MR. gkay's address. 23 



his own business ; or rather, his employment is not the 

 absorbing business of hfe, and he often submits to hibor 

 from necessity rather than IVom choice ; but only give a 

 soul to his efforts, by presenting him the subjects of 

 thought, and his employment rises at once in his own es- 

 timation ; he will respect himself, and respect his pro- 

 fession, and as a necessary consequence, be elevated in 

 the scale of iutelligence and respectability. There is a 

 feeling among our young men, that they must go into 

 some more reputable employment, some more royal road 

 to wealth and fame than their fathers trod. They must 

 leave the field, and rush to the mart of trade ; they must 

 dip into speculation ; they must make haste to be rich, 

 and raise themselves to a more honorable station by an 

 increase of their wealth rather than by means of intelli- 

 gence and virtuous principles. In the commercial dis- 

 asters of the last few years. Providence seems to have 

 rebuked this grasping spirit, and driven thousands from 

 our cities back to the soil, thus teaching them that " the 

 way of the transgressor is hard," and leading them to 

 respect an institution which he has established, as the 

 natural and most honorable means of gaining a support. 



Let me assure our young men, that it is an entirely 

 erroneous view to regard agriculture as an ignoble em- 

 ployment, fit only for tho.:e who have not brains enough 

 to obtain a living in any other way. Some, 1 know, thus 

 regard it, and are disposed to look down from the eleva- 

 tion of a pedlar's wagon, a stage-coach box, or a tin cart, 

 upon those who are doomed to the toils of the field. 



Such, of course, must be left to enjoy their self-com- 

 placency ; they are incapable of better sentiments ; we 

 may pity their weakness, but cannot respect their opin- 

 ions. f3ut there are others, who, from their peculiar po- 

 sition in society, are disposed to indulge the secret feel- 

 ing, at least, that they are above such menial employ- 

 ments. Nothing can be more absurd than such a feel- 

 ing; it can be indulged only by those whose minds are 

 narrow, or ill-informed, from prejudice or ignorance, or 

 if there is any ground for such an opinion, it does not 

 arise from the employment itself, but from the manner in 



