Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-05-28
NO. a.


don Of a.. Agricultural Society ii 16Bfasf
County, pubic attentiOnlias been difeelea 10
he Importance 81 such societies; II 6lel fiis
Of the State We afe fully convinced that
should the planters Of L5Rldes unite IL Tie
formation Of an Institution q this HID; IN
numbered benefits would accrue to gfi l6r
BY frequent exchange q sentiments ID tie
subject Of farming, much valuable agricultural
information would Be disseminated, which i
not in the possession of the majority. The
following article which Is from the. pen d 4
correspondent Of the Jackson, Iii Sun, e.
presses orr ideas pretty fully hs to tie eanss6f
the pecnniary distress Of our planters; ana
their only reasonable means Of relief The
products Of ihesoil must pay their debts; ara
hence, every means should 81 resortea 70; to
produce as much and as economically Is P6sSi-
bic; and there is no plan, to our mind; tliat
win enable them to obtain information 50 a. to
attain to this desirable result as the iotnatio1E
Of Agricultural Societies.
AGRICULTURE.
Mr.. EnIToR As a MississipbiaI, /
feel the greatest interest in the prosperity
of the State. It IS now passing through
the fiery furnace Of affection, the seTefef,
from the short crop Of last year. Il need
not, it cannot, be disguised any longer,
we have managed badly. The planting
interest, the greatest and most powerful,
has suffered itself, with glazing imp5lieys
TO become cramped in all its relations.
With productive soil and a genial Eil-
mate, this great producing class, the bSne
and sineW Of all countries, has become aS
hard pressed as the mere speculai6r.
That il Is the result Of mismanagehSnt;
there can be no question-mismanage-
ment in the government and people: Il
is attributable to the indiscretion of titil:
ting planting with speculation, which
should alWays be separate. And I'd the
wicked policy Of the government ID pro.
ducing that arrangement in the cufrehc5,
which has caused the loss Of millions to
the people Of the United States. These
two causes began to operate almost siiibls
laneouSly. The planter knew but little &c
speculation till after the removal Of the
deposites; aid the consequent creation Of
a vast number Of state banks, to supply
the vacancy occasioned by the Withdraw.
al Of the currency Of the United States
Bank. Then commenced the impolitic
course of speculation with planters. The
superabundance Of money gave to every
species of property fcticious valbe.-Ih
the twinkling Of an eye, men of modef:
ate fortunes iinagined themselves richer
than princes. They forgot, or looked
back with contempt upon the slow and
successive gradations, which had hitherto
governed theirconducI, in acquiring prop
erty. An the sage rules Of caution were
repudiatsd, and the saying became rife III
all mems mouths, that he who yentured
most made most. Most mems expenses
were in keeping with the prodigality OF
their iniaginations. Planters, like Others,
lived beyond their means. expended mor6;
titan they produced, dashed deep in spe:
Eulation, became involved in debt, and put
10 their EXTREMIST shift, have TO gain time
by staving of collections. To these eads
ses do attribute the distress Of the ped:
pie, the overwhelming calamities which,
like q wild deluges sweeps across the.
breadth of the land. The whole secret of
their Unparalleled situation hes in i nut
she'll. The government encouraged Tbs
i people 10 run in debt, and then check ma
ted them Before they got out. This pro,
position IS as plain to me as thaf Two and
two makes four. Bot 1t may Be said, We
were wrong in acting upon the encoaf1
agement held out, and thaT We wore iis
discreet and unwise in chassilas:Fl r'Sld
sobersided policy. ! adnEEl i. But this
does not take off the edgeof reprsaels az
in the slightest degree relieve The bsffS
from Just Condemnation. = Lead lis not
into temptation, IS authority t66sHiah 10
be Questioned. He who knew our frail-
! tg thought it sufficient TO b made tie text
| Of our daily petitions to HeaSen-dSd
that ruler or governnhent IS jI6Hstly bIarae.
able for all errors flowing from the TO
i tempting bait held out TO the people. ifi
disregard of the adlnonitions 0f Him. .MhisoI
spake as never man sPake: The fault:
then, IS with the people and the govern.
ment- both managed badly, dfid Severely
are Mississippians paying FOR tsieir shafss.
Can any man Of even ordinary feeling iot
4 the woes Of his kind, witness Tie desola.
ton which catches tfle eve, wherever "a
turn, u the destructiHn 0f habie estates
and the misery IL that class, Who are dah,
died 10 the lap Of ease, and whom Tie
winds Of Heaven Should not visit lor
FOughly---and can lie; IN view 81 al ih 81
II II i