Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-03-23

mented by one of her leading papers-the
Boston Atlas. The following statements are
from the official returns of the State:
Bushels wheat Indian corn. Barley
ISIS ISIS 5000 $4,000 isi.ssI
Decrease 10000 2I8,ooo s4,Oss
Rye. Buckwheat Potatoes.
| IS46 $4,000 lo2 600 4.S5e, OOH
! l545 $4,000 $4,000 4767.ooo
Decrease 10000 7o,ooo SO,
Of course it is not pretended that States of
commercial and manufacturing character
chiefly, should produce as much from the soil,
in proportion to population, as the agricultur
al. But the articles they do produce, and their
proportions to each other, indicate the quality
of food at least of the agricultural portion of
the population. Hence it appears that the
farmers of Massachusetts consume but little
wheat bread, and use rye, indian corn, and
potatoes as substitutes.
| | think now that if anything can be shown
by facts, have demonstrated the superior
wealth of the people of the South over those
of the North in proportion 10 their respective
numbers; and this. by comparing the less
prosperous of the South with the most -four
ishing of the North. And l think have
shown the South to be the most fortunate in
the distribution or equalization of wealth as
we'll as in lis acquisition. At all events,
have rescued the controversy between the
two sections from the control of bold asser-
ton and slipshod defamation, and confded it
TO the umpirage of argument and document
There are some who sneer at statistics, and
assert that anything can be proved by them.
But such expressions think are peculiar TO
those who deal in assertion chiefly, and find it
unpleasant to be answered with facts For
statistics are nothing but collections of facts.
admit that facts themselves may be power
less or pernicious to a mind not logical nor
philosophical enough 10 comprehend and clas-
sify them. But in relation to the affairs of
this world at least, ask, with the English
philosophic poet,
"What can we reason but from what we know?'
Facts constitute the great restraint on the i'm
position of interests, the dogmatism of fanatics
and bigots, the fallacies of the vulgar, the
prejudices Of the sectional, and the dreams of
the enthusiasts. Facts are the tests of sys-
tens, the landmarks of progress, the harvest
of time, the elemental particles of truth
But it is peculiarly important to resort to
statistics on this question, because they are
so much employed and perverted on the other
side From the speech of the Senator 10 the
sailed with statistical comparisons between
the North and South derogatory 10 the latter
In 1899 Daniel Webster presented in speech
to the Senate in praise of Massachusetts, an
official statement of her annual products,
which amounted 10 nearly 100000,
which he characterized as the yearly fruit OF
her industry and capital This would strike
every mind as evidence of great productive
ness and profit in a State of her population,
, since the annual product of Virginia is only
, about seventy millions. But on scrutniZing
the Massachusetts statement, it is found that
Webster included as the products of her in
dustry, the raw material employed in her man.
ufactures obtained from other States; the raw
, cotton, the wool, the raw hides, the dye stuffs
: &c., &c.
1t was but the other day that we had an ex.
tract from the report of the Commissioner Of
Patents, published in all the papers which un.
dertook TO give us an estimate of the wealth
Of the respective States. On examination it i;
! found to assume population as the basis Of
f wealth. An average is made of the wealth O.
: each man in few States, and that is multiplied
Y by the number of men in each State. By THU
0 rule Indiana, which is more populous thar
S Massachusetts, has more wealth-and th'
: North of course greatly more than the South
: The Commissioner of Patents is Northern
: man, and travels deliberately out of the spherI
h of his duties to make up and send forth th
i absurd table and in thus undertaking official
s ly and oficiously to enlighten the Ignorance
If of the people, displays his own.
But whilst l contend that statistical evi
n dence may be sufficient 10 convince, am a
l. ware that it is not enoughto satisfy, the mind
Is particularly when al variance with prevalen
If opinions. II is legitimate and laudable de
5. sire, even after knowing that thing is so, t
h know why it is so. And acknowledge il j
1t incumbent on whoever attempts TO overthrow
e a popular error to show rot only that it j
,e such, but that it must be such, on the recog
n nized principles of human judgment.
= The reason, then, conceive for the grea
is is so generally agricultural About half tn
at population OF the old Northern ates reside
re in towns or cities; in the Southern about one
le tenth.
Of Even Ohio, new State with greater ayr
Of cultural attractions naturally, than any othe
Of has already a town and city population est
he mated at one-fouth of the whole the singI
al city of Cincinnati, only fifty years of agt
l. containing more people than ten of the large:
r towns OF Virginia, the Oldest State of the UI
ne ion.
7, But why is agriculture more profitable tha
" manufactures or commerce? One reason i
er that agriculture is more productive or multi
ia plying than them; that its products are til
Sc principal and the indispensable articles OF b,
of man subsistence, and are obtained with lei
n of human labor and skill than the Others
rk The fecundity of nature oan never be rivallt
e. by art. A grain of wheat when sown wi
IL produce an hundred fold, but no fabric of IL
x loom, no cargo of the ship, can have its va
FL ue augmented in the same proportion, witho
in the CO operation of a much greater proportic
cd of labor and skill. Commerce and manufa
h ture are chiefly artificial agriculture is for Il
IT. most part the work of nature. 1t is true th
m. the facility with which articles are produe
H. from the soil, influences materially their va
or ne in market, and that the prices of differe
RS, kinds of labor tend to equality and il is tr
cd also, that prices of commodities are effect
or by the relations of supply and demand. Hen
ed, there is no such difference between the prof
he of the farmer and the artzan. or merchant,
the relative productiyeness of their labc