274 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



Nnvembor-26, 1831 



Seen 10 ;e. erve an answer. The principal objec- 

 tion is — that were »l to give up our militia organ- 

 ization entirely, we should be much more ex- 

 posed to aggressions from foreign nations than at 

 present. It is said that while we have arms in 

 our hands, and are prepared to defend ourselves, 

 and assert our rights, other nations are obliged to 

 respect us. We admit that every nation in time 

 of peace ought to prepare for war, and put and 

 keep itself in a position for defence. But we say 

 that the '>eople can be relieved of the burdensome 

 tax of military duty, and the country be equally se- 

 cure. We would have our frontiers fortified, and 

 a small standing army kept up, and dispersed 

 among our military posts. We are so distant 

 from any nation that dare make war upon us, 

 that if it were actually impending we should 

 have ample time for preparation before it could 

 commence. Our navy, incr :ased as it ought to 

 be, and soon will be, would command all approach 

 to us by sea, and we are almost unapproachable 

 in any other way. We are too strong to be at- 

 tacked successfully by any nation. We cannot 

 have the most distant fear upon the subject. And 

 why should we keep up our militia system as a 

 badge of weakness and of fear ! It is wrong to 

 subject our citizens to such a burden, if it can 

 safely be dispensed with. This military duty 

 is a species of the old feudal system. We do 

 no' indeed hold our lands by a military tenure, 

 but our public rights as citizens — all seem in a 

 qualified sense held and enjoyed subject to a cer- 

 tain fixed servitiv/m militiare. We do protest 

 a.' linst this feudal vassalage in any shape. We 

 object to holding our rights and privileges as 

 tenants in r.apite by knight service — or by any 

 other se.vice, says the ordinary taxes and recipro- 

 cal duties which good citizens owe to their go- 

 vernment. To compel respectable and peaceful 

 citizens, adverse in their ta3te and inclinations 

 and habits to every thing like soldiership — in 

 time of peace to turn out twice or thrice a year 

 and be drilled and marched about, subject to the 

 command of some sensless upstart withjust am- 

 bition enough to rais. an epaulette, is oppressive 

 an I degrading in the extreme. And then to sub- 

 ject them to martial law in case of default, is still 

 worse. This martial law is atbest, a relic of bar- 

 barism. In time of war there may be some ne- 

 cessity or apology for it — but we do protest a- 

 gainst subjecting America citizens to it in time of 

 peace. S. 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMEn. 



Mr. Goodsei.l — In your paper of Oct. 29, 

 you' Cleveland correspondent has a few remarks, 

 that demand some notice from me. He says, 

 " One of your correspondents has intimated that 

 no part of the southern shore of Lake Erie, is a- 

 dapted to the vine. What direct knowledge he 

 has I cannot say," intending no loubt, to be un- 

 derstood to say, that 1 had made the above asser- 

 tion. 



It is not always easy to prove a negatiye, and I 

 know not who may, or where, have published my 

 opinions. It would seem that, as 'one of your 

 correspondents' is charged with hiving ' intimated' 

 this opinion, it has been published in your paper 

 I call upon you, then, as the Editor, to say when 

 and to republish, iu reply to ' E. Y.,' of Clcve 

 land, whatever I may have said, on this point of 

 his charge. This request is made, as an act of 



justice, due, alike, to me and the public : and is 

 the more confidently urged, inasmuch as the repu- 

 tation, for accuracy, is of some concern, to every 

 individual. You oughtnot, in my opinion, tohave 

 published that article, without being satisfied of 

 the truth of the charge. 



I will now tell you what is my impression, of 

 whatever I may have said on that subject. That 

 the south shore of Lake Ontario, from difference 

 of altitude, and depth of water of that Lake, had 

 a climate better adapted to the vine culture, than 

 the country on the south, along the shore of Lake 

 Erie. Not that ' no part J as asserted by your cor- 

 respondent 'of the southern shore of Lake Erie, 

 is adapted to the vine,' quite a material difference. 

 Tiiis is only my belief, however, for I do not refer 

 to the Nos. of your paper, in order to ascertain, 

 because that is your business, if willing to take as 

 much pains, as I do, to ascertain facts. In refer- 

 ence to your correspondent's remark, that' all the 

 south side of Lake Erie,' [not southern shore, as 

 above] ' must not be judged of by western Penn- 

 sylvania, or by Chautauque county in New-York,' 

 I will only add, that I have travelled the whole 

 extent of the eastern and southern shores, of 

 both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and the coun- 

 tries south of them, pretty extensively. On the 

 south of Lake Ontario, through the whole extent 

 of New-York, and on the south of Lake Erie, in 

 various directions, to the Ohio river. If I have 

 erred in my conclusions, so be it; but I would on- 

 ly be held responsible for my own opinions and 

 statements. I am of the opinion, that generally, 

 the countries on the south shore of Lake Erie, are 

 mure liable to suffer by frosts, in spring and au- 

 tumn, injurious to the vine, than those on the east 

 and south shore of Lake Ontario. Thirty 

 years' observation, has convinced me of the truth 

 of this opinion. Taking in all the extent of 

 country in the northern part of Ohio, north of the 

 summit ridge, that country, I think, suffers more 

 by frosts, than a similar extent on the south of 

 Lake Ontario, in New- York. If such be the 

 faets, — and I do not hazard the opinion on slight 

 grounds, — there are good grounds for all I have 

 I said, on this subject I engage in no controversy, 

 however, but invite others to observe facts, as 1 

 have done and judge for themselves. 

