The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-10-19
The Crops of 1850.


There can be no solid and enduring basis
of national greatness which is not founded
upon the harmonious development of a
variety of industrial capacities, and upon
the ability to produce large quantities of all
the important agricultural staples, as well
as to manufacture every thing which is abb
solutely necessary for the well being of It's
inhabitants A nation should always be
able to sustain its population by its own in
herent resources, Independent of any pro-
auctions it may receive or any pecuniary
advantages it may derive from its foreign
commerce, SO that in all national emergen-
cies it may be entirely self-sustaining. 1t
by 10 means follows that it should shun or
cripple commerce in times of peace. On
the contrary, all intelligent nations profit by
their intercourse with other States, and in
all ages, other things being equal, those
countries have been the wealthiest which
have had the largest amount of foreign
commerce. Trade is often mutually bene-
fetal to the parties who engage in it, but if
either suffers it will be the one who has the
least amount of shrewdness in driving
bargain and we have little reason to fear
that America will be unable to protect her
interests in her intercourse with any other
country.
In our own country the tide of fortune
Gibbs and flows among its manifold interests,
and it is almost impossible that they should
all be simultaneously in a suffering condi-
ton. When agriculture languishes in one
region it fourishes in another; or when
there is o stagnation in commerce, manu-
featuring may pr0te highly profitable; or
when the manufacturing interest is depress-
ed, the aggregate wealth of the country may
be receiving large increase from the sue
cess of those engaged in commerce and ag-
riculture. If our sole reliance were placed
upon any one of these great interests, our
present condition would be infinitely less
fortunate than it is, even though that inter-
esr should represent as large an amount of
aggregate wealth as all three combined; be-
cause our security against an overwhelming
and universal calamity would be swept
away, and we should be subjected to faeal
dangers from events which the experience Of
the world has shown are but too likely to
occur.
The panic of 1857 swept like a tornado
over the commercial houses of the North
carrying terror and destruction in its path
The great Northwest, too, where the specu-
lative mania was at its height, was com.
pletely paralyzed. But fortunately, the
large crops and high prices of the great sta
pie of the South enriched that section Of the
Union, and enabled it to assist in re-estab-
fishing confidence and restoring prosperity
in the North. During the present season
the great Northwest, and indeed all the
grain growing States, have been blessed
with the most bounteous crops. 1t is esti-
mated that the wheat crop of Illinois, Indi-
ana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and Wisconsin will be at least 125. 600, 900
of bushels, valued at $50, coo, 600 in its
home market. Their yield in 1850 was
IS, 500, 900, valued at about 100000, oo0.-
The corn crop of the corn exporting States
of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri,
Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia was, in 1850,
353, 100000 bushels valued at about $l75,-
900, Oo0 This ear it is estimated at $780,
100000 bushels, valued at $25O,00o,0oo
These prolific harvests are particularly
acceptable at the time when there has been
failure in the crops Of some of the South
ern States and in Europe, because they ena-
bic the Northwest 70 supply the large de-
rnands likely to be made on her bursting
granaries and to restore her shattered for
tunes. They serve, too, to admouish us
how all sections Of our country may have
become mutually beneficial to each other,
aud to warn US, in these days of dangerous
agitation, of the strength Of Uuion and the
weakness OF isolated States. Philadelphia
Press.