696 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No, n 



longed exclusively to the agricultural interest. 

 And the delegates from the towns, even if not di- 

 rectly or exclusively members of the agricultural 

 interest, were sufficiently identified with it to ren- 

 der their unanimous decision on this question a 

 strong indication of the opinion of the intelligent 

 community. 



Under these favorable auspices, then, this all- 

 important subject will again be brought before the 

 legislature of V^irginia ; and all private individuals 

 who have heretofore labored for the object, and 

 all who heartily wish its promotion, are called 

 upon to lend their countenance and aid to the re- 

 commendation of the convention. For the pur- 

 pose of aiding in this work, it is the design of the 

 writer to present his views at some length, on the 

 proper subjects for legislative action, in aid of agri- 

 cultural improvement. In these views, there may, 

 perhaps, be nothing which has not already been 

 stated in the earlier volumes of this work. But 

 without claiming the merit of originality, for the 

 present article, he hopes to be useful if^ merely 

 confining his labor to digesting, and presenting at 

 one view, the opinions and arguments which are 

 scattered so widely, that no reader, perhaps, re- 

 members, or will take the trouble to refer to them 

 elsewhere. 



Before entering upon the consideration of any 

 particular means of aid to agricultural improve- 

 ment, it is proper to premise that all which are 

 sought, all which are considered legitimate and 

 proper, to be afforded by government, will come 

 under a single] head — that of instruction, or 

 the collecting and communicating knowledge on 

 agriculture. All means which will aid instruction 

 are good, however thej^ may differ in their degrees 

 of value ; and all which will not aid instruction, 

 will be either useless or injurious. 



First, let us consider the right of the legislature 

 of Virginia, to aid agricultural instruction, and the 

 expediency of the exercise. 



It is not the legal or constitutional right or pow- 

 er of the legislature, that any one will question. 

 On that head, there is no doubt. The denial of 

 right will only be made on the ground of its being 

 an unsuitable, improper, and unnecessary exercise 

 of legislation. It is on this more extended ground 

 that the question of right will be considered. 



Adam Smith, the great head of the free-trade 

 school of political economists, the highest, and 

 deservedly the most venerated authority for re- 

 straining "(on the score of policy,) all useless legis- 

 lation, limits the proper action of government to 

 three subjects only. These are 1st. the maintain- 

 ing of justice between the individuals of the nation 

 governed, and between the nation and (breign 

 powers; 2ndly, the construction or facilitating of 

 great works of acknowledged value, but which 

 are too extensive or costly, Ibr private individuals 

 to execute, eiihersingly, or by agreement between 

 many; 3rdly, the providing Ibr necessary educa- 

 tion of the people, in such cases as there are either 

 no sufHcient means, or no sufficient demand on the 

 part of the people to secure the supply. It will be 

 admitted that these limitations are abundantly 

 close, to cut off all improper subjects of legislation; 

 though neither these, nor any general litnitations, 

 can prevent the improper treatment of legitimate 

 and proper subjects. In the propriety of these 

 close restrictions we lully concur, and claim no- 

 thing for agriculture which cannot be clearly de- 



duced from, and be found authorized by theee 

 strict rules. 



Few, if any, legislators, or private individuals, 

 will deny that it is a right and duty of government 

 to give proper and judicious aid to the general, or 

 literary education of the people, in such cases as 

 the object cannot be attained without the interfer- 

 ence of government. Where private and general 

 demand and supply are so established, that such 

 interference or aid is not wanted, then, as in all 

 other cases, the free-trade doctrine correctly and 

 fully applies, and any interference of government 

 would not only be useless, but absolutely hurtful 

 to the cause of education. Thus, the advantages 

 of ordinary schools for teaching the English and 

 even the Latin and Greek languages, are suf- 

 ficiently appreciated in this coimtiy to insure a 

 supply of schools and of teachers ; and the go- 

 vernment is not only, therefore, not required to 

 furnish such schools, and to pay their teachers, 

 but would certainly do harm to education by eve- 

 ry such attempt. But for the highest branches of 

 scientific instruction for those who have by their 

 own efforts gained the necessary previous know- 

 ledge, there is not sufficient appreciation, or de- 

 mand, to ensure a supply of instruction, or of per- 

 sons competent to instruct; and neither do the most 

 ignorant (in this or any country,) enough prize 

 the elements of the lowest instruction to be wil- 

 ling to pay the smallest pittance for having their 

 chilcren taught. Therefore our government 

 properly and wisely (in design at least, if not in 

 the nnode of execution,) interferes in both these 

 case?, and aids, or attempts to aid, both the high- 

 est and the lowest branches of education and 

 learning. The necessity of education to all class- 

 es is justly considered in regard to the general 

 weal, and not as conferring a boon or benefit on 

 each individual aided. It is highly important to 

 the public interest and public morals, that no citi- 

 zen should be entirely ignorant of letters ; and the 

 state endeavors (though but to little purpose,) by 

 an enormous annual expenditure, to prevent as 

 much as possible that great national evil. It is 

 also highly important that there should be the 

 means afliorded within the borders of Virginia, for 

 acquiring the higher branches of scientific educa- 

 tion — without any benefit of which a community 

 would soon sink into brutish ignorance— and which, 

 without such means at home, would be gained 

 but by very Jew, and those, at great expense, and 

 by going abroad. To prevent this great evil, thia 

 incalculable waste of money and of intellectual 

 value, the state wisely offers to all those who will 

 prepare themselves at a great previous expense of 

 their own, the means of making themselves still 

 more useful and valuable as members of the 

 commonwealih. These are the true principles 

 and proper grounds for the aid oi" education by 

 the government. The education conferred may 

 operate very beneficially and profitably to the in- 

 dividual so instructed; but it is not with that view, 

 that it is, or ought to be given, but to render the 

 individual of greater value to his country. 



These views are as correctly applied to agricul- 

 ture as to literary and scientific education ; but in 

 a tar stronger manner, both as to the existing de- 

 ficiency of means for gaining knowledge, the 

 great necessity lor such means, and the certainty 

 that every gain of profit and income made in con- 

 sequence of such aid, will also be a gain and pro- 



