1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



91 



varieties of pears. — For roots could iiave been 

 taken Crom all the kinds, in my large plantation, 

 at the time of its desiruciion. 



Such roots should be selected as have one or 

 more terminal fibres, and those that are often cut 

 oft', or left in the earth, when a tree is transplant- 

 ed, succeed well. They cannot be too small, but 

 should not be larger than the finger. The wounds 

 at the large ends of the roots should be covered 

 %vith some composition, to protect them, as in 

 grafting. They must be set out obliquely. 



MEMORIALi OF THE INTERNA!^ IMPROVE- 

 MENT CONVENTION TO THE GENERAL. AS- 

 SEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



To the Honorable, 



The General jisserably of N. Carolina. 



The undersigned have been deputed a commit- 

 tee to present to your honorable body a memorial, 

 expressive of the views and wishes of a large and 

 respectable portion of your fellow-citizens, recent- 

 ly assembled in the city of Raleigh, in convention, 

 upon the important subject of improving the in- 

 ternal condition of the state. In the discharge of 

 this duty, we feel well assured of receiving a fa- 

 vorable hearing, as well in respect to the nume- 

 rous and patriotic body whose views we are espe- 

 pecially charged to present, as from the subject, 

 which addresses itself so powerfully to the repre- 

 sentatives of the people, to whom has been com- 

 mitted the high trust of guarding the interest and 

 advancing the prosperity of our common country. 



What is the present condition of the state? 

 What its means for improvement ? And in what 

 way are these means to be most effectually applied ? 

 These are the interesting (luesiions to which we 

 have been directed most respectfully to invite your 

 attention ; and which, as your memorialists hum- 

 bly conceive, are of such high public concernment. 

 In examining into the condition of the state, 

 whether we advert to the past, or »'iew the present, 

 whilst much may be found to warm the breast of 

 the patriot, there is but little to gratify the pride, 

 or to stimulate the enterprise of The citizen. We 

 may, indeed, proudly boast of the exalted cha- 

 racter of the nation, and claim for our citizens ihe 

 most devoted attachment to the union of the states; 

 that there has been engrafted into our own consti- 

 tution those principles of rational freedom, the 

 soundness of which has been so tiilly proved 

 in the success of that representative system 

 which constitutes our pride and boast as a 

 nation ; conferring a degree of freedom on the 

 governed unknown in the old world, and se- 

 curing to industry its rich reward, peace and 

 plenty; that the increase of our population, 

 agriculture, manufactures, and advancement in 

 the arts and sciences ; and in civilization, have 

 been rapid beyond all example ; that these national 

 blessings inspire confidence as to the high desliny 

 ofthe republic, and call forlhsendmentsof gratitude 

 to the Supreme Disposer of all events. But whilst 

 we may thus boast of our rapid advancement as a 

 nation, we regret to say, our own state shares but 

 little in this general prosperity. To prove this, 

 facts must be submitted, however mortifying to 

 our pride, or painful to our feelings. In the aftpor- 

 tionment of representatives among the states, un- 

 der the first census. North Carolina and N. York 

 Vol. VII— 13 



were equal, each having ten members. What is 

 likely to be our rank in comparison to New York, 

 under the census soon to be taken, embracing a 

 period of fifty years? She will have exceeded her 

 forty members, whilst our state will retain, or 

 barely exceed, her original ten. What a startling 

 contrast ! Yet. in point of territory, North Caroli- 

 na has her fifty thousand five hundred square 

 miles, whilst New York only exceeds it by two 

 thousand one hundred and twenty-five. At the 

 first period, our population was nearly equal ; 

 whereas, at present, she will exceed two million, 

 whilst ours will be but a fraction beyond seven 

 hundred ihousand. Yet this immense difference 

 is not to be ascribed to our climate or soil, but in 

 part, at least, to the rapid tide of emigration^ 

 There, every thing has been done to improve the 

 condition of her people — here, our citizens have 

 gone, with the bible, encyclopaedia, and the axe, 

 those pioneers of civilization, to give population 

 and character to the wilderness of the west. In 

 this way, more than half a million of our people 

 have left the place of their nativity, and carried 

 with them wealth, talent, and enterprise. It may 

 gratify our pride, to be told in one congress there 

 were nine senators, native born citizens of N. Caro- 

 lina ; yet the fact only proves how much we have 

 lost by liiilmg to render our people prosperous and 

 satisfied at home. 



We might pursue this inquiry still further, and 

 examine into the rapid growth of our sister states ; 

 but we flatter ourselves that you, as we feel as- 

 sured every patriotic citizen, to the question, whe- 

 ther the state shall remain in her present con- 

 dition, are prepared to reply most emphatically, 

 NO ! If so, this brings us to the second inquiry, 

 an estimate of the means of the state. 



Stocks. 

 In the Bank of the State, ^500,000 



In the Bank of Cape Fear, 520,000 



In the Buncombe Turnpike, 5,000 



Roanoke & Cape Fear Navigation Com- 

 panies, 82,500 

 Wilmington and Raleigh Rail-Road, 600,000 

 Bonds for the sale of Cherokee lands, in 



1838, and of a prior date; 350,000 



The cash balances in the public treasury are not 

 included in the above estimates, as they may be 

 required to meet current expenses, and other ne- 

 cessary appropriations. The state, then, has a 

 capital of more than two millions, vested in pro- 

 ductive stocks, and in bonds on interest. It is true, 

 a part of this sum is pledged as a literary fund ; 

 but it is equally true, we presume, that no part of 

 the principal of this fund is to be used, and that it 

 will continue to increase, until the interest accru- 

 ing on it may be called for, in purposes of educa- 

 tion and of free schools. The state is free from debt, 

 and has a credit supported by her natural resour- 

 ces, and the habits and manners of her citizens. 

 The taxable property of the state may, as the com- 

 mittee think, be estimated at near two hundred 

 millions of dollars. She comprises thirty-two mil- 

 lions of acres of land, which may be estimated at 

 two dollars the acre; she has three hundred thou- 

 sand slaves, which may be valued at three hun- 

 dred dollars each, besides the private stocks, mer- 

 chandize, and other property, subject to taxation. 

 But it is not proposed to resort to taxation, nor is 

 it accessary to carry out the views and plan of 



