495 



a place in the great congregation, that the sons and daughters of Kal- 

 amo, like Virgil of old, singing so sweetly on a Kalamus or reed, should 

 by no means be found wanting; yea, all our varied, individual, social 

 and public interests, conspire to demand that the masses from every 

 nook and crook and corner of the county flow together like drops of 

 water in one common reservoir. 



In an important sense as citizens of this county, we are literally one, 

 members of one body politic, bound together by common cords, and 

 bands, and ligaments. But so peculiarly is this county situated, with 

 most of its villages and business centers on the opposite extremes of 

 the county, and with still larger villages in other counties in opposite 

 directions, that the whole tendency of our business transactions is to cast 

 us asunder; to sever man from man, and town from town; to create 

 opposing jarring interests, thus to turn those who should be brothers 

 into the similitude of the sons of Esau, with their hands, every man 

 against his neighbor and against his brother. Ordinarily, from week 

 to week and month to month, yea, from year to year, we see not each 

 others' faces; we know not each other; we have no common feelings 

 and common interests, one towards the other ; there is no common pul- 

 sation of the blood flowing from the heart, giving equal life and activity 

 to all the extremities. 



We have, indeed, our religious convocations, but they are of so many 

 names and descriptions and kinds, as utterly to fail of being a common 

 bond of union to all the citizens of the county ; and as to our pohtical 

 gatherings, they are confined mostly to the men, even in this age of 

 boasted woman's rights. 



Besides, there are among us so many who are either Whigs or Dem- 

 ocrats, or Republicans, or Know-Somethings, or Know-Nothings, that 

 instead of cementing with the strong cords of union and love, they 

 often thrust us farther and farther asunder. Their forces, instead of 

 being centripetal, are oftimes centrifugal, even with a vengeance. 



In the Agricultural Society alone, we have a common centre, and a 

 common bond. There is a platform on which we may meet with cheer- 

 ful countenances and cordial greetings. Here all local interests are 

 merged in one common interest of general improvement; here all party 

 names are forgotten, or give place to the general name of friend of ag- 



