Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-07-04

ra'gncd with others before The People of
EdSclield as official culprits, and silence
might be construed into guilt. Confident
that we can maintain ourselves, we assure
our friends that no terror has yet been pro-
duccd by the Red Hill illumination.
Our sense Of duty, will not permit us to
overlook tho claims Of the great Agricu!-
tnral interest of the country, no,wits,and-
ing the very important and absorbing char
actcr Of the political questions of tho day.
Among the many Documents which issue
from the great Congressional Laboratory,
we have selected n report from The Commit
tee on Agriculture, and will draw from its
pages for the benefit Of our readers.
"Asriculture, manufactures, and COM
mercc, have been considered the three great
Interests Of our country; Vet il is Il strange
and singular fact, tha, whilst millions upon
millions Of the public treasure. drawn in !,
great measure from the agricultural portion
OF the community, have been extended TO
protect, preserve, and promote the interests
vested in manufactures and commerce,
scarcely a dollar has been appropriated,
either directly or indirectly, to advance The
interests of agriculture and this fact is
the more striking when il is considered how
large majority of our whole population is
engaged i'll the cultivation Of The soil, and
that probably cight-tcnths OF the Repre-.
ScutativcS in Congress are elected bv that
most worthy and substantial, yet most um-
ohtrusivc and retiring class of our citizens.
The committee make these remarks in no
unkind feelings towards the commercial
and manufacturing classes Of our comnu-
nifty; bur, on the contrary, they regard
them aud their efforts to elevate tho charac-
ter and promote the interest Of their coun-
try as worthy of all praise and Wills,
they complain that so little has been done
Tor the Interests Of agriculture, they would
by no means intimate that too much has
been done for our manufactures and com
mcrcc; yet the committee will draw from
these facts the conclusion that, as 81 much
has been done for two branches of our ma
tional interests. any measure calculated ~
promote the third, and as your committee
heiicve. the most important branch, ought
10 meet with favourable and liberal consil-
Grafton from Congress. The .xlent of our
country and the variety Of climate and soil
aye such rs TO invite to The production of
comfort and convenience and even the lux
ury of man, and renders us. in the utmost
extent OF the term. the most independent
nation on earth; yet, although our Lines
are fallen in pleasan places" aud we have
"a goodly HERITAGE" and the bountiful hand
of our creator has scattered over the face
of the earth, in rich protiision. seeds and
plants oil every variety, as there is n pecu-
liar adaptation of each of these productions
10 some particular climate or soil, our great
advantages will be of little importance, IN
less we are enabled to avail ourselves of
them. And ii is n fact TOO well known To
require argument or illustration. thai many
plants which are Of iii,Ic rccount in their
native soil, increase in variety and luxu-
rance, and become Of immense value, by
cultivation in a foreign climate: th,,s the
p0tdto, which now furnishes fool for mil
lions, was Il few centuries ago imported i'm
to Europe merely for its bcau!iliIl flower:
and the coiton-piunt, which now furnishes
the rich staple of large portion of the
Union, was scarcely known in our country
fifty years ago. 1t is true, Individual cilDr,
may do something in this matter, and The
Increased interest which is lclt bv in,cili-
gen, individuals ,l,rouc hour The Union TO
elevate the character aud Importance of
agriculture may, through societies aud other
laudablc means, do still more; vet the ut
mosi efforts individuals and societies are
feeble and powcrlcss, compared with even
the incidental action of Government. which.
with It's Argus eyes aud Briarian arms.
may sec at Il single glance whatever will
tchd 10 benefit any and every portion Of our
country. and be enabled To collect from,
every part Of the world, and sca,tcrii,rou.b
each section OF the nation, seeds and plants
80 adapted TO our own sol! and climate, as
will greatly enlarge our productive in
dustry, and di.luse plenty and happiness
throughout The community. An effort of this
kind by the General Government would
not only be thus directly beneficial 10 the
people, but would have most salutary in
flucncc in raisiuS the spirit and standard of
agriculture, promoting sound intelligence
amongst its votaries, and in giving spur
and energy hitherto unknown 10 the first
and noblcst occupation of man. 1t would
lncitc the citizens of the old States, instead
OF abandoning their own sunny fields and
tie scenes of their earliest and dearest as
sociations, to attempt, by the cultivation of
some. new article, To rcsuscitatc their old
worn out lands, which, by continual sue
ccssion of the same crops, have become,
III measure. unpr0ductivc and valuclcss