No, 124.] 187 



onr soil and climate to its nature. During the years 1838, '39 and 

 '40, great numbers of trees were imported from France and Italy, and 

 I had frequent opportunities for comparing them with those grown 

 in various parts of our own country. The result was, that upon a 

 fair average, trees raised in this country of one year's growth, were 

 equal in size and productiveness to those of Europe of three years' 

 grbwth. And as to the silk-worm, I know there is no other climate 

 in which it is more healthy, or where it thrives more vigorously. It 

 is true we have met with many disasters from the diseases incident to 

 silk-worms; but in what country do these disasters not happen 7 The 

 public statistics of Europe report that an average of one-half 

 of all the silk-worms that are hatched there, perish from disease. 

 We have no such statistics from China; but I have no doubt they 

 suffer equally there. I hazard little in saying that we do not suffer 

 to this extent. But the ingenuity of our countrymen, aided by 

 the lights obtained from other countries, will soon be able to 

 furnish preventives, and we may encourage ourselves with the 

 prospect of an entire removal of this evil. Already have we made 

 improvements in this branch of the silk culture greater than had been 

 made in Europe in fifty years previously. The system of open air 

 feeding, that has been so well alluded to in this place, will accom- 

 plish much in this respect, if not entirely obviate the difficulty. Let 

 us persevere, then, for we have everything to encourage us; and I am 

 almost ready to say, nothing to fear. I have almost said we have 

 nothing to fear; and we have not, except it be a singular feeling 

 among fashionable people, which seems to prefer anything of foreign 

 origin to American productions. Will it be credited that we have a 

 large establishment that manufactures immense quantities of silk and 

 worsted vestings, employing some fifteen or twenty Jacquard looms, 

 and working up large quantities of domestic silk; and yet they dare 

 not let it be known that their goods are manufactured in this country! 

 They even declined allowing me to exhibit specimens here on that 

 account. We must, therefore, try to do away this feeling of foreign- 

 ism, and to excite a contrary feeling — we must try to make our peo- 

 ple feel proud of American goods. And may we not hope to enlist 

 the feelings of our fair sisters in this causel They did not fail us 

 when the troubles of the times tried men's souls — they will not fail 

 us now. It is estimated that we consume, on an average, twelve mil- 

 lions of dollars worth of silks annually. For this we have to pay in 

 specie, or its equivalent. Is there any adept in figures present, who 

 can tell us what effect the saving of this amount of specie annually 

 will have upon the circulating medium, the exchanges, the wealth and 

 welfare of our country in twenty years? I am one of those who go for 

 our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country, on all 

 such questions as this. I wish to see our own land produce everything 

 that our people consume; and I should be glad to see our country 

 so productive that the wars and commotions of the world would 

 not be able to affect us. I want to see our country in such a situa- 

 tion, that if a wall were built around it, " sky-high, sir," we should 

 not suffer privation of a single necessary or comfort, or even luxury of 



