SOLON ROBINSON, 1840 153 



purposes ever devised, having in view the sole object 



"TO ELEVATE THE CHARACTER AND STANDING OF THE CUL- 

 TIVATORS of the American soil." 



Well, so far as I am able to judge, the proposition met 

 with an almost universal approbation. The article was 

 extensively published in the papers of the country. The 

 comments of many editors were highly flattering. From 

 the tone of the press, and numerous private letters, I 

 felt strongly encouraged that this great beneficial pro- 

 ject to this nation was about to be accomplished. I pic- 

 tured to myself one of our happy meetings, when the 

 friends of agricultural improvement from every State, 

 county and principal town in the United States, should 

 be joyfully interchanging heartfelt greetings with each 

 other — not only exchanging sentiments, but valuable in- 

 formation, rare and curious productions of nature, and 

 valuable seeds — storing up in our minds a fund of happi- 

 ness for all our after life. But alas, that one year has 

 gone, and another is fast going, and not one mighty 

 spirit has stepped forward to say this thing can, this 

 thing must, this thing SHALL, be done. Even the en- 

 couraging echoes that responded from all parts of the 

 Union to the first proposition, have died away, until not 

 one faint echo meets my ear. Shall I despair to wake 

 them again, under such discouraging circumstances? No 

 — I am well aware that the whole energy of the public 

 mind, has lately been engrossed by another and exciting 

 subject. 1 But now there is a calm, there is room, — room 

 to do good — and should I meet with one single echo to my 

 second attempt to awake the public to the importance of 

 this great proposition, that will some day assuredly 

 shower blessings upon this agricultural nation, I shall 

 not feel as though I had written in vain. 



Messrs. Editors, let me reiterate my first text — "some- 

 thing can, something must, something SHALL," may I 

 add, something will be done, and that speedily, "to elevate 

 the character and standing of the cultivators of the 



1 The presidential campaign of 1840. 



