Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1847-09-11
60
AcR1C11TrRAL STATISTICS.

Counties at their annual meeting at the Bnttal'
Springs in that state, 18th July last the following
interesting extracts. They are rcPletc with tina
character of intelligence which farmers should pos
scss TO place them on the eerated ground they ough
TO occupy among the other business classes OF ouI
country We have nothing TO remark with regard
to the subject of Slavery which it touches, although
we think abolitonists ought in the closing re-
marks the humanity which characerses the orator
surrounded as he is by all those difficulties, from
which he would discncmbcr himself and others i
the measure could be effected without rendering the
condition of all parties more Objectionable than al
prcscnt-but object is to lay before our readers
that species of statistical information which the adj
dress imparts, and which but few minds are found to
cmbody.
But. gentlemen, it was not for such spcculaions As
these that was requested to appear before you this
day. am expected to address farmers on the bust
ness of farms, and agricultural topics. Perhaps |
may have been honorcd with the expectation that
might throw some new light on the theories and
practices of agriculture al least, to have brought
together some facts made some suggestions, with
which the clubs Of Mccklcnburg and Granville were
not before familiar. But when look around me,
and consider the floods OF light which have been
poured around and the theory and practice of
agriculturc-whcn | see the experience OF the best
agrculturss in Europe and America scattered abroad
10 the fircsd. of the humbcst tarmcr-and when,
too, see science seating herself at the homestead
of the planter, and taking hold OF the spade, the
plough, and the very dungork, despair OF saying
any thing repay you for the kind attention which
YOU have assembled to bcStOw upon me. But when
! consider all that has been done and is now doing
for American Agriculture, and the same time reflect
how little we of Virginia and North Carolina have
proitcd from it, confess that much more unpleasant
feeling is excited in my bosom; 1t is one OF great
dependency, if not of despair.
Ny learned and able predecessor this day twelve
months ago, entered fully, and explained so clear
w. the philosophy, rather the chemistry of Agr-
culture that find nothing unsaid which ought TO be
said and feel disposition TO CLEAN after so skltul
reaper. 1t is not light that you want Not single
member of your fraternity, | hazard the assertion,
uses half the light which he now has, and until You
do this, you little unreasonable in asking for
more. 1t is not a knowledge of the process OF Agrl-
culture nor an acquaintance with the nature of our
soils, their component parts, that is nccdcd-no
new theory of vegetation, nor untrIcd application oil
manurcs, nor undiscovered systems OF amclioratIon,
that is wanted, is there any deficiency OF agri-
cultural implements or labor saving machines.
verify believe that if all the agricultural light which
is scattered over the broad face of the globe i'm
pingcd in the counties Of Mccklenburg and Granville
as one focus-if all the agricultural knowledge OF
England, of Flanders, and of China, could be in the
possession of each and every farmer among us, we
Should not be advanced by it solitary step. 1t
would not increase products a single hogshcad Of
tobacco, nor one bushcl of wheat The cause of the
depression or poverty Of Virginia and North Caro-
lima, lies far deeper than ignorance bcspcak your
Indulgence, gentlemen, while probe the wounds of
our States. will do il as gently as can, but if any
of YOU are made vince little, remember that the
operation is painful to me as it is to you
You may well imagine, that it is my purpose to
call your attention 10 the kind of labor which we
now use in two States. 1t is my intention to
speak plainly and far as can, TO speak caudidly
and honestly. | will commence by saying that
have not one feeling in common with the aboltionists,
either at home or elsewhere. Africa is infinitely
more indebted TO America than America is to Africa
The best fed labOrers OF the world are our slaves
and their condition, compared with that of their
age brethren of Africa is happy. The phanthro
pIst should pause, and pause long, before he Is In
duccd to offer them the very questionable boon o
freedom. The physical and moral constitution of thu
African renders him unfit for the appreciation or thu
enjoyment of liberty. Strange or unaccountable a
it NAV seem, yet the fact is lie is happier and
respectable as a slave Look at st. Domingo. Fo
more than fifty years the blacks OF Hayti have BEEF
freed from the control of the white men. The!
have been Independent people for a time runnin!
back as far as their Declaration Of Independence
Are they less ignorant or less dcbascd in consequence
of it? Have they for this long period become NOR
enlightened, or has industry gathered around then
of the comforts of life, added TO the pleasure
of rational existence! One year before the enact
mcnt of the sanguinary scenes which ended in thci
independence, they produced 6S,l5l,lsO pounds 0
Coffee in the year lo22 thirtyone years after thi
period the production OF coffee teii 10 35,l 80
pounds. In l7S Hayti produced l63 400, 220 pound
of sugar, and in 1872 on 653 Al pounds.-Thc cot
fee plant requires scarcely any labor after it is SC
OUT and that used in gathering the berry and pre-
pairing it for market, is of the ghtest kind Th
sugar crop requires great deal of hard labor Hence
the great difference in the falling off of the produc
ton of the two staples. While the export Of coffee
has fallen off only about 80 per cent, that Of suga
has decreased sc per cent.
This view of the industry of Hayti is full of in
structon, when reflect that the industry Of
people is fair exponent of their moral and physca
condition What would any think of America
Z wit he frufS Of in
dustry, of enterprise, and Of moral progress. Loo
at Jamaica. In 1924 the famous emancipation rcso
lutons were introduced into the British Parliament
In 1882 the Island exported to England Is, 81 90
pounds of coffee, while the whole production Of lS3
amounted only TO l3,446,953 pounds. Producto
continued to rctrograde emancipation progressed
till in the year 1874, the exports OF coffee from al
the West India Islands amounted on y TO ten mil
lions of pounds. The truth Is, so far, moral in
ccntive has yet been found strong enough TO stimu
late the negro to industry, and we are almost per
suaded to believe that he is the genuine of Ca
naan, who doomed by Providence to per
petually in the tents of Japhct.
But the question, gentlemen, for our considerable
is not whether the negro shall be savc-his con
diton is fixed, whatever the abolitionst may say 0
think-but where as a slave he shall remain. d
not mean to say that Virginia should have slaves
but do say that she has too many. Slave labor
admirably adapted to the wants of new country
but Virginia is no longer new country. Slave labo
is well fitted for cutting down the orcstbut Virgin
has no forests to fell. Slave labor can be useful
and proftably employed in cultlvatng avirgn soil
but Virginia has longer virgin soil to cultivate
The truth is-and appeal to the experience of ever!
planter within the sound Of my voice in confirmatio
of -for the last four years the profits Of agricultu
raj labor in this region of country have been liter
ally nothing. No matter how INDUSTRIOUS how care
full, how economical you may have been; yet thu
melancholy fact starcs you in the face at the end o
each year, that your condition not bcttcred
And when your merchant, your blacksmith, you
doctor, and the tax gathcrcr done with you
the root of all evil pretty thoroughly cradcaet
from your pockets There was scarcely any left
not enough to excite the apprehcnsons of the mos
inveteratc hatcr of Mammon.
One cause for this, and il may be most temporary
is the series of unfvorable years for cropping, which