128 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



will return. God has not forgotten His people, and has 

 not changed His providence or His laws. We shall return 

 to the religion and liberty taught in the country in the days 

 gone by. 



Religion must be taught, and must be taught to these 

 country people, because when they enter the city such a 

 strong tide of influence emanates from them. A man can- 

 not be true to himself or his fellowmen until he has relio;- 

 ion enough to do what is right in the fear of God and for 

 the respect of his fellowmen. The hardy, hearty religion 

 taught in the country towns must be preserved by the 

 members of this Board of Agriculture, and I should have 

 higher hope if all the members had been preachers in some 

 country church. 



Gentlemen of the Board of Agriculture, a voice comes 

 from a great city, and it calls to you to-day in behalf of the 

 people bleeding and dying in the slums of the cities. 

 Gentlemen of Massachusetts and members of the Board, 

 remember the slums of New York ; remember the slums of 

 Philadelphia ! Go any night through those slums and see, 

 lying in the darkness and rags, girls and young women. 

 Hear the men swearing. Listen to the voice of the little 

 child that reaches out his arms to Massachusetts and says, 

 " Come to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and help 

 us." Listen to the young men and the degraded, as they 

 call, " O men of Massachusetts ! Come to us, and give us 

 an opportunity to live purely and righteously." Listen to 

 the voice of the people who are suffering for food in the 

 great cities. Listen to those calling from their contagion 

 of the small-pox and yellow fever, and help them. Listen 

 to the call of ignorant men, who are asking for instruction. 

 Listen to the people of the United States who have received 

 their liberty from New England, and who expect you to 

 preserve it. That voice pleads with you : " Gentlemen of 

 the Board of Agriculture, if you love the poor, if you have 

 a human feeling for your fellowmen, if you care for the 

 enrichment of the lowly, if you seek for liberty for the 

 people and for the progress of the nation, preserve in his 

 integrity and in his intellectual superiority the man in the 

 country town of Massachusetts now. Preserve him, help 



