The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-16
WHOLE NUMBER los.

{ class must be subjected TO ths melanchol
9 and terrible necessity of working, rather
: avoid the poor-house, than Of lettering the
; condition"
To give formal answer To such tissu
, OF inconsistent absurdities. would be itse
absurd. We shall only place them in O
} der before the reader.
L. Cities generate poverty, though III
average wealth OF their inhabitants be grea
er than that Of country people.
I z. The great wealth Of cities is not pro
duced in them, but is brought in by ricI
farmers, who seek profitable investmen
Of their capital in the poverty-making bust
ness of cities.
8. These rich farmers Of the North mad,
their fortunes by agriculture, but having &C
cumulated a large capital in this way, they
were unable to extend their farming opera
tons, and had therefore to resort to poverty.
making speculations in town.
4. The reason why they could not farm
Prohtably after they had grown rich by farm.
ing, was the high wages Of laborers, who
could soon make money enough to buy
land for themselves.
5. Nevertheless, the wages Of labor are
so low in the North, that able bodied men
are becoming Paupers. and the whole class
oil hlrellngs are reduced to the terrible ne
cessity Of working for a bare substance.
without the hope Of lettering their condi-
lion.
Now, good reader, has not Mr.. Fisher a
wonderful power Of argument You see
that he can make facts change color like
the chameleon that he can by force Of
reasoning gather grapes from thornbushes
and hgs from thistles; that he can By dint
of logic make the same fountain pour him
out both sweet waters and bitter.
On pages 10 and 20 he charges that
cities cause s. waste of human life by short
enIng its duration, and, being injurious to
health and longevity, they are consequent
ly also injurious TO the wealth Of mankind;
and thus he accounts in part for the pre-
tended fact, that "rhe South, which is so
much exempt from the corrosive action of
cities on property and population. has made
such rapid progress in ireallh."
Now, there is a short answer to this
strange scrt Of argument. The Southern
States have some cities, and are, therefore,
suffering las Mr.. Fisher would say from
their corrosive action on property and pop
ulaI'on." These States would, therefore,
make a still more "rapid progress" in
wealth and population, if their cities were
destroyed. II some friendly earthquake
should engulPh that pes ilent city of New
Orleans, and leave not wreck behind, the
Western farmers and planters would be
the healthier and weather. for the caias.
uophe. There would be less ague and
fever among them. and the prices Of cotton,
flour, and pork would rise. If not, then
Mr.. Fishers argument is futile, and worse
than futile-New Orleans, with its popula-
ton, wealth and industry, is a harmless ad-
dition 10 say the leasD TO the population
and wealth Of the Mississippi valley. In
deed every man Of common sense knows
that without 4 city about the mouth of the
Mississippi. there could be comparatively
little wealth or population in the South
western States.
And what would the Pennsylvania farm
ers do, il such a profound philosopher as
Mr.. Fisher should go to them, and having
gwen them statistical proofs that the peo-
pie of Philadelphia were rather short lived.
many paupers, and imprisoned
many rogues, should, therefore, propose
to destroy the city, as a public NUS
ancel We fear that they would put him
into lunatic asylum.
II is true that the average duration Of
life is somewhat less in cities than in the !
country, chiefly because manufacturing en- |
ployments and a crowded population are
not as healthful as rural life; but, be they
healthtul or not, civilization aud wealth
exist without them; and he who
inveighs against them as nuisance, is not
wise. He who would turn all men from
them to agriculture, knows not what sgri-
culture lives upon. -
Mr. Fisher gives false impression OF the
comparative duration of life in different
employments. II matters nothing to the
question of slavery, yet we think it useful
10 correct the false notion which he would
convey to uniformed readers. Instead OF
taking the average result Of tables Of NOR
taliiy in different towns and countries, as
he ought to have done, he presents the re-
suit Of one year in Msssachusetts-the
most favorable year too for the farming
class, and according to his usual way OF
POUNDS universal conclusion on
that single instance, and that one he has
According to the Massa-
chusetts register of deaths in lS47,s the
average age Of the farmers who died that
year and were over 90 years old, was six
ty.four and one-seventh years; Of merchants,
forty-nine and one-fith; Of mechanics, for
ty-six and one-halG Of laborers, forty-six
and three-fourths, &C., from which he Jumps
at the conclusion. thst the agricultural class
everywhere, lives about one-fourth longer
than the other classes. But he is mistaken.
The above results are not an accurate in
dex Of comparative longevity even in Mas.
sschusetts; because her agriculture is at
stand. owing to natural poverty Of soil and
cheap transportation by railroads from rich. |
or countries. But other occupations are
rapidly increasing. Hence, the sons Of
farmers, multiplying faster than their bus
ness, pass into other employments, leaving
! dlsproportionate number Of old men to
lie as farmers, and Of young men to take
he chances Of life in other employmenis.
II ia a i,ifv thai a man who nnderfak es l