53 Addrefs to the Socicij. 



our county, or even of our ftate, are mere matters of a day ; 

 and however important they may feem in our eyes, while 

 we are ourfelves the adors on this bufy ftage, they will appear 

 to others of too little moment to arrefl their attention. — 

 Our fathers were politicians, their fathers were politicians, 

 and yet we hardly know the parts they feverally afted, or 

 even the names or principles of the parties they oppofed 

 or fupported. In like manner the intriguing politicians, and 

 the wordy orators of the prefent day will be buried with 

 their principles and their parties in eternal oblivion, when 

 the man who has introduced a new plant, or eradicated a 

 deftrudive weed, who has taught us to improve our domeftic 

 animals, or to guard againft the ravages of noxious infefts — 

 who has invented a new implement of hufbandry, or fimply 

 determined the angle the mould-board fliould make with 

 plough-fhare, will be remembered with gratitude as the 

 benefador of fociety. 



It is the politician's misfortune to believe that every thing 

 is wrong which he does not direft, and that the ruin or 

 welfare of the State depends upon the adoption of his 

 principles ; and yet the world was governed before he was 

 born, and will be fo well direfted after his death, that his 

 prefent political exiflence will hardly be remembered one 

 week after his funeral. As the purfuit of fame by the road 

 of politics, requires infinitely more talents than falls to the 



