Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-02-01
Our Prospects,

Our country great as it is in comparison
with almost any on earth, is yet in is infancy.
Its resources, instead of being developed, are
scarcely yet imagined by the majority, and dim
ly foreseer by the isr-secing few. With great.
er capacity for sustaining human life in comfort
than all Europe, it is yet comparatively will
derness. Europe contains about two hundred
and fAy millions Of people; the United States
about twenty millions Of all kinds, and about
fifteen millions of free white population Yet
are the United States, from the Northern boun.
dary TO the Gulf of Mexico, and from the At
lantc to the Pacific Ocean, capable Of feeding,
clothing and sheltering more people than all
Europe. How mighty are the destnies OF our
country Its mission has hardly begun! 1his
mission will be mission Of peace and clvIl'za.
ton, through the instruments of agriculture,
commerce and manufactures. We shall feed
and clothe millions in regions where the Amer
icau name is now scarcely known.
However great are the resources of the U.
nited States Cor commerce and manufactures,
the foundation of all their prosperity, all their
greatness, is agriculture and however richly
treighted American ships are and will be with
the produce of manufacturing industry, yet the
produce f,he soil is and always will be the prn-
cpal foundation of American national wealth
The -four, beef pork, butter and cheese ofthe
United States will find markets, and speedily
too, among the millions to whom the American
name is yet unknown, and among whom the
light Of civilization has not yet shone. Some
political economists regard our commerce with
England as more important than that wi'h all
the rest Of the world, especially to our agrcul.
ture They are indeed obliged to admit that,
with the exception of cotton, England has taken
little from our soil for the last thirty years. But
thew add that as wiser counsels are beginning
to prevail in the British Government, the Eng.
ligh and Scottish manufactures will soon be fed
with The produce of our soil, and will therefore
receive it in great quantities. Admitting all
this for the sake of argument, though we do not
believe it will become an extensive reality, we
still say that as market tor our provisions,
England will sink into significance in compari.
The agriculture OF the British Isles will not
fall below its present standard, while British
manufactures and commerce maintain their pre-.
sent rank If the corn laws be abolished, and
British ports be opened to foreign produce, the
English landholder must reduce his rents anC
that is all the change in English agriculture
which such change Of policy will produce. /
will not diminish English cultivation or produc
tion ;and hence whatever immediate advantage
such change of policy will confer on American
agriculture, will not be OF long duration. There
fore whoever regards the British Isles as per
manent market for our agriculture, will be dis
appointed The rest Of Europe will never b
fed from our fields.
Where, then, shall we find permanent maj
kets ? The answer is, in Asia and Africa. !
India, China, and the western regions OF Africa
In regions which, however fertile in sugar
coffee, rice, indigo, tea, and other produce
warm regions, will not furnish -four and salte
provisions The time will come when th
-four, and beef and pork of the Middle an
to feed the civilized millions employed in cult
voting sugar and coffee. And the time wi
also come, and soon, when the liindoo and th
Chinese, occupied in cultivating cotton, ric,
indigo, sugar, coffee and tea, will consume
mercan flour, beef, pork, lard and tobacco.
this view of the case, while African cviliz
ton is highly important to us the occupation
Oregon is still more so. When American Sc
Elements shall extend from the Mississippi
the Pacific, as they UiU and great city sha
rise at the mouth of the Columbia, our stear
ships will leave that por, laden with agricult
raj produce for India and China. The Hind
and Chinese consume rice because their Ian
do not produce wheat. But whenever they g
exchange their own produce for our flour,
they will, the cultivation OF rice will decline
cease. Our tobacco will Ee substituted for
plum, our flour and other provisions for m
aud the rich productions of Asia and Africa W
yet be exchanged for the agriculture of the
nted States Il Phiia. Ledger.
The Two SOUTHERN CoMETs-The n,
comet seen in the Gulph of Mexico, and |
Mauvais' second comet, were both observed
Sunday night last, by Professor Kendall a
his assistants, at the High School Observato
The new comet is about 10 deg. South of
constellation of the Whale. 1t is now movI
about 3 deg. T. n. f. 1t is visible to the nah