 25 



highway across the Isthmus, and rehictant nations withdrew 

 from all proposed attempts at resistence. Whatever may have 

 been our ideas of the gentle influences of a superior and Chris- 

 tian civilixation to prevent a resort to arms between England 

 and ourselves, daily passing events jnust now teach us that it 

 was the important and intricate industry of a people almost 

 unarmed, which proved itself more powerful for peace and res- 

 pectful consideration, than all warlike menaces, and all military 

 organizations. The export of 27,000,000 bushels of wheat, 

 5,000,000 bushels of corn, 644,000,000 pounds of cotton, most 

 of it to England, did more than millions of arms, and tons of 

 powder, and labyrinths of diplomacy, and all the eloquence of 

 peace societies, to preserve our amicable relations with that 

 power. For our cotton found, on the score of quality and 

 cheapness, no competitor, and our grain had at last became a 

 necessity. For, " though Western Europe has been supplied, to 

 a large extent, from Russia and other parts of the world, it is 

 becoming more and more evident, that it has got to look more 

 and more to this country for its supplies," and this fact is recog- 

 nized by many of the leading journals and statesmen of Europe, 

 as, for instance, the " Mark Lane Gazette," which says : " One 

 fact is clear, that it is to Western America that we must, in 

 future, look for the largest amount of cereal produce." 



Less than two years ago, all this pacificatory, and Christianiz- 

 ing, and humanizing, and civilizing intercourse was going on : 

 while the merchant in his counting-room, the clergyman in his 

 pulpit, the statesman in his halls, the laborer in his field, the 

 mechanic in his shop, each looked upon England as his ally 

 and friend ; and the philanthropist, so called, dreamed that this 

 material bond of union was an etherial sentiment, an abstract 

 principle, a mutual devotion to some scheme of human perfect- 

 ibility, more influential than food and raiment and wealth and 

 commerce, and the happiness and joy which attend prosperity 

 and peace. Now how changed. The markets of England are 

 closed. Exchange has found a lieavy balance against us. The 

 plantation finds no outlet. The croj)s of the West will not pay 

 for cultivation. The just now busy and hapjiy crowds whicli 

 throng the manufacturing towns of England and France, are 

 wretched and squalid in idleness and poverty and starvation. 

 The great channels of trade are turned from their course, or 

 4 



