CHAIRS OF AGRIGULTORE. 619 



CHAIRS OF AGRICULTURE. 

 Chairs of comivverce proposed, and why not chairs of agriculture t 



It is stated in De Bow's Commercial Review of the South-West — a work 

 distinguished, it 's hard to say whether most for its originality, industry or abil- 

 ity — that the Mercantile Library Association of Charleston — O. P. Andrews, 

 President — recommend a Chair of Commerce, to be connected with the Associa- 

 tion. The Editor, with a judgment and feeling that do him honor, has long 

 evinced his anxiety to have " commercial education introduced in all the col- 

 leges ;" and adds, " It is now understood we are to have a Chair of Commerce 

 in the new University at New-Orleans ;" which shows the liberality and good 

 sense of the Legislature. But, let us add, if provision is to be made in the char- 

 ter of such Institutions for public instruction in the business of Commerce, the 

 handmaid, why not also in Agriculture, the mistress? Do not the Plow and its 

 productions lie at the bottom, and form the groundwork for the whole superstruc- 

 ture of industrial pursuits ? Is not the earth the great machine, while the manu- 

 facturer only fashions its products, and Commerce does the business merely of 

 transporting from place to place, and exchanging these products, in their rude or 

 fashioned state ? Of what value is the mill, or the ship, but as they save labor 

 and allow more of it to be applied to the work of production — to the cultivation 

 and employment of the great machine, mother Earth — which gives subsistence 

 and improvement to all ? And yet you shall see members of State Legislatures 

 and of Congress, providing for all sorts of instruction, and protecting all sorts of 

 Industry, and showering honors on all sorts of excellence, especially military ex- 

 cellence — but what do they do for Agriculture ? Might not as much useful in- 

 formation (and by that we mean information that would tend to augment the 

 sources of subsistence, and all the benefits of civilization), be disseminated from a 

 Chair of Agriculture, as from a Chair of Commerce, or of Greek, or of Latin 

 or Hebrew, in any of our Colleges ? Yet no one seems to have the thought, or 

 the courage, to demand such a thing, although all these charters are granted— all 

 our educational institutions established — in fact, all the legislation of the country 

 is enacted (speaking in reference to the authority enjoyed by the different classes) 

 by those, in a very large proportion, over all others, Avho represent, or who are 

 elected to represent, the landed interest. 



Had we the honor of being a Member of an American Congress, or Legisla- 

 ture, on a motion being made to vote a medal, or a sword, or a vote of thanks to 

 an officer for animal courage, or even skill combined with that in the work of 

 manslaughter — for war is but another word for homicide, (sometimes justifiable,) 

 or if it was proposed that any legislative body to which we belonged — representing 

 the majesty and power of the people— should solicit and receive the high honor 

 of being visited by a gentleman armed with sword and buckler, and covered with 

 gorgeous and bloody trophies of war, we would offer an amendment to this effect : 

 " Be it also enacted, that like rewards be bestowed and equal honors offered to 

 whatever man in any State (naming him) should happen to have been, by compe- 

 tent and appropriate authority, pronounced the most industrious and successful 



