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FARMERS' REGISTER— INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. 



king and diffusing wealth throughout their wide- 

 spread borders. Their seaports are crowded with 

 vessels; their mechanics find constant employment 

 and high wages ; their manufactures are prosecu- 

 ted with still increasing skill ; and their agricul- 

 tjire is beautifying and enriching the soil, at the 

 moment when it gathers the rewards of industry. 

 There, hospitals for the sick and the insane — asy- 

 lums for orphans — institutions for the cure and in- 

 struction of the blind — schools for the deaf and 

 dumb — and other beneficent establishments for 

 the removal and mitigation of human woe, — de- 

 light the eye and elevate the heart of the behold- 

 er — fit offerings of gratitude from a prosperous 

 community to the Father of the human race for 

 His blessings on their exertions, and mute but ex- 

 pressive solicitors for a continuance of His bounty 

 to those who delight in doing good to the children 

 of men. How are all these things in North Caro- 

 lina.^ Fellow-citizens, we do not require your 

 answer, nor do you need information from us. 

 You know how they are — and loe forbear to speak. 

 It is sufficiently mortifying to discover, it were 

 too painful to dwell on, the humiliating contrast. 

 Indeed, did we not hope that this reproach would 

 ere long be removed from amongst us, we should 

 endeavor to bury it in thick night, hide it from the 

 world, and, if possible, forget it ourselves. But 

 we trust that a blessed change is in store for us. 

 We know that there are difficulties, and serious 

 difficulties to be encountered — but we are sure 

 that there are none which may not be subdued by 

 wise counsels and united exertions ; and we are 

 convinced that on You, People of North Caroli- 

 na, it depends, whether the state shall or shall not 

 become all which her warmest friends ought to 

 desire for her. 



" Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the 

 earth and subbue it," announces to man the first 

 direct command of his Creator, and a command 

 rich with promised blessings. To subdue the 

 earth, implies effort ; effort would have been un- 

 necessary, had not difficulties been purposely left 

 for man to overcome ; and He who is all-wise 

 and all-good, never would have imposed an obli- 

 gation impossible to be fulfilled, nor have enjoined 

 an act which was not pleasing in his sight. The 

 subjugation of the earth can be effected but by 

 labor — and the steady, judicious, and economical 

 application of labor to this purpose lies at the root 

 of human prosperity. The extraordinary fertili- 

 ty of the Genesee country, like that of the valley 

 of the Mississippi, no doubt attracted to it many 

 citizens from the adjoining states, and many emi- 

 grants from foreign countries, and thereby hasten- 

 ed its settlement and growth. But, taken in the 

 whole, it may well be doubted whether New 

 York or Pennsylvania presented a better natural 

 soil for the labors of the husbandman than was 

 generally to be found in North Carolina ; while, 

 an the mildness of our winters, the higher value of 

 the products of a Southern climate, and the great- 

 er ease with which our earth is tilled, we had on 

 our part decided advantages. But these were 

 compensated, and more than compensated, by two 

 physical blessings, bestowed on them in an emi- 

 nent degree. Each of these had a port of safe and 

 ready access from the ocean, and bold rivers pene- 

 trating far into the interior — possessing thus the 

 means of cheap transportation to a home market, 

 and of easy exportation to foreign ones. Marts 



were to be found within each state, for all that the 

 industry of its citizens could produce ; and the 

 products of labor were not consumed by the ex- 

 penses of reaching the place of sale. While ad- 

 equate motives where thus furnished to excite 

 agricultural industry, its success gave activity to 

 mercantile adventure and employment to the me- 

 chanical arts. The profit of these built up capital, 

 and capital led to enterprise, to the discovery of 

 new sources of wealth, to the extension of facili- 

 ties in business, to manufactures, to every species 

 of improvement, and to general prosperity. The 

 great wants of our state then are, emphatically, 

 good marts of traffic and the means of cheap trans- 

 portation. Until these can be supplied, our forests 

 teem fo little purpose with the luxuriant and val- 

 uable productions of nature, our alluvial lands pre- 

 sent too feeble attractions to their general suljuga- 

 tion, and many of the mineral treasures with which 

 our earth abounds, must lie undisturbed and even 

 unexplored. Men cannot be well induced to labor 

 for more than they can consume, unless the sur- 

 plus may be conveniently exchanged for the com- 

 modities which refinement has made valuable, or 

 can be stored up in accumulations for the winter 

 of age, or the wants of posterity. While pro- 

 duction is thus kept back, there is neither supply 

 nor demand for commercial capital. The pro- 

 ducts actually made, because of the costs of trans- 

 portation, are of little value, and there is therefore 

 no increase of agricultural capital. Slovenly 

 farming, slender traffic, and a languid circulation, 

 general want of enterprise, inactivity and listless- 

 ness become habitual, and generation succeeds 

 generation with scarcely a perceptible improve- 

 ment in wealth, manners, science, or the arts. 



If by a sudden dispensation of Providence, the 

 shoals which endanger and impede our maritime 

 navigation were removed, and the various streams 

 whicTi intersect our state were rendered fit for the 

 purposes of conveyance from their very sources, all 

 will admit, that we should spring forward with 

 resistless energy to the consummation of our hopes. 

 The impulse given to business of every sort would 

 be felt in every section of the state, and in every 

 department of industry. Let children indulge in 

 day dreams ; but it is for men to inquire whether 

 they have not the power of supplying the deficien- 

 cies of nature, and of acquiring by their own ex- 

 ertions what, for wise purposes, was originally de- 

 nied. Obstacles surmounted and difficulties sub- 

 dued, as they are the best trials, so they become 

 the noblest triumphs of virtue, intellect and cou- 

 rage. Often the most eminent among men have 

 been trained up to fortitude and wisdom in the 

 school of adversity ; and the most illustrious of na- 

 tions have usually passed through the stages of in- 

 fancy and childhood, struggling for existence, 

 gradually gaining and consolidating their strength, 

 and by severe trials acquiring the qualifications 

 and forming the habits which were to be display- 

 ed in the maturity of manhood : " Heaven grants 

 the gifts, it grants the power to gain." Is the 

 navigation of our rivers obstructed .'' To a con- 

 siderable extent and with no mighty effort, we 

 can remove these obstructions. W here these are 

 not removeable, or the streams are too shallow for 

 boat navigation, or streams are wanting, experi- 

 ence has shewn, that the canal, and still more, the 

 railway, furnish better means of conveyance. As 

 in no country are these more needed, so in none 



