The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-27

| The FARMERS vs.. THE FMANoERs-THE BA-
| LANCE or TRADE AND THE BALANCE OF PoPU-
LArpN.-There are indications from every quar-
| ter Of the country, and from numberless sources
| of public opinion, that general uprising is at
hand of the agricultural and laboring interests
| in opposition to the hosts of financers, trading
| spectators and stockjobbing operators with
| which our community is overrun. Something,
| it is felt. must be done which shall produce
change in the existing distribution of our in
dustrial population. This distribution has been
! GREATLY vitiated by large reduction in the
proportion of productive labor. brought about
| bya Inisdirection Of the floating or working
capital of the country. We give elsewhere
! detailed statement, based upon the census re.
| turns which, IN view Of the existing condition
| If our financial affairs, points out the funda-
mental cause of our embarrassments, as we'll as
The revolution which must be worked out be-
| fore we can be finally landed upon aperfectly
| sound and solvent basis.
| 1t will be seen from the article referred to,
| that the progress of our farming interest has
| been materially checked by the general alb
straction of labor, capital and skill which
have been absorbed by the sudden growth of
our cities and towns, in the continued stampede
from the rural districts for the avenues of traffic
and speculation Such has been the rapid
| decline exhibited in the proportion of
| our agricultural population, that were it
not for our enormous accessions from emigra-
ton and the increase in our slave population
we must have experienced regular Egyptian
famine during the past seven years for want of
labor to till our ample domains The number
of our agricultural population for the census OF
1850, when compared with that of 1910, count
| ing only the free males over fifteen years of
age, must, it would seem, have so decreased by
desertion of the farms for other channels of en-
terprise as to reduce. the total for 1850 some
hundred thousand below the previous census Of
1910. The agricultural population made above
seventy per cent of the whole of the working
Oh industrial classes in 1910. In 1850 it had
fallen to forty-four per cent. This estimate
presents our agricultural labor, exclusive of
women and minors, so largely occupied in the
husbandry of the middle and Northern States,
as also Of the growth of the slave population of
the South, always main wing of our agricul-
ture. In the wealth derived from the soil
bountiful progress is of course exhibited, but
an examination of the facts would show that
| this growth is not so much attributable to the
increased numbers of our native free husband
men remaining on the farms and plantations.
The relative increase Of the great slave grown
staples is one indication of this Our farm
| lands -fve-eighths unreclaimed for lack of
| labor and capitals another proof. In short,
there is no question but that high pressure en-
terprises and wild speculatons have consumed
the past earnings, and absorbed an undue pro-
portion Of the bone and sinew which should
have augmented stzl' further our agricultural
resources.
From this diversion Of the agricultural class
has arisen the extraordinary growth Of our city
| populations since ls30-more than three hun
bred per cent in cases like Cincinnati. 1t has
called forth also, the enormous balloons of false
lcapital and bogus inflated values, devised to sus-
tain the recklessness of these parpenue popula.
Itions and to provide for their desertion of
the farms and the useful industry of our rural
districts Corporations, combinations and
swindling schemes without end have now com
Iplicated their affairs and derangcd the entire
business Of the community. Their operations
were mainly fastened upon the produce and
earnings of the farmer; but their stock-gambling
lquarrels over the spoils have at last exploded
their banking railway and other like 'conf-
Idence" games. A final dissolution of partner
ship has taken effect between the financers and
their former connections the agriculturists
The latter have withdrawn for full settlement
# the concern. They stand arrayed In mass,
he memorable bears of the present crisis, en-
brcing general winding up, by withholding
her produce. and demanding therefor the alb
sdute specie values. Some thirty or forty mil
li.ns of the current crops now due at our docks
have thus been embargoed
Here, then, comes the tug Of war. general
Uniform, stringent bankrupt law is already
looming upon the Congressional horizon for the
pre complete separation Of the kite fiiers and
SPECTATORS from our genuine industry. The
forthcoming crops" have been the great reliance
ofthe surviving fnanciers ~ suspensionists
Even to the sounder elements of our commerce
these forthcoming crops are Of vital conse-
qucnce Hence the merchants of this city,
backed by their twenty-six millions of specie in
bank have resolved to halt no longer for the
shiplaster concerns Of the provinces, but re-
sumo specie payments forthwith. Trade will at
once be resumed; the embargo on produce will
he raised, for Il wa, not the price, but the bad
money, or the absence of all money. which
caused the stoppage. The farmer must have his
ho,rd; he must have the present price Of his
crops as the only capital he can get to work his
fam. He has enough of bogus unconvertible
securities for his means have been more or less
absorbed Ny them IN previous years Ills pre-
seat discrimination il practically inevitable for
i he cannot hope to meet The exigcncies reaching