172 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



heart, which give stability to the purposes of men, and exalt 

 patriotism to the rank of a rehgious virtue ; because the State, 

 with its tribunals of justice, and its sword, with wliich it men- 

 aces the evil doers, while it stretches forth the same as an ffigis, 

 over them tliat do well — the State with all its judicial and ex- 

 ecutive functions, is an ordinance of God. There is a vast dif- 

 ference between the frantic excitement of a mob, crying " Vive 

 la Rcpnblique," and that sacred regard for human rights which 

 lies at the basis of all ration^ liberty. I hesitate not to say, 

 that of all the precious boons conferred by a New England 

 home, none can be named more precious, none as precious for 

 the inmates of those homes, none as precious for the State, as 

 those cardinal virtues above enumerated. These virtues — and 

 what I am about to say will give a glimpse, will, in a measure, 

 unveil the moral machinery already alluded to as so perfect 

 and so potent — these cardinal virtues, claimed as the product of 

 New England homes, are not learned from books. They are not 

 caught up at random, by men when they have come to years. 

 They are virtues which impress us as they are seen in the con- 

 crete — and they come down from fathers and mothers to sons 

 and daugliters, because they are positive elements in the charac- 

 ter and life of those fathers and mothers. We are made, and 

 benevolently made, creatures of imitation, that we may be pre- 

 possessed in favor of virtue through our affections, before our 

 judgments, wdiich are of slower growth, have gathered strength. 

 And there is but one place, by way of eminence, where these 

 prepossessions may be fostered, fed and strengthened. That 

 place, you will agree with me, is home. It isn't where the home 

 of a man is the cafe, or a bench in the public gardens, or a 

 lounging place around the Tuileries. It isn't where the woman 

 is lost in the doll, and where public amusements and fasliion- 

 ablc gayetics engross the interest which ought to cluster around 

 the fireside. 



A New England home is a very peculiar institution. I have 

 travelled over the world somewhat ; and some of you liave 

 travelled much more and farther than I. We have seen a great 

 many wonderful things, and a great many good things, and pe- 

 culiar things. But very few are the directions, very few, indeed, 

 the points of compass towards which a man or a woman, nur- 

 tured around the firesides of our native hills, could move, and 



