The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-10
Ngw Yo.x, Jan. 27th. 1859.

EdiDgai Corsespeadspss u ,hs Pioneer Dsmoe'st
NEw YoRx, Jan. 9Th. 1859.
Among the bills which passed tho House
of Representatives during the long session,
and which are now upon tbs Senate calen-
dar. 10 one providing fora grant Of the
public lands to each Of the States, for the
purpose Of sndowing therein an Agricultural
College The project il u taking one on
il face II appeals directly to tho pride and
sympathies Of the great masses Of the
people and il seems TO have passed the
House certainly without much discussion. pro.
baby without strenuous opposition. When
the measure was dnt proposed, while APPROX.
log the general idea Of having Institutions -.
tsblshed in our agricultural commonwealth,
specially devoted to tbs practical and scientific
exposition Of that great branch Of industry
the PIosxga AND DEn0RAr took exceptions,
to this specific bill, on the ground Of prin-
eiplc. and because OF its unequal and unjust
operation among the several States.
shall not stop now to discuss the cousti-
tutional questions involved. Tho objections
under that head arr such ~ will readily sug.
gest themselves 10 every strict construction.
lat. There ~ enough In tho equitable and
expci'sncy Tor, rather. the inequitable and
inexpedient,) view, 10 damn the bill now be
fore the senate 10 the Judgment Of every
honest man.
The bin was framed for the ostensble
purpose Of giving cid and encouragement
to the agricultural interest throughout the
several States. Granting that the object Ia
. commendabe one, IL should be certainly
planned upon basis calculated to attain
such object to the greatest possible extent.
To do that, the National bounty should be
distributed among the several States, not
merely according to their present agricul.
tursl productions, but also. aud rather, &C
cording 10 their capacities for agricultural
tural production. The area. then. Of the
tillAbls lands Of each State should form the
basis Of distribution. and govern the amount
OF the National gratuity to such State.
This. IL the project 10 correct In principle.
would certainly b. tho just method Of apply.
ing H. The bill now under discussion, how
ever, proceeds upon basis directly
the reverse. Pretending to advance
agriculture ~ . distinct, isolated interest,
it does not provide Tor distributing the na-
tlonal bounty to each State according 10 the
number OF its farmers. or the quantity and
value OF their productions its area, or the
proportion thereof titled, or capable Of be
ing titled itpays NJ attention whatever
TO this, separate interest. ss such, bu,
makes popalat,on alone the basis OF distr,-
button including all persons, Of every con-
di,ion, profession, and pursuit. 1t will be
seen ., once that this bssis of distribution
defeats the very object sought to he attain.
Ell by the passage Of the bill. The thickly
populated sections OF every country arr
those where commerce and manufacturers
are the prevailing pursuits 4; the agrioulta-
raj sections are always sparssly poplcd
Yet, under the operations Of this bill, tho
mercantile and manufacturing States will
uonopolize q, cas, two-,hiris Of n donation
which is intended. on its face, TO be given,
exclusively. for the benefit Of tho sgricultu-
raj interests Of the whole country.
A few specific facts and figures will illus
trate the operations OF this bill better than
any amount OF generslizing. No ono will
claim for the New England States rank ~
agricultural communities, The reason why
they are no, so, does no, lie a. fault upon
their people, for Everybody knows that they
are the har,ies, ID hearties, working men
and women in the world II exists only in
the barren and broken nature Of the
grea, bulk OF their snrfaco. which neither
science or ~ can ever make tillahlc All
the Agricultural Colleges in the world ".
sitting or to be created. could never coax ve.
geiation out Of q solitary one OF the granite
bouIdcrs which make up the hills ami noun
tains covering one half Of all New knrlsad.
The sections sdmitting Of ullage. sn al.
ready cultivated TO the hiG hs., mark of ter
lection. The Aroostook Valley OF MAINE
is probably the only tillable region worth
excepting from this sweeping statement and