Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-15
AGRICULTURE AND IT'S INTERESTS.

f AGMCULTURE AND IT'S INTERESTS.
1t gives us pleasure to be able to direct the atten
ton Of our readers 10 proposition introduced into
the Senate on Tuesday which, if of some novelty, il
also Of much interest. We refer to the subject o
the Memorial from Mr.. SKINNER, SO appropriately
seconded by the remarks of Mr.. Senator JOHNSON
(of Maryland asking for an appropriation of money
by Congress towards improving and protecting the
interests of Agriculture. We rejoice, for our part
at least, at this proposition to turn into poughshares
the supernumerary swords for which we trust we
shall not soon have any further occasion to appro-
pirate money. We should hail with qualification
the introduction Of any propositions indeed, that has
for its object to increase the reward Of labor to the
ters Of the earth, to extend the cultivation OF the
arts of peace, and to withdraw our attention, from
foreign acquisitions and foreign concerns of every
sort, to the Improvement of the home arts by which
Nation is truly enriched and the condition Of lis
People really bettered.
The proposition OF Mr. SKINNER is, we have said,
of some nouely. This is true, but how strange is.
it not that il should be true Even more than the
improvement of the navigation of our inland seas
and great rivers and highways the interests Of agri-
culture-of that occupation by which so large a
proportion of our population makes its own bread
and supplies food to others-has been utterly ne
glected not to say contemned. A Committee on
Agriculture exists, it is true, by the Rules of Con-
gress, but il would to have been established by
way of mockery, for it has no vocation. Agricul-
ture is certainly pursuit of which the knowledge
comes by nature but surely it nigh. be assisted by
education and by encouraging competition. Of the
power Of Congress to apply to this purpose some
portion Of the public money-so freely disbursed in
the improvement and preservation Of the art and
science of destructive war, which art and science,
sorry to say, the state of the rest Of the world
oblges us, too, in certain extent to cultivate-the
argument Of Mr.. JOHNSON appears TO us to be un-
answerable.
Both Mr.. SKINNER and Mr.. JOHNSON may well
be proud of standing forth as the advocates of
policy which-though its recommendation was re-
tarded by the prevalence of the European wars
which arose out of the first French Revolution, and
by Indian wars and insurrectonary movements at
home-was yet presented to Congress, in most
imposing form, by President WASHINGTON, in the
last annual Message which he addressed to them.
Though the seed fell upon barren ground and yield
ed no frut-the attention Of Congress being divided
between the conflict of newly formed parties and
the danger then imminent of foreiga war-the
authority Of such recommendation from such
is not the less venerable nor the less worthy
ofrespect We are glad to bring this recommends
ton freshly TO the recollection of our readers as we
do by quoting from the Message referred to the en-
tire passage of relating to this subject follows
Itwill not be doubted that, with reference either
TO Individual national welfare agriculture is of
primary importance. In proportion as nations
advance in population, and other circumstances of
: maturity, this truth becomes more apparent, and
renders the cultivation of the soil more and more
an object of public patronage. Institutions for
promoting It grow up, supported by the public
purse. Among the means which have been en-
ployed to this end, none have been attended with
greater success than the establishment of boards,
: composed of proper characters, charged with col
lecting and difiusing information; and enabled, by
premiums and small pecuniary aids, to encourage
and assist spirit Of discovery and improvement.
: This species of establishment contributes doubly
: TO the increase of improvement; by stimulating 70
enterprise and experiment, and by drawing to a
common centre the results, every where, of indi-
vidual skill and observation, and spreading them
. them thence over the whole nation Experience,
: accordingly, has shown that they are very cheap
instruments of immense national benefits