Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-12-01

From Miles, Register.
POLITICS FOR FARMERS.

We have for some time contempIat
Ell q general essay. in which certain
OF the leading principles and practica
operations, OF what is denominatcd III,
american System, might lie render
ed more familiar 10 the farmers. an,
other working classes, who have no
time to read, or leisure to iDvcstipat,
the Important subject-though NOR,
deeply interesting to themselves thar
any other persons in the United States
1t has been delayed, however. from
various causes: and the few facts col
iected are mere examples Of the man,
that might be obtained, were time and
opportunity allowed for the gathering
of them. We now proceed to the tasL
so far DESTROYS Of brevity, as TO be
:apprehensive that ~e may not Away.
be fully understood, unless by them,
who, while they read. will also think,
upon what shall be presented to them.
The primary interest in the United
States is certainly that of the farmers;
the next that Of the manufacturers;
the third, that Of navigation and con,
n'erce-the fourth, that Of the planters,
proper. The last furnishes the larees,
amount OF value in articles Of erporf,
but ITS general sum Of production, is
at vast distance behind the FIRST or
second, and much in the rear of the
third. 1t may be we'll TO say a few
words in regard to each.
DIR. Cooper calculated the su6sis.
fence only, Of the people Of the United
States, at GAO millions Of dollars, in
l8l3-and exclaimed, s.How do The
toasted pdnegyricks on rosEIcx Trade
d,cindie into insignifcnnce when SET H.,
competition Uifh this" He rated the
support Of each individual, for food.
drink, and fuel. at S55 a year. We
have materially differed from the doc.
tor-thinking then, as now, that he
was extravsgant in his caicuiafions!r'
but have supposed that the average
cost OF subsistence might be S25 per
annum,t for the whole United States.
considering the cheapncss Of food in
many parts Of the interior, and that we
have two millions Of slaves. This
moderate sum will give US 500 millions
OF dollars, as the cost Of subsistence.
tho product Of our farmers-but when
to this 10 added the value of fuel used,
the food Of horses and other working
animals, the value of timber and lis
transpOrtatiOns, &c. Of the wool, flax.
hemp. &c. &c. we think the whole va.
lue OF the commodities produced or
supplied by the farmers Of the United
States. may be reasonably put down
at 600 millions Of dollars.
We place the entire clothing Of the
people Of the United States, including
all the cloths required for household or
other purposes at 90 dollars per head.
This embraces all manufactures Of cot.
ton, wool. flax, leather, fur and silk.
&c. and is surely below the real value
The aggregate is $40 millions of dol.
iars--of which many thou sands con.
sumo more than their proportion. IN
boots and shoes only, for it includes
shoemakers' bills, as we'll as tailors
and hatters, &c. And if TO this we
add the manufactures Of iron, and O.
Their metals, in houses and ships, and
furniture, Of minerals and eartbs, such
as brick, glass and wares, the argre.
gate cannot be put down at less than
$50 millions.t
The amount earned in (reigAfs, coast.
ing, inland, fishing and foreign, in
GLIDING passengers and goods trans
ported IN steam boats aud canal boats,
with the profits on exchanging commo.
dIties, cannot be less than 100 mil
mons a year, all OF which is put into
the domestic circulation, and invigor.
ates every branch Of business, espe.
cially the agricultural, for subsistence,
iuel, &c. consumed.
In addition TO these, We verify be
lieve, that the disbursements Of the
people Of the United States, for travel
ling on land, with stage hire, horse
feed. turnpike rates, &c. is Of larger
amount than what we have regarded
as the 9TH great branch Of the bu ,ines.
Of our people
~ the whole cotton crop be a million
of bales. or 800 millions Of pounds, OF
$50, 10000. the tobacco, sugar and
rice, may be estimated at IL million.
more; but say IS millions, a. the Who'll,
product of the planting interest. al
fair and average prices, including m,
COSTS Of transportation, large amount
10 be deducted from the general sum.
Forty five millions Of dollars - NOR,
than the worth Of all the cotton. toble
co, sugar and rice, annually supplied
IN the United States.
Well may We exclaim in the words
Of DE. Cooper, show DO the boasicc
.The dostor = tsl1irg al.o,t o. eaIcula,ing N,