40 MR. stone's address. 



patriotism, the fanners of the whole Union have an interest in 

 seeing this blot wiped from onr national escutcheon. 



To War, the agriculturists of this country can never be in - 

 different. It is the direst calamity that can befal a nation — 

 the most pestilential scourge to its morals and prosperity. 

 " Peace," says General Scott, "is the first want of every civil- 

 ized community." "Universal and permanent peace," says 

 Ex-President J. Q. Adams, "belongs to the laws of nature and 

 of nature's God — to the genius and vital spirit of Christianity — 

 to the liberty, justice and prosperity of nations." Under no 

 circumstances can war benefit the farmer. If, for a time, it 

 may create an extraordinary demand for his products, and se- 

 cure for them an exorbitant price, the prostration of business 

 that is sure to follow its close, will make this process of accu- 

 mulating wealth a fearful failure. Peace is the friend of Pro- 

 duction — War its enemy. The safety of property, a steady 

 prosperity, as well as the higher motives of Christianity, should 

 influence farmers to cherish and diffuse a pacific spirit, and to 

 maintain an inflexible resistance of all measures that will need- 

 lessly involve their country in a conflict of blood. 



The four millions of your brotherhood in the United States, 

 gentlemen, are endowed with a mighty moral power, and upon 

 them a momentous responsibility rests. Let them realize and 

 meet it faithfully, and they will become the conservators of 

 Freedom and Perpetual Peace. Inspiration itself, points to 

 them, as among the chief almoners of these blessings. Their 

 implements of husbandry are to supplant " the gleaming steel, 

 and the flash and thunder of artillery." Indeed, let them now 

 " set their faces as flint," against a method of settling National 

 disputes, with which, the conqueror of Napoleon hac said, 

 " men who have nice notions about rehgion have no business," 

 and all the forests of Oregon and Texas will be insuflicient to 

 kindle the fire of war.* 



* War is an enorinoiisly expensive method of settling national disputes. A large pro- 

 portion of the burden is borne by farmers. In seven wars, of 65 years duration. Great 

 Britain expended $3,982,120,000. France, Austria, and Great Brirain, from 1793 to 

 1815, expended $7,330,000,000. Tlie sacrifice of life by wars, beginning with the Jewish 

 and closing with Napoleon's, has been estimated at 683,000,000 human beings ! Dr. 

 Dick estimates the number of those who have perished directly and indirectly by war, 



