New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-20

knives, axes, and other finished Prodncts-snd 'he
greater il the tendency toward that deterioration oil
mans condition 10 which we accustomed 10 attaeh
the idea Of barbarism.
The great fact is thus presented to US, that where
the land yields most largely there the prices OF the
products of the farm highest; whereas, where IL
yields least in quantity, there the prices are lowest
In Germany and France, the yield OF the land Il
steadily increasing. while prices regularly advance
In this country, the yield decreases, while Prces as
steadily decline Hence il is, Mr. President, that the
phenomena presented to view by French and German
society are those OF growing civilizations while those
We meet among ourselves, are those OF advancing
birbarism.
Approximation in the prices OF the rude pro
ducts Of the earth and of the finished commodities
required for human purposes il, Mr.. President, the
most conclusive proof of growth in civilization. The
more nearly they come together the more does society
tend 10 assume its natural iOrm-the greater Is the
tendency toward seadness and regularity Of move
ment-and the more rapid is the advance in wealth
and power. The more they recede from each other,
the more does society tend to take the form OF an
inverted PYRAMID the less the regularity of move
uent the greater j. the tendency toward barbarism,
and the more rapid il the decline IN wealth and power
With u.s. as you have seen, those prices 80 recede-
more cotton and more flour being, as rule, required
TO pay for any given quantity OF iron, copper, TIM or
lead--tle most essential of the commodities required
for advance in civzatisn-than was needed Tor that
purpose half a century since.
The closer that approximation, the greater - every
where the tendency to increase IN the producVenes
of the sol-with growing power OF association ahd
combinations The remote they are, the greater
is the tendency toward exhaustion OF the SOIL win
declining power of combination. Throughout the
Union that power is declining; and thus are We pre-
sented with another of the phenomena when, every
where else ave attended declining civilization.
The more the soil becomes enriched, the greater -
its power of attraction, the more rapid II the grown
Al .ls.,,fr tha
cies of the time. The more it is impoverished the
greater il its repusve power, the slower becomes the
movement of society, and the more rapid IS the de-
cline Of civilization With us, Mr. President, as you
have seen the attractive power of the soil dmln Shes
and men are almost flying from each other
as if from pestence-the enormous emgrations OF tue
Larbarous ages of Europe being here reproduced ana
atfording conclusive evidence OF uechhe III "e"llH
strength and power. What arethe lesser phenomena
by which decay is manifested and how they influence
the various portions of society, we may now INQUIRE
At the return of peace in 1918, land was high IN
prce-a market having been already nade at honie
for the most important of ITS products. iIo"S,vn
being discontinued, that market disappeared anu uue
result was seen, six years later IN the almost u'eI
sal ruin Of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS being every"nerre
entered up-nortgages being iorecosed-sheflns
sales Astounding to such extent as, at length, 10
force the people of the agricultural States to thead9p
tnn of laws for staying the execution OF the Juus
the price at which it had sold, but years before
The sales of public land, and the revenue theretrom
had trebled in the period from ISL to 1918 -thus
increasing the number of farmers attne plonen, wneh
themaIket for their products was gradually disappear
ing-and thus preparing the way tpr that decline IN
the price of the products of the farm whose steady
progress Is exhibited in the figures already Mr. Presl-
| dent. laid before you.
BY 1924 the land revenue had fallen 10 less than
third of the amount at which il had stood in 1872
Thenceforward-prOte having been reestabshed
it went gently up, until in 1892 and 1893, il aver
aged So 295 OCO almost precisely the amount it had
| 20 suddenly attained thirteen years before In the
| mean time the population had increased about two
thirds and regular had been the increase in the
home demand for food that now, for the first time in
the countrys history, its price was wholly unnhu-
enced by the fall of foreign markets. From 1873 TO
| 1881, wheat in England had been high, averaging
f3 4I3 per quarter or 81 72per bushel. From that
period it fell regularly, until four years later it was
but Fl 1914, or 81 05 per bushel and yet the price
of -four in the American ports remained entirely unai
ected as is shown by the following figures, derived
| from recent Treasury report:
Average of 1923 to 81
lsS 33.........*S iIa55,,......,...sSS j7a
The Compromise tariff having now, however, be-
gun to operate mills ceased to be built and importa-
ton rapidly increased The mechanic arts longer
affording outlet for the growing population, emf
| grafton to the West grew rapidly, accompanied by
enormous specuatOns in the public lands-the speeu
lators always desiring TO 60 in advance OF the poor
settler and 10 profit at his expense The land revenue
rose from 81 600 600 to 1000 00s and $4 900 0OO
after which, for four succeeding years, it averaged
|
posed of than had been sold in the forty preceding
| ones. The consequences such as might have
been expected While the new farms were being
created by help of labor diverted from the old ones,
food was and high but by the time they were
ready to furnish supplies, their owners found their
market had disappeared Land again falling in price,
| mortgages were forccosed; and once again were
farmers BY tens of thousands, turned adrt upon the
| world, to recOmmcnce their labors as they might.
We have here the second great stage OF preparation,
for the extraordinary fall in the price of food that has
| been exhibited
The land revenue now 1892 fell to little than
gle million from which point under the protect
i've tariff of that year, il rose gradually UNTIL hve
years later stood again at oOQ0 OO Soon after
the discovery of the treasures of California came Ill
10 make demand for manufactures and TO give activity
10 commerce. So long as that activity continued the
sales of public lands continued small, but now-the
building Of mills and furnaces having ceased-the rev.
enue from that source, in the three years ending
| with 1856 had attained an average OF nearly
| 10000, 900. II to this be added the sales OF
| land granted to railroad companies, we obtain
! a total for those years of at least sJ0,0OO,OO
or twice the amount OF the twelve years from 1910 to
1852. Those sales an index to the exhaustion OF
the soil, the dispersion OF the people, the decline OF
| commerce, and the growth Of the power OF the
trader; and those Of 1878 were followed by the
| agricultural ruin of 1921 and those of 1886 by the
ruin of lsil must those of 1851 80 be followed by
| similar effects at period that Is now but little
| distant. As rule, the highest prices nave always
been followed by the lowest ones-those of the free
trade period OF ls2 having followed those OF the pro-
tectye one Of lsl6-the ruinous prices of 1872 and
lS43 having followed those Of 1881 and lSsS-and the
exceedingly low one Of 1852 having followed closely
upon the elevated ones Of 1917 and lSiS With each
successive crisis, too the price established at It's
close has been lower than that Of previous periods.
As yet 1852 occupies the lowest place but the day
il fast approaching, Mr. President, when, should
Heaven smile upon the abors Of our farmers, they
| will look with regret even TO the low prices OF tue
years from 1850 to 1862. The they exhaust the
soil the greater will be the tendency toward decline
! of Ifice.
Instability and irrepulary being the essential char