The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-11-19
"Crowdlug to the Cities"

JualeI0us reflections upon TINS SUBJECT.
Abiding to the fact that there is
growing disposition ON the part Of the
young to leave tho "patcrnnl acres" in
the hope Of bcttcring their fortune in
citios, and to the fact that the proper
tiol of agriculturalist to the whole
body of tho population is not rs large
;.s it should, the Times says:
"Now, there can be no more fixed
axiom in political economy than that
agriculture must form the basis of the
prosperity aud power Of the Ameri-
can people. It is the great f0unda-
ton of our national wealth and con-
scqnencc-the primary source OF all
our prosperity. 1t feeds us. To de-
gree it clothes Us. Without it we
could not have manufactures, and
should not have commerce. 1t fur
nishos our factories with their raw
material and it fills our ships with
their cargoes. Social industry de-
pcnds upon it ; individual life depends
upon it. There is no man in the
country who is so wealthy as to he
independent Of tho success of this gr"at
interest, nor any 80 poor as MOTTO be uf.
fected by its prosperity or its decline.
This country has peculiar facilities
for advan,ageousIy prosecuting this
great department of human labor.
The variety Of its climate, the abun-
dance and chcapncss Of its fertile soil,
are such ns no other nation on the
surface of the globe can boast. 1t is
no credit to our Wanted enterprise
that VIC have never yet made adequate
use Of these signal advantages-thnt
the time has never yet been when the
proportion of our farmers To the whole
population was as large as it should
have been when the number of those
cnga 5cd in profession, and trades
were not, at the very least, twice as
grcut as the actual necessities of soci-
city required. There is reason to aI,-
prchcnd that this disproportion will
increase. This restless, advcnturol
spirit is ever tending to take more
complete possession of onr people,
Everybody is getting more infected
with tho cagcrncss to get rich in haste
There is growing imla!icncc Of the
good old plan Of earnings Il competence
by steady, pcrscvcring labor and iiu-
gal living. The young men Of lh..
day have tired Of the isolation and
monoLo:y Of agricultural life, and
pant for something more stirring anu
exciting, and something that seems
to promise quicker aad more splendid
returns. They hay. seized upon the
frat opportunity - launch away into
the tide of trade aud speculation.
And that tide once embarked upon.
it is very seldom that they find their
way back to the plowed fields. A
large proportion Of them have not
succeeded in their new pursuits, tens
of thousands Of them have miserably
failed, and became bankrupls and
drones and yet they have, from the
pure force of acquired habit, clung to
town-lite with all the greater tcnacity.
"It cannot be too we'll understood
by these young malcontents in the
country TINT. failure there almost in-
fallibly toret"kcns failure here. The
same qualities and habits which stand
i'll their way in the country will cause
them to stumble in the city. 1t is
everywhere the same all over the
world to fill any situation successful
ly, one must fill it US belonging to it.
The man who feels above his business,
let that business be what it may, ia
actually below any business. lie is
without anything to bold him up any
whsre, and is bound to sink nyhow
The great work Of life, whetherin city
or country, cannot be maintained by
any such weaklings, Lcpst Of all is
this. tearing, grinding, crushing mart
tho, place for them. We already have
an over.proiuction Of incapablcs OF
and drones. There is no room here
for the drift of rural weakness and
cowardicc. Let the farmers sons
heed the c'unsels of their governors
and stay ut home-holding fast to the
oldest, happiest, most independent
and most honorable of human occupa-
tion." -. - :.nuL <;H ~ ii
| .,.. --'-e---.; 80 :.
A PRopHEr.-A private l..tes
received in Washington from q