The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1853-09-18
Agricultural Reso uroes

a country ls only lntrlnslcally val
liable according to its agricultural re-
sources. The substantial wealth of a
nation lies in the richness ofits soil.-
These are safe axioms, and severy man
who is at all given to reflection and
study, must feel their truth. There
can be no commerce, no manrlfaeters,
no art, no science---we had well nigh
said--no civilization, in any countrys
where the soil is nots TILED and the
peaceful persuits Of agriculture follow
cd. A great English critic has said
that /" Commerce is King." Admit
ting the truth; where pray, does King
Commerce obtain his power, if it does
not spring directly from the soil ?---
lis here that his strength slumbers in
the winter season, and bursts forth in
the spring time to make the world feel
his power and Importance. 1t is not
little strange tosas, that the animal
called eonventionally "man,' with the
force of these truths before him, and
the dazzling light Of the best intelli-
gence Of the age, will nevertheless per-
sist in crowding one mother to death
in large cities, where pestilence and
poverty and vice in every phase, unite
their forces to kill him. Ifit is strange
that such condition should exist In
the Monarchies Of the Old world, it is
still more strange, that in the New,
where every man is permitted to enjoy
the full benefit of his own labor, with
out the interference of church for IT,
thes; or State. for the support Of royal
pagents, and idle shows.
We contend that it is not a little
strange that in a government like this
Of the .Model Republic" that the same
feeling Of Capitalization, common to all
animals, should bring dozen families
to live-orrather die together, in an
eight BY ten room, in a crowded, i'll
ventilated street, in preference to the
health and wealth, and independence
of the country-w where lands can be
had free of cost, and the axe of indus
try may with little labor and no other
cost, construct comfortable dwellings.
Yet in the very face of all the induce
ments held out for einigrants to till the
soil, they will crowd themselves and
huddle together, at a pestiferous sea-
son, in infected localities, and fogo
the substantial conveniances and plea
sures Of life, for disease and death which |
is as certain to follow as any other
fixed fact. ....-E,...{ s 49,
The State Of Louisiana labors under |
many social and political evils which
it is in the power Of the people alone
to remove. and a liberal system Of pub
lie education, will alone point them |
out. We are not processing in our
movements, on the contrary, we are
retrograding as fast as it is possible for
US to do, under unwise and blind sys-
TENS. ..
We hold that Louisiana is not only |
the sugar bowl, but the very Eden it.
self Of this Union. There is no one
acquainted with our climate and soil
who will gainsay this fact; and in the
very face Of our agricultural resources,
the earth lies fallow-a wilderness as
primitive, as it was in the days Of De
Soto and Lasalle. The peculiar IN
stitutsons under which we. live is the
main cause of this condition. The
dignity Of labor is degraded, and it is
more honorable for the bone and sinue
Of the State, to lounge about the city
and the town. and steal living. than