Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-17

creased rspidi,y and 81, ,ipi.hsd price Of transportation.
Attempts have been made 10 arou' 9 our ride sni siuu-
late our acdv y, by referring TO the roads and canal.
OF other States. Time, he best lest Of he practical
utili y Of Less schemes, has vet To. prove, whether
the roads and canal, Of Oh'p. New York. and Ptnn-
syl, anis, are evidences OF an alveoturous aud exuavs-
CANT iesisl alton, or Of eonsummate political wisdom
When New York sha III have paid her canal debt, then,
and not before, should che lie held up AZ a bea on, 10
guide, instead OF a be aeon 10 warn US. That Safe,
At one time, bid fair 10 ouist ip all OF tie other s a,es
In In crnal improvement, and her canal wa, then the
ai'aosorbiny question Al Ills time, the railroads. Of
PeOnsylvsuia are eliei;ing great cou,n e rdaion from
those who feel an interest in the progress oil improve
msn:s Of that character. But was that State, remark
able as II is for prac.icsl iniormaiicn, for an energy AMI
enterprise that usually .urmounted all opposition, sue
Gees al 10 is first attempt to deve'oae is natural
advantages by artificial ane!iorat ons? Have not her
statesmen alleged, a. Que OF tie principal reasons OF her
falling In her hrs, essay at iu provemen,. that the Lee
giia,ure wa led as'ray by following the example ef
a neighboring State: Ought we not to take counsel
from such. a monitor. aud the mere particularly, az
stances between New York and Pennsylysn'a, than
between Virginia and Pennsylvania. So far from the r.
being any near proximity Of Interest aud circumstances
| is evident thatt tn re is an Immense d,H4r nee be
tween the productiven.ss Of cur soil and nanutac :ures,
the extent Of our internal trade aud tina, OF p,unsy'-
vaDis, which TO justly our 'ollewiug her example.
should not only be similar but equal.
Ithas been rema, ked that our State hal b.en ,lum-
herring long enough. aud that the time hal arrived for I
to be aroused. Ifother States have shot ahead viii o we
were al .ep, let US not break our hearts in our exrr,ious
10 over'ake thom,by one or two desperate eHbrs-but let
US 90 on deliberately, collecting information from every
source, and proh'ing by the expsrit nee OF others. The
prsf file OF our Safe is rough, large, and uucouth, and
10 polish down its asperities, so as 10 make a system II
roads and cansls confer a great and general good, NUT
necessarily Re squire an a IN ,st unfathomable dep n OF
purse, together with a long period Of time.
In his State, agriculture has generally been con.
'iter.d as wo thy f direc. and p,si,ivs patronage, a.
either commerce or mauufac 'ure..
And, | think il has alec been conceded that roads and
canals afford a more positive aid to trade than TO agri-
eaI!ure or manufactures. aud only an incidental aud
partial support TO IN. two latter interests. Did our OF
ricultural and manufacturing products spring up 10 such
exuberanee, that we could not get Them to market,
then there would be q sounder reason. for opening va.
rious channels Of communicative; but the fact j., that
we do not complain so much Of The want Of facilities
for transportation, as Of the glazing deficiency in the
productive uess Of our soil, anj of every thing copnect-
Gu WIN husoandry: l am wiling to admit, 'h.t facili-
ties OF commercial intercourse are necessary, but as a
iargs majority OF the people in this State are engaged
In, and dependent upon agriculture, and from he ~x-
tent cf our territory and the sp ,rseness Of population
must 80 continue, il is obvious 10 my min :, tina, the 6tst
az well as mos, needy %sutject, that presents itself for
direct encouragement, il agriculture.
Alter these preliminary remarks, 1 " i'll suggest, what
appears 10 me, would be Of very great adv ,niage to s-
rculture; that is, that every opportunity should be
seized by the Legislature OF giving the subject the
most favorable presentation to the public mind. of en-
deavoring as lar as II may be in it, power to change
the current from those lear ied PROBES ion, which arr
surchargsd, 10 This most interesting aud na.rra. en-
%p!oymen'. l will 60 farther, aud say, that | would
rejoice to see agricultural societies established in every
county, un'er the supeiin,endauce OF the county
courte, Leaving II to each court 70 determine what sub.
ject deserved their patron tge and would be most con
duoive to the interests OF The people in $ county; and
'hen give to each county a sum OF money 10 he civ'd-
ed into various premium,, TO be awarded to those
who exceil.d in tie production Of the particular arti-
ce' which he society might wish to encourage. The
courts should be author. sed TO appoint con- mis-.
sioners, whose duly it would bs 10 organize the
'ocieties. preside at the fairs, having two in the year
aud % deliver TO their courts a detaile ! report OF IN sir
proceedings.
