American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1856-02-28

This table shows. that in forty years the
importation of foreign grain into Great
Britain had steadily advanced from twelve
up to nearly fifty millions of bushels per
annum! The steadiness of increase in the
importation of grain proves conolusively.
what We have already shown in another
way that the artisan and civic portion of
the people are increasing much faster than
the agricultural. Now, let it be observed,
up to 1865, England was an exporter of
cora. or grain. From that date to 1880,
expectation and importation fluctuated.-
But from 1880 to the present time, the i'm
portation of breadstuffs into Great Britain
has been constantly increasing.
France, also, is now a constant importer
Of grain not merely in this year, in which
she must import immensely, but is perma-
nently in the condition of deficiency. OF
Germany, parts, such as Prussia, have US
ualy exported grain; but even that is ceas-
ing to be the case, and this year large
part of Germany imports breadsiuffs.
Spain and Italy usually supply them
selves, but seldom export. 1t comes to
this, then, that Russia, Prussia. and some
small districts in Europe, are the only coun-
tries which. produce a surplus, while the
largest nations of Europe permanently i'm
port. Nor is this all: the amount imported
into these countries is constantly increas
ing. We have, then, in Europe, two cOndi-
tiOns established, which are dangerous to
the peace, if not in the existence of the
present social system.
Is. The constant tendency of popula-
ton to cities and towns, by which the ag
ricultural population is propOrtiouably re-
duced.
Cd. In consequence Of this deficiency
of agricultural labor, the principal nations
of Europe are permanently dependent upon
other nations for their bread
This being the established law Of Eu-
ropean Political Economy, the great object
Of economists there. is to find countries
which can supply them, and procure their
bread there. At the commencement o!
this condition of deficiency, Prussia and
Russia were almost the only countries
looked to; but of late, Europe looks TO the
United States, and it is absolutely certain
that if the United States cannot supply
them, they will, before many years. be III
state Of starvation. For History show:
no example of the inhabitants of cities and
towns correcting the deficiency of agricul
tural products by returning to agricultural
employment. On the contrary, in Egypt
Rome, and all ancient counties, they have
awaited famine and conquest, ( the resul
of weakness, rather than return to agri
culture, end restore the equilibrium Of so
ciety.
We shall not stop to notice. as We have
done in former article, the fact that tn;
tendency of society in the Unitel States il
to the same great social evil. This fact il
apparent, and if this tendency is not cor
rected, We shall cease to have any superi
ority as an agricultural people. Al pres
ent, however, we can still supply surplu
of breadstuffs to those countries whicl
need them but we cannot supply Europe
or even Great Britain, with bread, if tha
depends on Dkeat alone. Our surplus o
wheat has never equalled, in the average
more than half the wants of Great Britain
alone.
This will be seen by comparing the i'm
ports of wheat and -four into Great Britain
from the United States, and from othe
countries. Besides that, our production
of wheat does not keep up ,Oith Me grO~t
of our population; so that in time, if thi
disproportion exists, we shall not NOR
| than supply ourselves with wheat bread