, 1862-06-19

commen government, is now, st least par
tally. obeyed. /
Tie wheat crops Of New York, whose prin- |
cipa1 and proper Office is commerce, has al |
ready fallen to 8 6S1, 600 bushels hardly enough
to feed her population one-third OF the year.
The bushels produced in 1860 By all New Eng- |
land we're but LOT, 900, sufficient only for
three weeks consumption Surely, i any por-
ton Of our whole republic is especially inter
ested in securing the food bearing vessels Of
the lakes from the possibility Of capture orin-
terrpptio1, it is the 3000,0 600 Of sagacions,
loyal and thrifty people who inhabst the
grnnite ranges and rocky promontories Of that
ing it easier and better to spin than to plow,
compel their numerous and sparkling water
falls, 30 richly scattered over their ragged
country, to purchase ffom the fertile West
the bread which they require. The m1sic
power Of the Union 30 entirely apolishes East
and West, that the fabrics of the East are
practically only the food Of the West, reap
pearing in another shape, aud In that more
portable and convenient form, increasing the
sum Of our foreign exports.
It Was fortunate, if not proridential, CO.
incidence, which led, in 1876, TO the removal
Of tie artificial and arbitrary restraints on the
freedom Of commerce, created b; the British
corn laws, Just as the Tast apricnlturl power
Of our lake States began to dawn on the civil
lied world. The imports Of cereals into the
DI1l1Al lH1dIAE lu&tAIl!S 1t-V HULL Ht,VAC,UUt
bushels in 1876, to lis 059, 600 bushels in 1850;
and it may pe safely affirmed thar the year will
never again arrive when those Islands will
Weld foVd enough for their own consumption.
Despite any and every struggle, the stern ne
cessities OF hunger Hiu bind them at last, with
bands stronger than iron, to the nation that
can feed them.
Our tables Of exports Of domestic produce
for the last furty years art rcpiete with iu-
6truction as to the commercial and fiscal yalu=,
for national purposes, of the commerce OF the
hikes. The total value Of bryadstufs and pro
Visions yearly exported to foreign counties,
as exhibited by those tables. was ST., 334l ,901
iu 1921; and il 1885, had actually diminished
to SO, 0,624, 13o; and ogain in 1883. to $685.
650- Up to 1915, it had increased only to
1918 421, but in 1s47, when the agricultural
products Of the great interior States began to
ponr in heavily from the lakes, las shown By
that unerring barometer, the Erie canal y it
rose at once TO s68, ,70l, ,921
Since that time it has f1uctuated more or
less, With the varying necessities OF the IA
tions Of Europe; bat, IN 1856. the amount had
reached ST, ISL, ,301, which was again incre lsed
| in the yea ending the 30:h Of June, 1861, to
s93 800 GS2, exclusive Of 81 245 40 in cattle,
| Lidts and tallow, which, for the present in-
| quiry, nigh. be fairly included ltis fact Of
| much Significance that, in the year last men-
| toned, TIE total value Of The cotton exported
was but $34,o51, ,4e2, 4e2 aud during the current
| year little or nothing, concluslrely sho wing
| that ehan be compelled, at least for 8 sea
| son, mainly to rely on our exports Of food and
our manufactures, which are its direct and in
direct deriyative, for the means Of importing
| tue duty-payiug foreign commodities from
which the Treasury NUT derive its revenues,
apart from taxation. The value of the maui.
! features exported in the year last mentioned
(exe1udipg those Of cotton, which were
s7,e57,GS was S25, 149, ,o5i, which, added te
ts o{,, G5 fSsS Pes n;E's sun
will purchase its equivalent in foreign
commoditics on which an average
in port duty OF twenty-five per cent would bt
So, 10 All; couc1usiyely demonstrating tia
the commerce Of the Likes, for which rh2.t
rational canals furnish the necessary outlet
to the scaboard, has become e1ninently ant
empllaticaliy national in its characteraud con
sequences; that it constitutes Fundamental
and vital element Of our national strength
political, commercial and fscali and thaE, i!
