1847.] Gov. Wright's Address. 181 



on, to cultivate beyond his wants, productions which will not sell; 

 and the chances are, that his farm is neglected, his husbandry be- 

 comes bad, and his gains in fact cease. 



To continue a progressive state of improvement in agriculture, 

 then, and to give energy and prosperity to this great and vital 

 branch of human industry, a healthful and stable market becomes 

 indispensable, and no object should more carefully occupy the at- 

 tention of the farmers of the United States. 



Deeply impressed with the conviction of this truth, benevolent 

 minds have cherished the idea that a domestic market, to be influ- 

 enced only by our own national policy, would be so far preferable, 

 in stability and certainty, to the open market of the commercial 

 world, as to have persuaded themselves that a sufficient market 

 for our agricultural products is thus attainable. It is not designed 

 to discuss the soundness of this theory, where it can be reduced 

 to practice; but only to inquire whether the state of this country, 

 the condition of its society, and the tendency and inclination of 

 its population, as to their industrial pursuits, are such, at the pre- 

 sent time, or can be expected to be such for generations yet to 

 come, as to render it possible to consume within the country the 

 surplus of the productions of our agriculture. The theory of an 

 exclusively domestic market for this great domestic interest, is 

 certainly a very beautiful one, as a theory, and can scarcely fail 

 to strike the mind favorably upon a first impression. Still, ex- 

 amination has produced differences of opinion between statesmen 

 of equal intelligence and patriotism, as to its influences upon the 

 happiness and prosperity of a country and its population. Any 

 examination of this question would lead to a discussion properly 

 considered political, if not partisan, and all such discussions it is 

 my settled purpose to avoid, as inappropriate to the place and 

 the occasion. 



I simply propose to inquire as to a fact, which must control the 

 application of theories and principles of political economy touch- 

 ing this point, to our country and its agricultural population, 

 without raising any question as to the wisdom of the one, or the 

 soundness of the other. Is the consumption of this country equal 

 to its agricultural production, or can it become so within any cal- 

 culable period of years? How is the fact? May I not inquire 

 without giving offence, or transcending the limits I have pre- 

 scribed for myself in the discussion? Can a fair examination, 

 scrupulously confined to this point, take a political bearing, or 

 disturb a political feeling? It is certainly not my design to wound 

 the feelings of any member of the society, or of any citizen of the 

 country; and I have convinced myself that I may make this in- 

 quiry, and express the conclusions of my own mind as to the re- 

 sult, without doing either. If I shall prove to be in error, it will 