The good ina. woulI result from a pan o! improve.
m'nt like this, would, I am sure, b, CERTAIN, general
and immense. Ii would pass like cleo ricity through
every ramihca:ion OF this STATE, giving an onward i'm.
pulse 10 an interest, in the depretsi u or exal,a,ion OF
which, every individual of this community mus, mar.
tcipate. AIvanc. our agricu,ural Interest. and every
o ther iuteie I will soon rise 10 its l.vel; depress IL. an
we sink in the same ratio all atber inter Este; reducing
a. the same time a very graat many individuals to mis-
cry and want, and thereby forcir & them to seek in
other States what they could not expect 10 obtain At
hons. Haviog these %societie' established, II would be
easor able to suppose, that in a short time. we would
be able 10 close both with credit and profit 10 ourselves
our western portals, to those droves Of hogs, horses
and mules, which have caused the transference of 90
large a portioo OF our circulating medium to the West.
en States. Should IL be deemed de- cir able, we could
then commence to foster the cosrser and more i.np,r-
taDt articles OF manufacturer, and in a manner the mos,
TO be preferred, because il aproximates yery nsarIv IN
the principle that individuals know best how 10 manage
II cir own concerns. We could then also. have II in
onr own power 10 Introduce the growth of elk s. the Gull
lure OF ne grape-t"o articles which some have thought
our soil and climate remarkably well adapted to-,nd
would no doubt be found an easy, inter sling and La.
cra'lve employment. to many who are now unemploy
ed. Would 1t then be unreason sbIe TO expect, BY en-
deavouring to guide public %eniimen', gradually 10 en-
Ill its sympathy, and finally to FIX il more sic ,dfa .tIv
on agriculture, and If that could be effected il would
r quire no pr phet 10 foretell what a salu'ary aiow
would be thrown over The haPgard face OF this Old Do.
minion. The money expended in establishing agri,
cultural societies would not be appropriated for sec
tIonal benefits, or for th- benefit of one pa ticujar elias,
OF soc ETY. at the expense Of another but 10 aid
tie Iarges' and most deserving ciass in tie com.
munity-by arous'ng its energy and directing liz
attention purely 10 its domestic concerns, and bv
endeavoring to create a greater desire 10 excel
in agricultural enterprise and skill. Neither 10
the wealthy farmer, nor to the prospering merchant.
would premiums be award d sooner than 10 their ac.
tive, eDterprising and honest p or n .igbhors.
Our agricultural iu,s rests are 30 variat [ in diff rent
counties, and in different sections of The State, tina, IL
would be impossible for the legislature TO devise and
execute any measure or measures, that would afjrd
equal Encouragement 10 ia variers branches through.
out the State; and | can see no impropri-ty in giving
the %suhjeci in charge 10 each County Court-reoujtiny
ceedings OF its society.-The Cjun'y Courts having
the control OF the means, and a ~knowledg- Of the
facts, Ought surely to be more able 10 devise and eye
cute those thiDgs, which would be- promutiye Of their
welfare, than a Legislature eomIo,ed of DESCENDANT
maie'ia'7, each member naturally INV Hing 10 Weld
much to aid the constituents OF another, from the fear
that his might not be equally favored. This conside.
ration, 10 connex ion with the great diversity of cir
cumstaDces and interests, secm 10 preclude the
presump ion, that the lie gisla'ure could so adapt NJ
policy, as TO di'pen Q equal justice t. all sections of
The State. An unequal plan OF improvements would in
duce a spirit OF dissatisfaction, which would ultimately
introduce itself into our Legislature, and have a ten
dency to crampt the energy, IL not TO defeat the consum-
nation OF It's measures. 1t therefore appears, that the