New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-02
Falling Behind.
SIGNAL

PREVIOUS " lnt teilSUS VI IOtO tHt lIVuSC
of Representative consisted OF 2l2 mem
bers. of whom New York had 40, Pennsyl-
vania 28 and Massachusetts, - After that
Census the number was cut down to 23l, and
New-Y ork lost 6, Pennsylvania 4 and Mas
sachusetts ,. Under the Census of 1850
there are to be 233 representatives, and
with this number New York loses while
PENNSYLVANIA gains and Massachusetts, |.
1t thus appears that the Empire State Is
falling behind these two competitors in the
race for population and power. That IS to
sav. they increase faster relatively than It
does, whereas it ought to increase faster
than they.
There is another test Of growth not less
certain in its indications, and that Is the I'M
provement of agriculture in those parts of
the State, where the soil is naturally richest
and most fertile In the beginning 1t /,
necessary to cultivate specifically the
poorer soil because 1t can be done easier,
requires less capital and does not, like the
culture of rich lands, endanger, by Its exha-
lations and the corruption of decaylnG vege-
taton, the health of those engaged in clear
ing it and rendering 1t productive. But,
as capital is accumulated as population
becomes concentrated, as the artisan takes
his place beside the farmer, and a steady
home market is created, cultivation lays
its hand upon the fat soils of the meadows
and low lands, clearing them of timber,
draining them, ploughing them, and cover
them with blooming gardens.
But such is not the process we now behold
going on in the heart Of the Empire State.
From Utica to Buffalo the richest lands are
everywhere unclcared and undrained. In
all that stretch OF country, whose latent
power of fruitfulness is not surpassed In the
world, the traveller scarcely meets with
here and there new house, but sees
many old ones bearing the signs of neglect
and decav. The number of farms, instead
of increasing is diminishing, and that inial-
lible indication of impoverishment, the con-
centration of lands in fewer and fewer
hands, may quite generally be witnessed
Emigrants pass by this region, with its ex-
haustless fertility, its canals and railroads,
while even the natives of the country may
be seen selling their homesteads and leav-
ING for the distant and less productive West.
Such is the course of things, and although
the process is slow one, no careful Oh
server can dispute that we describe it cor
recty.
Now, why is it that our State thus fails
to hold her own! Why has she not gained
instead of lost in her Congressional delega-
ton, and why are her rich soils not coming
into cultivation instead of going out The
reason is simple. We are not bringing the
producer and consumer together, not set
ting the artisan among the farmers. We buy
foreign manufacturers instead of manufacture
inc for ourselves. There is water-power
enough in the very region we have referred
to, to meet every demand but we leave 1t
unused, and send to England for cloths, and
calicoes, and hardware, and send thither our
diminished crops of grain to feed the labor
ers who produce these articles, instead OF
bringing the laborers here to produce the
same where they are wanted for consumption,
and feeding them from the large and con-
stan,lv increasing crops OF vegetables. mix,
veal. &c, which the now uncultlvated rich
soils might produce, and which cannot bear
transportation As long as we continue TO
export grain our lands must grow poorer,
the richer soils must remain neglected ana
we must fall behind in prosperity and PoPu-
lation, and our representation In Congress
must decrease
The efficient cause OF the evil Is the
commercial policy of the country. How
powerful, how resistless is that cause. may
be Judged from the fact, that the mighty
Empire State is so palpably affected by It.
That policy is hurrying us toward a crisis
whose ruin must force the people to per-
ceive their true interests, and insist upon
thorough and enduring change