Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-07-21


paid or contracted to be paid in cash. Du-
ring the same period Of time, our exports,
as the actual produce of our territory, have
been mere nominal, (if we except the mi
ming district, which we leave out in the es-
Inmates too trif1ing to form an item in the
general computation. How then stands
our commercial account:
Imports, $loo,oOO
Exports,
Here then, is the round slKn Of 100000,
drawn from the active capital of the terri
tory in one year. Itneeds no uncommon
drscernment to discover that unless this
stale Of things is speedily remedied, our
condition will be any thing but encouraging.
And to whom shall we look in the present
crisis of our affairs? Our reliance hither-
to has been upon the generosity of Con-
gress; we have asked for aid at their hands;
our citizens have paid thousands upon thou
sands into the national treasury; and as
territory, we had a rightto expect in return
aid from government under whose juris-
dicton we are, and to whom we look for
the protection Of our interests. Thus far,
ourentreaties andpetitions have been una
vailing: the present session of Congress is
about to close, and all hope of assistance
from that source is nearly extinguished
Shall we wait another year and again throw
ourselves upon the lberality of the gener-
al government? 1t is vain hope. 1t is
true the session Of another Congress may
arrive, but we fear it will only be, to dis
pose Of our claims in more summary
manner. The next session will end on
the 4th Of March next, and approPria-
tons will scarcely be looked for from
any quarter during the short term. Added
to this, the fact cannot be concealed that
there has been for some years past, grow
ing disposition in our national legislators,
to discourage all appropriations for harboT
improvements: this hostility is constantly
strengthening, as may be seen from the
speeches and journals of Congress. What
then shall we do? Shall we sit down and
passvely suffer the elements Of prostration
to gather around us? or shall we adopt the
theory Of some modern political philoso-
pliers in our country, that I" the laws OF
trade and commerce, naturally and invarl-
ably regulate themselves, proportionate to
/ the wants of the people," and that all ex-
ira effort to promote the extension and in
crease the facilities OF :rede, is violation
Of the law Of this natural and invariable
regulating system. Unless we mistake the
spirit Of our population, we apprehend they
are not prepared to adopt this modern he
resy in the science Of government: il is a
species Of political fatality, which if carried
out, would lead the nation to AFFECT depen-
dency, and reduce the people to beggary.
We know of but one alternative that will
answerin the present emergency: ifthego-
vernment refuses to grant appropriations to
construct harbors adequate to the wants OF
thisterritory, the people must take the work
| into their own hands The necessity OF
this resort must be apparent to all. what
avaiIs our rich and abundant harvests be-
vond the wants of home consumption II
the excess cannot be shipped to market!
During the past year, had there been facl-
lities for shipment, the surplus grains OF
this territory would have produced avalls
nearly sufficient to have balanced our inn
nortations; besides, had we the means OF
easy shipment on our lake shore, the guam
tty of marketable produce would have been
nearly doubled We know Of many far
mers who have curtailed their extensive
means of raising wheat, because of the dis
couragements presented on our lake coast,
in the want Of facilities for shipping grain
to an eastern market. The want Of har- !
bors is measurably paralyzing the industry
Of our farmers, because Of the small induce
ments which are held out, as the reward Of
labor. Are our citizens prepared then to
adopt the alternative aforementioned, or
will they rather suffer some hundreds of
thousands of dollars more, to be extracted
from the country? To talk Of abridging our
importations is out Of the question: almost
every article among the necessaries of life,
with the exception Of bread stuffs is not at
present produced at home.
A. laocf III roo e,co ,oJ oon,on:oo, b,u