Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-10-07
eighth of the whole.

eighth of the whole.
After such results showing what a small
amount of ournorthern agricultural products
has been exported during more than quar-
ter of century, how can the foreign market
be relied upon for the future purchase of our
breadstuils and provisious'
The only answer that has been ATTEMPTED,
is that by the commercial regulations of
foreign countries, our produce has hitherto
been excluded from their ports; aud that as
relaxation in this respect has been COM
menced in some of them, which may be
adopted by others, different state of things
may be expected. And this is mentioned in
the last years address rs an encouragement
to us to rely upon foreign market. The
idea is SO often repeated from other quarters,
that we are bound to give il Il careful con-
sideration.
And first, let me inquire, is it the part of
wisdom to trust your own prosperity to the
legislation of other nations, and those your
competitors and riyalsl VIII you change
the course of your own pursuits in reliance
upon a foreign policy, which ,.lay desert
you, when you shall have abandoned all the
means of countervailng the consequences
VIII you keep the keys of Your own well
fare, or will YOU put them in the hands of
oihers' Selfishncss Is the avowed policy of
nations-it always has been and always will
he; and am not prepared to say that it is
not the right and just policy.
But secondly what nre the probabilities
that the rest of the world Will sacrifice their
own agriculture TO the promotion of ours9
As already shown, aud which can not be too
often repeated, every country in Europe,
except England, ordinarily exports bread
stufis and provisions for the subsistence of
man. IL Is tho nn'ural nnnrf e I'll people
20 suppl themselves from their own soils
with the articles which are necessary 10 life.
Al experience proves that they viii live
upon the coarscst fare rather than import il,
and hy habit they become not ouly rec0nciled
10 such food, but come to regard IL as Of pe-
cuIiar excellence. They m'ty import art-
clcs which they can nct rdISe, or for which
they have no substitute, such as cotton and
tobacco, but il is contrary To- the nature Of
man and Of things, that he should ordinarily
he dependent for his daily food upon foreign
aud d-tnt nations.
Thirdly, we should remember that there
are other countries than our own, which can
supply any ordinary demand for the ncces-
snries Of lIfe--countries which have been
called the grauaries Of the world, such ms
those lying upon the Mediterranean, the Bal
tic, the Black Sea, Sc, which have already
been particularly enumerated. In these, Ia
Dor is cheaper than with Us the products
are near at hand and can be transported NJ
much less expense. large portion of our
own supply IN 1881, came from these coun-
tries What reason have we for anticipa-
ting that these regions will not supply those
nations which may relax their commercial
rcguIationsi
May we not safely conclude, from these
views that we have 40 right TO expect any
change Of policy which will enable us to
supply any considerable portion of the world
with our hrcadstuiis and provisions; that it
would be most disastrous to shape our pur-
suits IN reference TO such change, aud that
it we did, there is no reason To expect such
monopoly as must exist 10 enable us 10
dispose Of the immense SURPRISES which our
exclusive or nearly exclusive attention to
agriculture. would createi
Although The advocates of foreign mar
kei sometimes speak Of foreign countries
generally, yct they have special reference 10
Europe, aud to the manufacturing nations
OF that quarter Of the globe. They look TO
thc frorkshops abroad as furnishing az once
the exchanges aud the markets for our agri-
cultural products. They never speak of The
West India l-lands or u South America, or
Of China, or the East Indies aflording
the market, they desire. Aud the simple
reason is, that no raw cotton Is carried to
those markets, aud very little tobacco.
BE il our business, however, To look lit
tie farther into this matter, and see whether
We can not derive some useful information
from our commercial statistics in relation to
the market for our produce. ! propose to
take the returns of the year 1915 as exhib-
ting a fair average specimen OF the distri-
button Of our exports Of domestic products.
] he quantities Of those exports vary IN diff
rereut years, and during the last three years,
owing 10 causes with Which you are familiar,
they were much increased. But the proper
tons Of the component parts, aud their des-
tinations 10 foreign markets, have been re-
Uniform As our present enquiry
does not relate % quantitie hut To- their dis
frihutiou, auy one year in which no exirnor-
inary influences derauged the course AZ
rade. affords a comparative test as fair aud
reliable as any that could b. desired from
he results of a long terra. The year 1916
yas such year, and II has been selected for