228 



MASS, HORTICULTURAL FESTIVAL. 



jEfovernment, in literature, or in science ; but that 

 she follows, and follows kindly, and laithfully, and 

 vigorously, those states which were planted by the 

 pilprims of New-England. 



And Massachusetts, I confess it here, I confess 

 it on behalf of my own state as well as of Massa- 

 chusetts, the state of Massachusetts has been the 

 pioneer in all. She was the pioneer in agriculture. 

 We saw the granite soften, and the soil grow green 

 under the feet of the people of Massachusetts, be- 

 fore agriculture became our care. We are a great 

 commercial people ; but w ' learned our commerce 

 from the town of Boston. I think we are not an un- 

 patriotic people ; but we followed, and followed 

 With some reluctance, the footsteps of those who 

 were gathered in this venerable Hall. We are not 

 without pretensions to science and literature ; but 

 the school-master who educated us all, was sent 

 from New-England. 



So it is in this last, and this most gratifying de- 

 monstration of the spirit of New-England, this de- 

 monstration that Massacliusetts has time to turn 

 aside from rugged labors, and may devote a portion 

 of the wealth, and of the time, and of the talent of 

 its citizens, to the cultivation of the garden, and of 

 fruit. Now, Mr. President, this is a subject worthy 

 of Massachusetts. She is not doomed to it by any 

 peculiar sterility of her soil, for the garden gives 

 but few spontaneous fruits to man ; while, on the 

 other hand, there is no place on the " footstool" 

 upon which we are situated, to which we cannot 

 bring exotics from every ciime. There is no land 

 that " overflows with milk and honey" perpetually. 

 France, now the land of the vine and the olive, the 

 land of fruits and flowers ; France, as we all recol- 

 lect, borrowed her choicest grapes from Cyprus, 

 and the mulberry is an exotic in her borders. 



It is, therefore, for Massachusetts to lead in the 

 career of retinement, of horticulture, which she has 

 so nobly commenced. You have already adverted 

 to the influences which so noble a career must exer- 

 cise upon the welfare of her own people ; and it is 

 only to consider that reflected, to know what must 

 be its influences upon the whole American people. 



I will advert to but one topic further. When I 

 look around me upon this great and brilliant pre- 

 sence, it seems to revive the spirit of the Miiidle 

 Ages, when woman was exalted to be almost the 

 first in heaven and first on earth • when woman 

 presided in the distribution of the wreaths which 

 were given in honor of triumphs, not only in the 

 field, but of triumphs in every department of litera- 

 ture and poetry. Such a scene as this, — how does 

 it contrast with the scenes which were presented 

 in this land only one year ago, when the nation was 

 rushing madly into a war for foreign conquest, and 

 women were excluded from our councils, from our 

 sympathies, and almost from our remembrance. It 

 is the true and only way to preserve these institu- 

 tions, to bring woman up to her proper iufiuenoe in 

 society. It is only by indulging in such enterprises 

 as may appeal to her for a bless. ng, that we can 

 expect to preserve a great, a happy, a prosperous, 

 and a peaceful people. I look to Massachusetts to 

 set this example for New- Vork, and for the whole 

 Union. She is worthy ; she is well qualified ; and 

 I give you, with ray thanks for th.e kindness with 



which these very desultory remarks have be«i lis- 

 tened to, as my sentiment — 



Massachusetts: It is her des'iny la leaiJ the march of 

 peiceful civilizilion on ih'' Weslerji Coiilmeiit — worthy aiui 

 •well qualified. l,e I her fulfil it. 



After listening to music from the band, the Pre- 

 sident said : 



As the sentiment to which oor worthy Mayor 

 responded, allud<^d to a fruit to " be preserved" in 

 " granite," and consequently as he thinks a '■ stone 

 fruit," I will give you, for the purpose of accom- 

 plishing business as we proceed, — 



Jnsiah Quinty, Senior: The faillilnl son of a patriot sire. 



Mr. Quiticy made the following reply : 



The first sentiment proposed having been equally 

 applicable to his son as "to himself, and his son 

 having responded, he had hoped that this reply 

 would have been deemed sufficient for the family. 

 But from the present renewed call, there was no 

 escaping, although he was wholly unprepared to 

 reciprocate. I came here, Mr. Chairman, to ad- 

 mire, approve, encourage and enjoy, with no inten- 

 tion or desire to analyze the sources of my feelings, 

 much less of making a display of them to others. 



Certiinly, it cannot be expected of me to make 

 a dissertation on fruits and flowers, — on fruits in 

 their pride and prime, and on flowers in their bloom 

 and beauty — on the results of the energies of na 

 ture, in their youthful and most povv'erful exercise 

 At my period of life, it is far more natural and ap 

 propriate to think of dried fruits and decayed flow 

 ers, and of energies failing and waning in their 

 vigor. 



I will not, however, refrain from expressing my 

 extreme gratification and delight at what I wit- 

 nessed yesterday in this hall, and at what I am 

 witnessing to-da}', — the evidences of the results of 

 taste, judgment, skill, labor, and of the wise ap- 

 plication of capital for the increase, the enlarge- 

 ment and improvement of the bounties of Provi- 

 dence to a degree of perfection which, forty years 

 ago, when I first became comiected with an agri- 

 cultin-al society, was as little anticipated by my 

 eotemporaries of that day as was the steam engine 

 or the magnetic telegraph. 



I rejoice in this state of things, because in the 

 improvement of the soil, by the taste it excites, 

 the powers it calls into exercise, and the moral 

 and social dispositions it inspires, I recognize the 

 surest and broadest foundations of individual hap- 

 piness and national prosperity. On this topic I 

 cannot refrain from exclaiming in the spirit, and 

 nearly in the translated language of tlie great 

 Latin poet, " Happy agriculturist !! liappy horticul- 

 turist ! too happy, did you but know &vA teaXvis the 

 greatness of your own felicity."" 



Mr. Chairman, we hear and are dr^ily told of the 

 prosperity and glory of our country, resulting fronii 

 concjuest and the extension of our territory, now 

 reaching to the Rio Grande and the Pacific In> 

 my judgment, however, our national prosperity and 

 glory is much more intimately dependant on the 

 improvement of the soil we possess, with whose 

 qualities we are familiar, and whose powers we 

 know, than in grasping after conquered territories, 

 of whose capacities we know nathingj and of tk* 



