FARMERS' REGISTER 



771 



only good motive for writinp; an agricuilural book, 

 whatever would defeat the end belongs to the subject ; 

 and as a legal profusion in overstocking a nation with 

 members of the minor class is the solitary process for 

 enslaving it, unhss the major class understands the 

 sublime branch of ethics, namely, political morality, 

 it cannot counteract tb.is process. Thus only can it 

 distinguish between laws and projects calculated for 

 benefiting or injuring the nation. This science only 

 can prevent the liherty, the virtue, the happiness, the 

 bravery and ths talents ol the nation fiom being extin- 

 guished. The treasury of the United States has been 

 cited as a proper subject ibr its application. If the 

 agricultural and other members of the major class 

 should discern that the president had become a king 

 of the treasuiy, surrounded with nominal checks and 

 balances appointed by himself; if they should discern 

 that the representatives of the people were convinced 

 of a great waste of public money, and yet ignorani 

 of the modes by which it vvaselfected ; it they should 

 recollect the consequences of such an error in the 

 English form of govermnent ; and if they knew that 

 nations were enslaved by a corrupting application of 

 their own treasure, would not the correction of the evil 

 be founded in genuine political morality, and be plainly 

 adverse to the erroneous and flagitious political code 

 of the minor class. 



The intimate connexion between agriculture and the 

 militia arises from their being both interests belonging 

 to the major or general class of national interest, of 

 such magnitude, that they must live or perish, politi- 

 cally, together ; and the rights of the whole class 

 will be lost by the subjection of either. By transfer- 

 ring the power of the purse from agriculture to the 



stock-jobbers, or tlie power of the sword from the 

 militia to a mercenary army, the destruction of a free 

 form of government naturally ensues. This single 

 consequence suffices to refute two hundred thousand 

 artifices, eternally practised by the sundry members 

 of the minor class, to discredit the militia. They 

 might be refuted by a hundred thousand facts. The 

 most eminent periods of Greece and Itonie, were 

 inspired by a union between a militia and a consi- 

 deiable degree of political knowledge in the major 

 class. Thermopyle was defended, and Xerxes defeat- 

 ed, by militia. The Koman em])ire was createtl and 

 destroyed by militia. England and the Indians have 

 often leit tlie militia of tlie United Slates. Europe 

 was repulsed by the militia of France, and the caieer 

 of France arrested by the militia of Spain. The 

 jiride, the habita and the interest of mercenary armies 

 is however its historiographer, and the hatred of go- 

 vernment and parties its patron. These convert its 

 eulogy into a crime. " It is unfit" say they, '• (or the 

 execution of the projects ot statesman, and her.ce 

 diminishes the energy of the government." But it is 

 the best security against foreign conquest, and the only 

 security against domestic oppression from a combination 

 among the members of the minor interest; nor will 

 any project plainly calculated to advance the happi- 

 ness or secure the liberty of the general interest ever 

 fail of finding a complete security in the power of a 

 militia, organized to sustain and not to betray that 

 interest. How often has the zeal, virtue and courage 

 of a militia, burst through the artifices or neglect of 

 the minor interest for suppressing all three, and de- 

 monstrated its natural alliance with political morality 

 and national liberty. 



INDEX TO "ARATOR." 



Preface to the seveiitli edition 

 Preface to the fourth edition 

 Preface to the third edition - 

 The present state of agriculture 

 The political state agriculture 

 Slavery . . - 



Overseers . - - 



Inclosing - - - 



Manuring ... 

 Labor . - - 



Indian corn ... 

 Ploughing 

 Culmiferous crops 

 Succulent crops 

 Legcminous crops 

 Live stock 



