Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-29

In the prevailing haste TO BE- rich, the coun-
ty has been well nigh abandoned BY the
3esse and sntsrprisisg. Men, women, and
even children have been tempted from the
safs pursuits Of country life to the marts Of
trsds By the delusive hope Of rising rapidly
Hundreds Of young men farsake the plough
70 strut their hour in the dissipstng pursuits
Of the city. Even our thread and needle
stores are consuming the time and energies Of
. class Of youth who would be more worthily
employed In some manly vocation. lfthers
b single pursuit in life which falls legiti-
matsly within the province Of woman, IL 10
sbat Of retailing "fincy goods" men should
seek more masculine employments.
Boys are not always At fault in this matter.
The fitmers tbemselves encourage the idea
that their sons deserve some better lot than q
farm will afford. There is q universal desire
At this day 10 live without work. Men, especi-
sily young men, will endure anything rather
than ware the garb, and do the work to which
their fathers were accustomed. Nothing can
be more unmsnly than this spurious pride. II
10 real injury to society, and quite as often as
otherwise leads to modification and disap-
pointment. There 10 no class Of men more
respected, or more independent than the farm
srs ; no pursuit can be more wholesome or
more honorable than theirs, and the universal
rage for city habits and city life is anything
but creditable to the rising generation of our
country.
There is, too, it would appear by experience
and observation, gross delusion in relation
to the relative profits and advantage Of ofagricul-
tural and commercial pursuits. The subject was
discussed at length last week at the meeting
Of the Legislative Agricultural Society, at
Boston, by men Of much intelligence and
practical knowledge. The members who took
part in the debate generally concurred in the
sentiment that if the same talent and industry
were employed in agricultural pursuits as
were employed in mercantile and mechanical,
il might in truth be said to be the most profit.
able employs ment in the country.
Some statements were made to show this
which ure worthy of reflection, and we there
fore copy the following passages from a re-
port Of the debate in the Daily Journal:
Mr.. Denny said that it was his opinion that
IL the same capital, talent and industry were
applied to the farming, that was devoted to
manufacturing, the business of farming would
be more profitable than any other. 1t must
be evident TO all that the farming interest is
neglected, and that all other kinds of business
are overdone. As an illustration of the truth
Of this statement, Mr.. Denny mentioned the
fact that a merchant in Boston advertised for
. clerk recently, and in "a hours t,oo hundred
and eighfy-seuen applications were made by
letter, for the situation. Twenty years ago
he had advertised for boy, and had SIS appli-
cants for the situation before 9 o'clock in the
forenoon. These boys did not all belong to
the city, nor are all the clerks now out Of EN-.
ployment natives Of the city. This great sur.
plus Of young men rush into the city from the
country, to- the neglect of the agricultural in.
terests. When here they are exposed to all
kinds of temptations. He thought there was
no better evidence Of the profits of farming,
than the fact that the number Of failures a
moag farmers is very small, whilst the num-
Der Of those who do not succeed in other pro-
fessions is very great,
Mr. Clark Of Walpole, read letter from the
editor of the Massachusetts, State Register,
giving some statistics which had been collect
ed for the forthcoming volume Of that work,
setting forth the number, &c, of the failures
in majority of the towns in this Common
wealth. Circulars had been sent to every
town in the State, aud answers had been re-
ceived from l44 towns, containing an aggre-
gate population Of 242,l ,l56. Of these towns,
the number in which farming was the chief
employment, was 70; manufacturing and
farming, So; number engaged mostly in navI.
CATION, 9. The number Of failures reported in
these towns, was 357, Of which 50 were farm
ers, 1S2 manufacturers and mechanics lin
cluding 20 boot and shoe makers,) 50 were
traders, 9 were laborers, were spectators,
and was a clergyman. The business of ~
was not specified. In % towns there were 40
failures last year In 2l towns there were l26
failures during the last FIVE years; in 22 towns,
l6i in ten years. In % Of the towns, there
was no failure last year in towns, none for
the last three years ; in towns, none for the
last FIVE years in 12 towns, none for the last
rs years The letter further went on to say
that it does not appear how many farmers
failed from having turned their attention tol
specuating, or from incidence but the num-
Der must be great
The farmers with small profits are more sure
Of making money than merchants with large
Mr. Clarke said he had been informed that not
more than one per cent. Of the better class OF
Of those in New York, succeeded in acquiring
q competency, and retiring from business
Of all those who took the benefit Of the late
u. 8. bankrupt law, in New York State, those
in the city and vicinity paid their creditors, on
an average, but two per cent, whilst those in
the farming section paid, on an average, 13
per cent No doubt the cause Of the failure Of
nine tenths of the farmers, is engaging in spec
1lation. Mr.. Calhoun thought that there was
data enough before them to form the conclu-
sion, that farming-the farming business
was profitable, and more profitable, ifcarred
on with spirit and intelligence and industry,
than any other business and that a larger
proportion of farmers succeeded in their busi-
ness than of any other profession.
He fully believed that 10 or Is per cent.
might easily be realized from good farming
And one prominent reason why farmers did
not generally succeed better, was the lack of
energy, enterprise, industry and intelligence
in their business"
SANTA FE.-Advices from New Mexico, via
Pittsburgh, state that General Ellicot Lee,
whose death was recorded at the massacre of
Taos, 10 yet alive. He was taken by the in
surrectionists and subjected to indignities, but
his life was spared through the intercession Of