886 WISCONSIN AGRICULTUEE. 



So mucli for your duty as fathers. 



I must now advert to your duty as soverigns. We hear much 

 said in these days about all sorts of salvation. The whole world 

 seems full of zeal for body-saving, soul-saving, union-saving and 

 world saving. Our newspajDers are filled with advertised nos- 

 trums for the first ; our creeds for the second ; our black laws and 

 compromises for the third ; and when these are all swallowed, 

 believed, and executed secundum artem, all agree that the world 

 will be saved ; of course, provided always, that it is not physicked 

 to death in the operation. 



Now, I would speak in no terms of disparagement of the three, 

 so called learned professions. I am aware of the virtue, the in- 

 telligence, the public usefulness, and above all, of the power 

 which their superior education and advantages have conferred 

 upon them. I would cheerfully and gratefally acknowledge 

 and accept, whatever of manly virtue and heroic acheivement, 

 any class or profession can proffer to the public service. We 

 ought ever to remember with gratitude, and cherish with filial 

 devotions, patriots of whatever name or class, who are the able 

 and eloquent vindicators and defenders of our rights, and the 

 liberties of mankind ; and those gifted, eloquent and successful 

 teachers of divine truth, who, knowing and keeping the laws of 

 God, regarding and cherishing the brotherhood of man, are able 

 to guide him by precept and example, with virtue and power, 

 through the vicissitudes of his destiny here, to his eternal rest 

 and glory hereafter. 



But I would allow no class and no profession to talk to you 

 of their consequence to the world, until you should forget, or 

 become unmindful of your own. If the bodies of our young 

 men are ever saved from premature physical disease and decay, 

 it will be chiefly because they learn duly to p rize the health and 

 blessino- of your daily pursuits — the tranquility of your fire-sides 



the invigorating and inspiring toil of your shops, and your 



fields. If the souls of men are ever really saved, (or found 

 worth saving,) it will be because in a similar career of uncor- 

 rupted and unobtrusive industry and innocence, they achieve 

 the heroic manhood, and divine vu-tue of him who with saw and 