 Very respectfully, yours, 



H. G. SPAPFORD. 

 jj> We have looked over the numbers of the 

 Farmer, and find only one allusion by Mr. Spaf- 

 ford to the climate of the southern shore of Lake 

 Erie, which occurs in a letter to the Editor, and 

 may be found on the 20th page. It is as follows : 



"The country south of Lake Ontario, in 

 this state, certainly has a climate more con- 

 genial to the vine, than any country on the 

 south of Lake Erie, even to the Ohio Riv- 

 er." 



writers have borrowed , an J then judge f j irly. Sei 

 the article ' Massachusetts Lands,' in the ' New 

 York Gazeteer,' of 18:24; and also 'Progressive 

 Populatjon,' in that of 1813, page 48. 



' Y. Z.' says.'Mr.Spaffordgoeson to tell us thai 

 " in 1789," etc., as an erratum for which, you may 

 say, for Sp ifford, read Hawiey; and your cor 

 espondent may then settle the wholematter with an- 

 other correspondent, and have the ' errors and omis- 

 sions' of ' the New- York Gazetteer,' 'contained 

 n the extracts,' tobesettlcl between themselves. 

 They are not chargeable to that work, an J may 

 as well be fathered by those to who.n they belong. 

 Mr. Hawley, I presume, will have the candoi 

 and the magnanimity, to exculpate ' the New- 

 York Gazeteer,' and thus to repel the charges of 

 inaccuracy, brought by ' Y. Z ' If not, you will 

 please publish this Note, as an act of justice. 



H1STORICUS. 

 Y. Z., in a note enclosing his communications, 

 says, " If it is thought these articles contain too- 

 much criticism, it may be said by way of apolo- 

 gy, that criticism provokes discussion, and discuss 

 ion elicits truth." 



SELECTIONS. 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Mr. Goodef.ll — Please inform your corres- 

 pondent 'Y. Z.,' Genesee Farmer, of Nov. 12, 

 that his_/£re,dirGeled at ' the New- York Gazetteer,' 

 bits something else, as he might have known, had 

 he wished to know the truth. To come at this, 

 let him refer to the Genesee Farmer, No. <3, and 

 alsoNo 9. If he would learn, exactly, how much 

 of the ' errors and omissions,' which he charges 

 to the 'New- York, Gazetteer,' really belong to that 

 work, let him consult the articles, from which the 



From the Lowell Journal. 

 SILK MANUFACTURE. 



NO. V. 



The manufacturing nations of Europe 

 stand in need of the article of raw silk, which 

 they are glad to procure, even of an inferiot 

 quality, fiom the most remote regions of the 

 globe: while America could supply them 

 with the best and finest to an unbounded ex- 

 tent. I have pointed out two great markets, 

 viz. England and France open to Ameri- 

 can industry and inviting it to their shores. 

 I shall now show the advantages to be deri- 

 ved from this branch of trade, when once it 

 shall have been fairly introduced into this 

 country. 



The celebrated Count Dandolo, by whose 

 labors the cilture of silk has been so much 

 improved and extended throughout Europe, 

 does not hesitate to affirm, that the value ol 

 silk in Italy, considered as an article of ex- 

 portation, is twice equal to that of all other 

 products of that country taken together, and 

 that there is no production of the earth in tin- 

 markets of Europe, which compared to its 

 natural value or prime cost, offers to the 

 producer a greater net piolit than the article 

 of silk. 



If then in Italy, the land of corn, wine and 

 oil. the profits on exported raw silk be equal 

 to double the amount of all the other produc 

 tions of the Italian soil taken together, it is 

 evident that the same if not greater advanta- 

 ges must result to this Country, particularly 

 to the Northern and Middle States, whose 

 productions are not so rich as those in the 

 south of Europe. 



Eveiy person will easily understand that 

 the profits on raw silk will in a certain de- 

 gree be proportioned to the extent ufthe means 

 of those engaged in its preparation, and of 

 their establishment for thai purpose. If it 

 be on a large scale the machinery may be 

 moved by water, or steam power, which will 

 add greatly to the economy of the business. 

 It is now three or foui years since the Ital- 

 ian reel was imported into Philadelphia, ami 

 there it still lies, like a fine musical instru- 

 ment waiting for the hand of the master.— 

 Nobody has yet succeeded in making Jner< 



