Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-02-03
OVERSEE OMNIBUS.
FAMILY LETTER FROM THE EDITOR.

Great West; and there are no human eyes
in America that have been so yelled by
the vicious web Of sophistry, woven where
weaving is done by machinery. wish
not TO indict any persons or policy, as guilty
of endeavoring 10 blind the eyes of The
West TO their true interests, but | cannot
withhold my mite of influence, if it NAV
serve 10 dispel the mists of what, am sure,
will one day be deemed delusion, per-
petuated on one portion Of the American
family not 10 the advantage of another, bat
10 the disadvantage Oft the whole. | hone
our Western friends, or Eastern, will not
impu;e TO us any selfish motive, or partzan,
or political bias, if we endeavor, from time
to time, to demonstrate the magnificent des.
tiny and duty OF that portion of the Union
to which Divine Providence has given such
remarkable capacity OF agricultural pro-
dhction. am sure that the people of the
West cannot mistake their benlfcent cal.
ling, nor the lei .tion they are qualified to
sustain to the myrnds Of the Old World.
The events of the past year must have been
matters of deep interest and conside ration
with them. The dIspensations Of that
Providence which has so allocated climates,
soils and seas as 10 fit The earth for all ma
tons Of men TO dwell together in mutual
dependence, have turned and overturned
the narrow policies Of worldly wisdom until
the destiny OF the great West has been re-
We tled to millions Of the Cd World, and, l
trust, TO millions Of The New. And now,
let US appeal TO the agriculturists Of the
West 20 say, if when they had ciphered
out their capacity. or the capaciIy Of their
fertile and boundless expanse, TO feed The
whole of Europe, they did not hear such n
cry for bread, waited to them across tie
Atlantic, as was never heard before in the
history Of the human race? What admoni-
lion has that cry carried TO the ears OF
Western farmers? Was it merely the
voice OF sudden emergency, which would
soon pass over, ard never .ecur? Believe
not that suggestion. Let no man nor
body OF men, or section, or party, or policy,
seduce you into the belief ofsuch thing.
The narrow. selfish ahe sic policy which
has closed the ports Of The Old World
against tie productions OF the New is BIO,
ken; It's raischievous power is departed.
The CRY 10 America for bread is not the
clamor Of n transient emergency. There
is hardly q POSSIBILITY that he potato
crop Of next year will meet with n better
fate than that of the rust year. In short,
this yrae; staff Of life may be considered MS
entirely cut of. |, is doubtful whether il
will ever be depended upon again as chief
article ofsubsstcnce even in Ireland. Now
in a recent letter, gave the opinion Of
one OF The most cxtens corn-delI ers in
Eng land, that it would require 1000 ships
OF 10 tons burthen each. 10 import into
iceland corn enough to make up the deficien
cy in food caused by the detection % the
potato crop. Suppose this corn was im~
ported from America, the most accessible
aud contiguous corn'orowing country;
then its transportation would occupy, for
nearly half a year. 100000 tons Of ship
ping, or almost half Of the whole amount
Of American Tonnage. Allowing 90 men to
each ship, then $4,000 sailors or ship
hands would be employed in the transpor-
tation of this amount ofgrain from seaboald
to seaboard, and perhaps as many men on
land in conveying it from the river-ports
and lake-ports of the West 10 New Orleans
and New York. And here let me suggcs,
wilhou, offence to the vigilant sensibiliies
of American 'protectionists,' let me sug
gest TO the farmers ofthe West, whether, as
a matter of mere policy, the class Of con-
suners Of their products which such a
commerce would create, would not be as
valuable 10 them as any other created by
sysI EN- tina. would suppress that commerce?
of fhn taFt nj hn fHnr
well the course now opening before them.
The demand for their Wheat and Indian
Corn, Pork and Bacon will probably be
more urgent aud extensive next year than
il hiss been this They will remember
that Indian Corn has been unknown in
Great Britain, Ireland aud most of Europe,
as an article oc food, until the present wear.
There IS every reason 10 believe that its
consumption will be increased annually
Ia a form7r letter tried 10 show that Grea,
Britain was filling up with population in
creasing by a remarkable ratio. This
fact must be admitted as an important ele>
men; in the estimate of The fu ure demand
for American gam and provs ons. Blu,
there is good reason 10 believe that Indian
Caru will come 10 be used for feeding
horses and fattening cattle and swine
If this should be the case. the importation
of Indian Corn into the United Kingdom
would probably employ more tonnage han
i. now engaged in the foreign trade Of the
United States. The deficiency of the po-
,ato and grain crops on the Continent is
creating demand for American bread-slufs
there; and before the presen, emergency
has passed away, a policy will have taken
effect which will open at least the ports of
France to the unrestricted importation OF
Wheat and Indian Corn. The principles
of Free Trade are fast gaining ground
through the European part OF Christendom
and Providence seems 20 recognize them,
as the primitive statutes Of Natures econ
omy, in all its recent dispensa,ions III the
Old World. Every tendency Of The times
is accelera,ing The progress of those princi-
pies. The voice of the People, on both
sides of channel, is coming in like flood
for Free Trade; and, before The farmers of
the great West shall be able 10 turn up
the sod Of all their vast prairies, probably
every port in Eusope will be opened TO
their podsce.
There is another point on which much
misappre henson exists in America, TO use
very charitable term. In the elaborate
arguments which have been put forth TO
the Wssf that the openinp of