POSITION OF AGRICULTURE. 453 



any of the nations of Europe — that such a country should thus, 

 as it were, in a day in the life of nations, become the seat of a 

 great and prosperous people, is truly among the "wonderful oc- 

 currences in the history of the world. And yet agriculture 

 has done all this for our country. Out of the bounteous soil 

 have the materials been wrought which have built up the wealth 

 and power of our country and ministered to the comfort and 

 happiness of its people. True, the bravery and powers of 

 endurance of our forefathers were exerted against the savage 

 as well as the civilized foe in the foundation of this mighty 

 empire and the establishment and defence of its free institu- 

 tions; true, the busy hands of the artisan and the mechanic 

 have turned the free mountain streams and subdued the fiery 

 vapor to their use in the production of innumerable fabrics that 

 conduce to the wealth and prosperity of the country ; true, the 

 busy marts of trade have drawn together from all parts of the 

 land, as with magnet power, the productions of the soil and the 

 fabrics of art, and the winged messengers of commerce have 

 scattered them throughout the markets of the world, and 

 freighted to our shores in return the riches of foreign climes ; 

 but, had not the soil been tilled, our forefathers would have 

 had no country worth fighting for, the artisan and mechanic no 

 food to sustain life, and no material upon which to bestow their 

 ingenuity and labor, the trader no goods upon which to exercise 

 his vocation of bringing about an exchange of products, and 

 the ships of commerce no freights for foreign lands. So true 

 is it that the agricultural interest of our land is the basis and 

 support of every other interest, whether trade, manufactures, 

 or commerce, and so dependent are they upon the prosperity 

 of this great fundamental pursuit for their encouragement and 

 success. We hear much said about the duty of government to 

 foster trade, protect manufactures, and promote commerce; 

 and it is well that government should direct its measures with 

 reference to the benefit of these interests; for they arc the 

 handmaids of Agriculture, and render beneficial service in the 

 use and dispensation of her products. But no action that will 

 promote the real interests of agriculture can be otherwise than 

 beneficial to trade, manufactures, and commerce ; and, for this 

 reason among others, the devotees of these pursuits should 



