13 



high tone of character to their posterity and successors. And, 

 then, when the revolution came, the struggles, sacrifices and re- 

 sponsibilities of that time, would help to keep up, renew and rein- 

 vigorate that high tone, for a generation or two more. 



But then, our adversaries will say, that extraordinary influence 

 derived from our noble founders cannot last always. It must fade 

 out as those men and times recede farther and farther into the 

 past, and finally disappear, and our farmers sinking into the igno- 

 rant and cloddish condition which always and every Avhere per- 

 tains to their employment, gravitate to the bottom of the social 

 scale. The laws of nature, as manifested in all past experience, 

 must go "into effect at length, and farm laborers here, as elsewhere, 

 become boors — a peasantry — and that must be the end of the 

 RepubUc. 



We will not give in to this reasoning, nor anticipate any such 

 result. Nevertheless, it is wise to learn something of an enemy, 

 and set up all possible barriers against the fulfilment of evil 

 prophecies. 



Whatever may be the philosophy of it, I am inclined to think 

 there is some ground in facts, — not much perhaps, but some, — 

 for the opinion that farming labors are somewhat unfavorable to 

 mental development, as compared with some other pursuits ; and 

 dropping all comparisons, which are disagreeable and inconclu- 

 sive, all farmers know, or should know, that they need to take 

 great pains to overcome the dulling tendencies, of their long, con- 

 tinuous field-labors. 



Let us consider the means of overcoming these unfavorable 

 tendencies, in Avhatever degree, large or small, they may be ad- 

 mitted to exist. 



And, of course, among the means of mental culture and ad- 

 vancement, we think first of our system of free schools, the pride 

 and hope of the land. We cannot prize them too much, nor 

 compute the benefits of them. It would be a mistake however to 

 suppose, that the mere going to school, summer and winter, or 

 even the whole year, through childhood and early youth, however 

 good the schools, or however well improved the opportunities they 

 afford, will make the pupils intellectual, progressive, live-minded 

 people, after they have become men and women. The schools 



