The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-12

luTAJ Bureau. lno1e STATISTICS were obtained
by those who appointed under The law Of
Congress, to take the census. have not the law
before me, to compare it with the Constitution.
The Constitution requires that the people Of
every description shall be enumerated, within
every term Of ten years, i'll such manner as
they (Congress) shall by law direct" This
gives no authority to Congress to pass a law to
ferret out mans pecuniary condition. or to
obtain agricultural statistics. An intelligent
writer in late number Of the National IateiH
gencer shows TO what purpose be would employ
this information derived from the census returns
He says these official statistics speak volumes
in favor of agricultural societies. and legisla i've
aid for their support They are composed Of
practical reading farmers and am happy that
men of this stamp are making na earnest effort
to organize n national agricultural society
Should they, in its feeble infancy, ask for a
little assistance from Congress. it is to be hoped
that such small aid, as State legislatures grant
to State societies, will not be withheld" Under
what provision of the Constitution could a I" Ma
tional Agricultural Society" be organized, and
"aided" with money. from the treasury of the
federal government! This writer shows, in the
same article, that the people in several of the
States have formed many agricultural societies,
and that the States have aided them. Let this
subject then remain where it properly belongs I:
to the Sta'es respectively, and to their people
The same topic was referred to by the President
in his late message, ia different and more i'm
posing form. He there says: "Agricuture
may justly be regarded as the great interest of
our people," Our people! That is to say,
suppose, that " our people" Of thirty one States
are one people, connected into an indissoluble
unit, by the "great interest" Of agriculture
III H., 10 hat q
tive population are employed in the cultivation
of the soil" &C., &c.
Again, "justice and sound policy, therefore,
alike require that the government should use
all the means authorized by the Constitution to
promote the interests and welfare of that i'm
portant class of our fellow c:tizens And vet il
is singular fact, that whilst the manufacturing
and commercial interests have engaged the at
tention of Congress during large portion of
every session, and our statutes abound in pro-
visions for their protection and encouragement,
little has yet been done, directly, for the advance.
ment of agriculture. 1t is time that this reproach
to our legislation should be removed and
sincerely hope that the present Congress will
not close their labors without adopting efficient
means to supply the omission of those who have
preceded them"
This is the kind of patronage which the Pres.
dent proposes to extend to the four-ffths of
our active population who have yet escaped its
pernicious influence Let that one fifth of"our"
population, who are engaged in com ncrce and
manufactures, remain under the guardianship OF
Congress if they will, but let the four.ffths, who
are engaged in agriculture, alone. They can
make their bread AS they have heretofore done,
by honest, unassisted toll and trust that they
will never allow themselves to be drawn within
the vortex of federal patronage. The tariff and
navigation laws have been stamped with the
marks of that "majorty" that can edo no wrong"
They have afforded fruitful subjects for sectional
and for Presidential eIectioneerinr,
which should operate as warning to those who
are engaged in the quiet and secluded duties of
cultivating the soil. The Constitution allows
Congress to lay and collect taxes, duties, and
excuses, to pay the debts and provide for the
common defence and general welfare of the
United States
Is it under this clause Of the Constitution
that tour,fif of our active populations"
forming so "important class" are entitled to
bOunties and enc0uragements, and to be placed
under the protecting care of Congress, like
the manufacturer and the navicationist II
Congress is to take charge Of the general vel
fare" of agriculture, az they have done in rela
ton to commerce and manufactures, the rurai
people will b. encouraged to relax in their own
industry, and to turn from their State govern
ments, to seek aid and comfort" from the great
overshadowng absOIutism at Washington
Congress has no control or jurisdiction over
agriculture. When its products are harded over
to the lap of commerce, then may Congress
" regulate" their transit to foreign nations,
and among the several States" &c, as author
ICED by the Constitution. The President pro
ceeds, IN his message, to recommend /" an Acri
cultural Bureau, charged with the duty of col
lecting and disseminating correct information. as
to the best modes Of cultivation, and of the
most eiiectua means of preserving and restor-
ing the fertility Of the soil, and Of procuring,
and distributing seeds, and plants, and other
vegetable productions, with instructions il re
gard to the soil, climate. and treatment best
adapted to their growth. which could not fail to
be, in the language of WASHINGTON, in his la.
message to Congress, every cheap instrument
of immense national benefit" Congress was
then wiser than WASHING TON, and no "Aqri
cultural Bureau" was then established 1t is
hoped that the "present Congress" will prove
to be wiser than Mr.. FILLMORE, sand close their
labors without adopting efficient means to sup
ply tho omisSio ~ Of those who have preceded
them" In WAsHNGToNs time few people
had access to few English works on agrcu-
ture. Now, our S aes are flooded with home
made newspapers and periodicals. which treat
fully Of all domestic and foreign improvements
in agriculture These works are conducted by
individual owners, whose industry and zeal to
make them useful, are stimulated by competition
They are cheap, and easily procured by such of
the tillers Of the earth have time to read them
The best farmers, though, that | have ever
known, would not read an agricultural work.
IF Congress is DESTROYS to furnish seeds and
plants" to four fflhs Of our population who are
engaged in agriculture, tax of some sort must
be resorted to- to raise the money with which
to purchase them. Some "seeds'' are now dis
tributed through the Patent Office and the
" Smithsonian Institute" might be made auxili-
airy to the same purpose.
There would be less patronage and less money
expended by this mode of distributing govern
ment {" seeds and plants" than by means of an
f" Agricultural Bureau" The Patent Office and
the Smithsonian Institute" would be cheaper
rup,apto b,t tb,,, III, n III "A,