SECOND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 447 



Under such a Constitution the citizens themselves will have control of the 

 State. They will not need to have this power conferred upon them by 

 express grant. It will fall into their hands by the natural force of circum- 

 stances — by the inevitable necessity of the case. There is no truth in 

 political science more easy to comprehend, more open to the view of all, or 

 more certainly known in universal experience, than that the men who own 

 the territories of a State will exercise a predominating influence over the 

 public affairs of such State. This is agreeable to the constitution of human 

 nature, and is confirmed by the current testimony of all history. 



Hence the highest ambition of our children should be to become the 

 owner of a portion of the soil of their country, and one of our greatest 

 duties, to teach them the importance of doing so. The country is truly 

 the cradle of greatness. When you look for the great men of the world 

 you will find they have sprung from the rural — the agricultural portions 

 of their several nations or peoples. As has been truly said, agriculture is 

 the parent art, and it is a science, the paramount interest of civilized 

 society. 



The great pursuit of man is agriculture. It is the nurse of the human 

 race. It inspires genius; and proud indeed may be the man who can say, 

 I was born of farmer parents. 



The great men of the world have been farmers or sons of farmers, in 

 ancient, mediaeval, and modern times. 



A legion of names might be given to illustrate this statement; indeed, 

 any other would be the exception to the rule, and would require some 

 research to be able to present a respectable list of great men that were not 

 agriculturists, or sons of agriculturists. 



As has been well said, " It is in the scenes and occupations of country 

 life that the mind is most tranquil, sober, and unclouded. It is in such 

 an atmosphere that it can discern most clearly the relations of things, and 

 look beyond the events of a day." 



From amid the deep calm Of rural pursuits free States have drawn most 

 of their illustrious patriots and civilians. The influence of agriculture is, 

 therefore, favorable to those exalted and commanding qualities which form 

 the consummate statesman. 



"A Hebrew farmer was summoned from the quiet of a pastoral life on 

 the distant plains of Midean to become the founder and law-giver of a 

 mighty republic." A Roman farmer was called from his plow to take the 

 helm of State and extricate his country from imminent peril. An Ameri- 

 can farmer led the Revolutionary army to victory, and secured for his 

 grateful and admiring countrymen the blessings of liberty, independence, 

 and self-government. A son of an American farmer, one who had spent 

 his early life in the most rural of American scenes, held the helm of State 

 amid the throes of civil war, and successfully preserved the Union under 

 the most trying circumstances; while the great captains, officers, and sol- 

 diery in that conflict were mostly taken from rural pursuits. 



And in the hands of the agriculturists, and their patriotic teachings 

 and examples, to a great extent rest the destinies of this great Republic. 

 Indeed, on the farmer depends the stability and perpetuity of all the 

 liberal governments of the world: and we would advise the monarchist to 

 discourage agricultural pursuits on the part of his State's subjects, and 

 especially to take care that the tiller of the soil own no interest in the soil 

 he tills. 



In a word, this great business of agriculture lies at the foundation of all 

 that is important and valuable in civil society. And if, as Webster once 

 said, if it was for his sins that man was condemned to till the ground, it 



