Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-19

fed knowledge than all OF them put together,
something like previous apprenticeship OF
considerable duration is thought Indispensable
priorto any attempt at practice as a principal;
AND among the mechanic arts, or inferior call
ings, we never think OF employing even Il sow
gelder Or feather breeches cleaner. without
tiIstascei tanning that he has " served his time,
* said, at his business. Butwlen we come
10 make agriculturalists, we 20 a much short
ar way TO WORK. Our young men are 0itcu
clapPed down upon farms, not only without
consulting their inclinauoBs, OF the natsral
tNfnS OF tteir genus, but frequently with a fix
ed distaSte To the avocatioli, simply because
we choose TO consider them unfit for any
thug else, bat oursuit requiring ,as we think,
no prepGrGtisR--or We are too listesS and negii-
gcut 10 take the nGcCS Sary steps to qualify them
tcf other professions OF calimss, which, accord
IN to the opinions OF tie world, cannot be
pTacUsed iDprsmptu, oras twere by Instinct
Asdiu. when we look 10 tllc manner in which
mary ofthe class called overseers are formed
and 40 the general practice OF giving them
share OF The crop, what better can be expect
ed than d rni1Ous isu0rauce' If The choice of
tins calling ~ made by the parent, the circuni-
stsnceS winch lac considers as indicating Il lit
ness tor Il GA The part OF the son, are often du
early disposition 10 tyrannze over slaves, aud
To" set up" (aS It's called for hnn,eif leaving
To TIE old man, az early Us tie NOuutstei can
getioose, tie undivided tsil. pain and difficulty
OF providing f0I the rest al The family. Should
this choice deV0lve upon the son, his own
voluntary act, he Is too frequently led ~ make
IL from feeling hmSeifiar too lsZN for The con-
slant manudiiabur necessary 90 success IL all
me mechanic arts; from wishing 10 make
ether people pay for lis iGlcrcsS and from
knowing that IA this business, al least, OF .ndk-
ing AN agrcuituraliSt, the protested wilt is
very often taken ior the ability. all THIS he
true-and none, think, can deny tit hrn-
dreds OF landed pro pretOrS are found with lit
tic inciination, aud still less skill for;her pro-
tesSion--ii hundI eds OF those tvhom they ON.
pioy are 70 better qualified than themselves
III, too, IL IS made their interest, from being
in most cases only Wirestraiued tenants Tor "A
year, 10 eNtort within that year all that posi-.
bly, can he forced from the land so uacoudi
ti0naiiy delivered up to theni--NvhaI else can be
expected thaua rapidly impoverishins soil, a
general, preGpItaie movement to new conn
tries, like u reneatin: army .itcr bloody bat.
tie, and lauguisliiug, dying agriculture?
This movement, too, seems IN numerous in
Stauces, 10 ne made without any fixed purpose
as 10 other counties, of which in a multitude
of cases, the emgrantS are utterly ignorant
and to he prompted mere by terrors of the past
than by hopes of the future The spectre OF
impending poverty at home so often aud so
unJnstiy charged upon the soil, instead Of our
own prOtnslon and idleness, which are not 10 be
lett behind hEe oHr hvuses together with an ciii.
grating contagiOn resembling AN epidemic dis
case, has operated SO powerfully upon many as
TO overcome all those natural and beneficial
ties which bind us almost universally To the
land OF orr aaivity, the sacred depository Of The
bones of our parents. These feelings 1 know
are by some called prejudiceS, but they ale ne
vertheless one of the most powerful incentives
10 agricultural improvement, aud The only na-
tnral source of all patriotism. The above
spectre and epidemic have also DESTROYED, or
entirely muddIed onr capacity To calculate the
real benefits and Disadvantages of moving 10
new country, and blinded us To the obvious
preference which in multitude of instances
ought to he given, even on the score OF profit,
To our ancient homes, or TO situations not tar
remote from them. in the old, settled pare Of
our own state. Such plain estimates as any
man could make who would take the trouble
would demonstrate this fact.
This emisrating fever, | think would he
somewhat ahated, were we TO consider, tor
moment, how much il resembles Iottery-gam-
bling. One single prize of 20 or 30 thousand
dollars is trumpetied forth over the whole
United States, and tempts millions OF tlIoucht-
less individuals, Of rhOse failures re Rerer hear
a cord, 10 throw away their money. In the
same way few solitary cases published in
The newsPapers--perhap by land spectators
themselves IN these new countries, Of Il few
individuals i'll this or the other place, having
made God knows how much per hand, from
cotton and sugar, occasions thousands TO ran
cotton and sugar mad and 10 desert lands
houses, country and connections 10 encounter
hardships, losses and failures of which no pub-
lie journal ever records single Instance In
addition TO this fatal deluSion, the crcums lance
alone OF a new country, almost boundlcSs, IN
various parts of which fresh lands of great
fertility have been for sale during many Years,
al very low non,ipal prices, mas greatly coulri.
buied 10 accelerate among Onr land killers
the exhaustion of our soil aud Ia prevent
attempts at Improvement, which appear, as ii
they would necessarily take mp more time.
than any land killer thinks he can spare, and
be attsHGcd according TO his arithmetic with
more eapence iii most cases, Than removing to,
and settling new lands, which the God of MA
ture has already fertiliZed TO cur hands. But
as il the causes already enumerated of our
government has of late years stepped in-I
will not say Intentionally. 10 palsy agricultural
industry and consequently her Improvement
by diminishing, or destroying the markets for
her products, or by heavily taN.ug her for the
benefit at other and exclusive interests To
descend to particulars, might not only be invi.
dIous. but might also awaken those party feel
Ings and renew those contentious which it is
far from the writer wish ever 10 see revived
Suffice IT to say, that alIude TO the general
course OF those measures, non-importation
non-interCourse, embargoes, bount.es, and
protecting duties. which were thought neces.
saTy, either as premnaries, or present means
for carrying on the last war or for regulating
and establishing the system of policy deemed
proper for the nation, after lis conclusion.
That many, If not all of these measures had a
direct and most injurious bearing on the dgri-
cultural interest of our country, ard especially
of Virginia, will not non, i think be denied by
any, however we may differ in regard 10 their
eXpedIency, or necessity in relation 10 The
national Interest under the then existing cir
cumstances. This is distinct enquiry of vast
extent, and one with which shall not NEEDLE
upon the present occasion.
Having Developed. I trust satisfactorily, the
prominent caUSes OF the low state to which our
agriculture is reduced at TINS time, ] have
thought IL might be useful to furnish a sort OF
barometer by which the present degIee of that
reduction may, IN great measure be ascer-
tanned. Forit is not always enough to know
that we are SICK, and Why we are so /; but 10
determine also the viOleHce of our disease,
lest we should not be sufficiently alarmed 60
take the necessary medicine for efiecling
cure. This barometer is nothing more nor
less, than the aggregate quantity OF ali the
Virginia lands, at present advertised for sale