all these respects, it has now attained q ia
tiona1 importance that American statesmel
| will not willingly, and cannot safely disregard
With the view thus presented of The difee
influence Of these agricultural exports il
securing dnty-paglng imports in return, It i
really difficult to prescribe proper limit O
expenditure for securing the completion
cheap and capacious navig ahle channel:
by which to augment the quantity brough
to the seaboard; but it is certain taat
if the due enlargement Of the Mex
| York and Illinois canals were to cos
, even $40 ,000, 600, and should increase th
yeatly quantity but i, ,oo0, 600 of bushels, th
import duties on the foreign commoditie
which that increase would purchase, Woul
| shortly reimburse tlle whole amount.
In conclusion, it remains only to notice 3
: objection, which possibly may be urged By II
divloua1s of timid temperament, that the yrea
national work of uniting the Hudson throug
i the canals and lakes with the Mississippi b
| On unbroken water communication, affordin
ample means, not only Of public defense BIT
Of rapidly increasing the national commerc
and its consequent contributions to tue con
; mun treasury, is q measure to be couslderc
) only during period Of peace, and should III
be undertaken or encouraged at the prtse1
, time nov until the pending effort to dismeu
Der the Union shall be finally Terminated.
, I The force Of this objection is not apparen
! On the contrary, if the nation has teulporari
lost a portion Of its resources, it need all tt
more to toster and repleuish the residue.
, | one-half the body polite be paralyzed,
:. Is surely wise to strengthen the other. Nor
). the real ability Of the government to dseh2E;
!. all its duties really impaired to any serious {
tent. Despfte the sneers Of open enemies
!. treacherous friends on either side OF the a
1antic, our country, in substantial credit, in a
= ricultural wealth, in manufacturing powe
and, above all, ia every element Of mo1
force, never stood higher:
l. Nor would any national adversely, howev
+ severe, Justify the abandonment or disregg,
5 Of distinct constitutional obligation, or t
l, neglect Of measures plainly calculated to
~ crease our fiscal power, and encourage the
1 dustry and commerce Of our loyal peop
:, The hour of adverslty l. the time to try bu
: men and nations. 1t is the opportunity klr
l. the surrounding world, their steady couras
their calm consciousness Of strength, tn
l. indomitable seltsust2iniRg power.
u Such has been the example Of every nati
y truly great. The British government brayt
.. contending, all but single handed, for nea
~ ~ first Napoleon, did not for moment ne;sl'
d to foster the commerce which enabled it
=, n,siptain thai very struggle The sturdy
Il Il Ho1landers, after inundating all their lands
u resist their naughty enemy, fitted on: 3 Il
Is to sweep the channel. It was amid th5 ID
10 and wasting wars Of Louis the Fourteen
Y that his great canal OF Languedoc was CT
~ etrueted under the consummate statesmans s.
o. Of Colbert, 10 connect the Atlantic wi:h I
- Mediterranean, Its triumphant comp1eti
F. vas soleunly celebrated amid the benet
s tions Of the Church, and the acclamation:
~ ~ assembled France.
y Tie American Lakes, with the enlarged
VI nails Of New York and Illinois as their cl
accessories, if laid down On the map OF Euro
M would reach from the Atlantic to the Vol
;29 and open an unbEoken navigation throug
10 majestic line Of municipalities, mon1rcaiss
$50 empires, for ages disuni'ed, and widely dif
100 ing in llnguagc, laws, and race. BS d ben
:oc cent Providence, this splendid series Of c
''o Decling waters has been committed to
sc- American Union, for its highest purpo
;e, both in war and peace It is for the homo
N head Of the government nov to show, t
he fnll3 recognizing this solemn trust, he is res
IS, ! with the cooperation Of Congress, to go
is orousls forward, and complete work SO
q portant to the American people, for al1 CON
he | ayes.
to Respectfully submitted in behalf Of the s
re- OF New York, by
les SAMUEL B. RUGGLg
ms WASHINGTON, Junc 8. 1857.
a1s | .sAel1l1.k.