SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
121 
, LAND AND LABOR. 
BY T . 
Cheap Labor ! dear Land ! let the Dial go back 
Some cycle or so, for the blessing we lack ! 
Let the darkest of ages their annals expand 
With the cheapest of toil, and the dearest of land ! 
i Two Serfs for a Seignior ! weary and froze ! 
Hot blood for his foot-bath ! bless his old toes ! 
There’s a “rise” in mankind since the Seigniors are gone! 
And a “farther decline” ! be it upwcu'd and on I 
But a dollar a “muscle 1” ten for a ‘ bone !” 
To high 1 my dear sir ! then rattle your own ! 
Too much for a darkey ? the deuce must be in’t 
If he is a gold-mine, and thou not a mint ! 
There’s a Imo on the subject that holds like a vice — 
Of all a man hath, his toil is the price, 
And his are good wages, whoever the man. 
Who has what he makes, let him make what he can. 
To starve with old Erin ! to sin with New York ! 
Let them fix the price of your land and your work ! 
But for bread while you live, for a hope when you die. 
Give us land “cheap as dirt,” and a labor “sky-high.” 
February, 1859. 
“ AGRICULTURAL STATESMANSHIP 
Editors Southern Cultivator— In the January num- 
ber of the Cultivator, Dr. Lee has published an article 
under the above head, which is an able, patriotic, and in- 
dependent editorial. The good of the Union, and especi- 
ally the agricultural interest demands that all our agricul- 
tural periodicals shall abound in such editorials. The ar- 
ticle in question begins thus: “The time is not remote 
when the study of agricultural statesmanship will form a 
prominent feature in the education of young men, who 
shall aspire to the honor of representing, at all times and 
in all places, the great farming interests of the country, 
in a way that shall be creditable to themselves and bene- 
ficial to the public.” And with candor and force the edi- 
tor urges the necessity of such an education. 
Some three years ago, the writer of thes present com- 
ment, wrote an article addressed to Dr. Lee, (which was 
published in the Cultivator) under the head of “Agricul- 
tural Politics.” In that essay I set forth a platform which 
I thought embodied the necessary fundamental principles 
of an Agricultural Party. In Dr. Lee’s editorial comment, 
he urged against my position that agriculture is too pure 
to be mixed up with the corruptions of political parties, 
but still, substantially admitted the necessity and justness 
of carrying into effect, in some way, the principles I there 
set forth. (I talk from memory, his comment not being 
before me.) Dr. Lee’s article, as I have now quoted from 
the number ofJast January, admits and urges the neces- 
sity of agricultural statesmanship. In substance we agree, 
but differ as to the means of accomplishing the same ob- 
jects; and the difference is but appar^t, not real. Agri- 
cultural statesmen (when we shall h^e them) will freely 
utter their sentiment and urge their policy, and this will 
soon form an agricultural party. To this end all things 
are now rapidly tending; and this endive must come 
before our State and National Legislatures will do jus- 
tice to our great agricultural interest. Till then farmers 
and common mechanics will, virtually, have no part or 
lot in ruling public affairs, and their great interests will 
receive no consideration or aid from our statesmen. Com- 
merce will still receive its millions of dollars from the 
National Treasury, and millions of acres of choice lands 
from the public domain, while statesmen will console 
themselves for their patriotism and liberality in appropri- 
ating a few pitiful thousands to buy seeds for the benefit 
of agriculture. Colleges and Universities will still be 
built by National and State appropriations, adapted to the 
education of merchants, divines, doctors and Lawyers, 
while there will be no schools suitably organized and en- 
dowed to educate farmers and mechanics. Their only 
dependance upon public aid will still be the miserable 
common schools, where teaching is let out to the lowest 
bidder, who may be willing to do a sorry sort of teaching 
for his sorry wages. 
Farmers will still constitute three- fourths of our popu- 
lation, and form our strongest national defence in time of 
war; they will still own eleven-fourteenths of the national 
wealth, and support the public treasury about in that pro- 
portion ; but, notwithstanding all this, they will have no 
influence upon national policy. 
They will continue to vote for this or that aspirant to 
office, as their party leaders may influence them, and never 
ask what their candidates will do for their peculiar inter- 
est. 
This is what has been done, and what will ever be 
done, till farmers shall assert their rights at the ballot box, 
and claim that they are citizens— that they constitute a 
portion of the body politic— that they have equal rights to 
distribution benefits from the government. By this course 
our statesmen have to be taught that our agriculture is a 
great interest— that it is greater than any other on the 
face of the earth— that to foster and develope this interest 
by all prudent means is the greatest business of great 
statesmen— that, by a judicious fostering care of our ag- 
culture, this Union will soon grow to be the greatest na- 
tion upon the globe, and produce enough to feed and 
clothe the whole world. We have the extent of territory, 
the diversified climates and soils, and the energetic popu- 
lation capable of all this ; and we only need comprehen- 
sive statesmen, who can and will appreciate all our great 
interests, and devise the best means foj promoting them. 
We want statesmen who consult not the interests of com; 
merce alon, but whose ambition is to make our nation 
great in Commerce, great in Manufactures and great in 
Agriculture, and, as necessary to all, great in the intelli- 
gence of the people. 
When we shall have such statesmen, farmers will soon 
become as intelligent as they should be, and agriculture 
will become the most reputable and the greatest profession 
in the United States, because Nature has so ordained. We 
can, and will raise up such statesmen as we need, whenever 
we shall unite and resolve upon it. 
Just at this time, the political parties of the country 
have got into a giddy whirl : they are divided and scatter- 
ed into factions, each of which is in the minority— no one 
can, by itself, rule the country ; therefore, now is the ap- 
propriate time for the farmers to make a solemn declara- 
tion of the r own equal rights in this Confederacy, Ifwe 
could now have a Convention of farmers (no politicians 
of any party) ; if we could have one assemblage of talent- 
ed farmers from all parts of the Union, such a convention 
would do away all sectional discord, and materially and 
beneficially change the policy of the government. Mental 
culture as well as agriculture, and all our industrial pur- 
suits would rapidly advance, and former dreams of Re- 
publican prosperity would soon become realities. 
What say the intelligent editors of our thirty-eight Ag- 
ricultural journals I What say the numerous able con- 
tributors'? Shall we have such a Convention '? Shall it 
meet in the year 1859, and deliberate a week or two in 
earnest for the good of our country and especially our pro- 
fession '? I know there are hundreds of patriotic farmers 
