Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-12-01

river, or canal made without expense
from Boston to Albany, would be nui-
sance. This is in truth a formidable
objection, and though some may deem
IT unworthy of the trouble of refutation,
still as Ut has been urged in the publick
papers, and in the Legislature with great
sincerity by respectable people, it shall
receive the most serious attention.
These persons object to any meas
ures OF improvement, by which the
products OF other states, and particularly
the agricultural products of the western
country, can be brought into Massachu-
sets cheaper than at present they as
sorting, that if this be done, Massachu-
settsswlll be the loser, because she can
not raise those products at the same
cost, az her neighbours.
4Mese objections are not wholly new.
La one form or other, they have been
urged upon most similar occasions.
They were put forth in England, at the
time that turnpikes were first projected
from London into the interiour, about
seventy or eighty years ago, and in New
York, when the Erie Canal was propos-
ed. Let us look for moment serious
ly, at what is 50 strangely commended for.
We hear nothing less, than an argu-
ment against the improvement of every
mode of intercommunication. But the
common sense of mankind decides such
question. What has the civilized
world been in pursuit Of, in all its pub
hex Improvements, or has the savage the
advantage of us' Are we ready to ex-
change the present roads for those we
had forty years ago? How many mil
lions has Massachusetts, paid for the i'm
provement of her roads in that time, and
what does she pay annually? As we
go on from one degree of civilization to
another, there are some points that must
be considered as settled by the common
Judgment of mankind. If this be not
so. we labour in vain; if this be not so,
experience is nothing, our intelects are
nothing, they serve but to confuse and
bewilder US; and there is nothing left,
but to retrace our steps, and return to
the savage state. If there be a single
point, that mankind in their own minds
have agreed in, it is, the expediency of
supplying their wants at the cheapest
rate, or in other words at the least ex-
pense Of labour. They have wrangled
about almost every thing; but by COM
mon consent have adopted the use of the
plough, as soon as it was invented, in
stead of scratching the earth, with hoe,
or their fingers. For the same reason,
they have preferred a ship to a canoe,
and to carry their burthens upon canal,
or railroad, rather than upon the backs
OF horses, or upon their own backs. Be
the argument as it may, this is point
which the rest of the world have settled
for us, for if they will use the plough,
the ship, the canal, and the railroad, we
shall be compelled to do the same.
i As these objections, to every improve
ment in our State, which tends to cheap
en- transportation, are among us at least
now made for the first time, it is of all
importance, that they be duly weighed,
because mistake in a matter of this
moment will be vital in its consequences.
In political economy, if it be an errour,
! it is fatal to the prosperity of the state.
1t is not enough for the wiser part of the
community to rest satisfied in the belief,
that principles so false cannot be believ-
ed. They are believed and are acted
upon.
The fear then is, on the part of the
Farmers of Massachusetts, that the wes-
tern products will come in upon us SO
cheap, as to render it impossible, to en-
ter into competition with them. Let us
look at the facts. How is it at this mo-
ment, with the old parts of the State of
N. York /; take the river counties for the
example, because it is there if any where,
that the Erie Canal may be said to have
injured the Farmers. The facts are no.
torious, and can be stated with conf
dence. Take the county of Columbia,
which adjoins Berkshire, and which with
a slight change of circumstances will
stand for all the old river counties. 1t
is true, that great change is going on
in the agriculture Of that county; that
is, the people have been compelled to
adapt it to circumstances. When wheat
was at half, or less than half the present
price in the western counties, and be-
fore the opening of the Canal, it was a
staple article in the county of Columbia
that is not now the case. Other COM
modities for the New York market have
taken its place-pressed hay-corn, in
greater quantities than before, to fatten
pigs and hogs to supply that market with