446 EclucaHon — Centralization. [October, 



rural. The relative increase between the two, approximates a like 

 ratio in the States of Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. 

 There are good grounds to conclude that the increase of the civic 

 will be greatly accelerated, in this State especially, and throughout 

 the Northwest. There is a tendency to crowd the cities — to central- 

 izino- — to going with, and dying among, the multitude. The same 

 has been the case in England, and on the Continent, and hence the 

 serfdom, where not one-fourth of the population are engaged in 

 agriculture. It is not simply the merchant, mechanic, and laboring 

 men of every class, who crowd to cities, but all professional men, if 

 they can get there. 



In spite of the extravagant panegyrics on the farmer and farming, 

 such as "the honest yeomanry,''' '•'hard- fisted democracy^'' and the 

 ^''dignity of labor ^'^ ''the primitive employment,'' almost every farmer's 

 son, the moment he gets the rudiments of science, pushes his way 

 to the city, not stopping to inquire whether he is wanted there or 

 not. At any rate, he has "laid down the shovel and the hoe," to 

 resume them no more. It is easy to see what a sad train of conse- 

 quences, touching the physical condition, commercial interests and 

 productive wealth of the State must result from these changes, but 

 to estimate correctly their moral bearing, requires more extended 

 observation than I dare arrogate to myself. I wish some of your 

 wise men would give their pens to this subject. 



About this point, may we not find a reason why so many temples 

 of worship in the country, once flourishing, are now going to decay? 

 and the very graves of the Saints are grown over with briers and 

 thorns, or thrown out to the commons ? — a reason, additional, why 

 so few young men are on their way to our Theological Seminaries. 

 Do we look to the young lads growing up in our cities to furnish 

 the next generation with ministers? We must look there, if any 

 ■where. 



Is it not imposing too heavy a burden, too mighty a responsibility 

 upon the Church and the Christian ministry in our cities, that they 

 must have the spiritual oversight of most of the so-called educated 

 young men of the land? While the power of good or evil is cer- 

 tainly in our cities, and on all moral questions they act in concert, 

 should it prove to be the latter, it must be remembered the power of 

 resistance on the side of the country is diminishing in equal ratio. 



Can anything be done to render agriculture more attractive? Haa 



