APDUKSS- 43 



manity, — and when you bring that calling hito amity and 

 reciprocity with other callings. Unless God fails to fur- 

 nish a law for his children in his own love, the right po- 

 litical state for mankind is the state of brotherhood. The 

 same law holds of trades, handicrafts, professions, as of 

 persons. These pursuits enter into their " holy alliance," 

 when they harmonize the two aims, to improve themselves 

 and help one another. The commonwealth is not 

 served, till the different branches of industry merge 

 their jealousies in good- will. You read this law in 

 the beautiful balancings, and musical accord, in which 

 the Divine Spirit has attuned his creation. The very 

 lands you daily traverse and handle, preach the right 

 doctrine of politics. Animal, vegetable, mineral king- 

 doms support one another. Sun and water, vapor and vege- 

 tation, earth and clouds, are ever friendly and hospitable ; 

 they are perpetually running on some missionary errand 

 in each other's behalf; their bureau of benevolence is 

 older than the Holy College. And so it happens that no 

 class of men are so well fitted as you, to re-stamp this 

 divine intention on civil institutions and public laws. If 

 there is any order that can be looked to, to pull off dis- 

 guises from selfish demagogues, — voting greediness and 

 falsehood out of office, and single-hearted patriotism in, — 

 it must be your own order, — the order of Christian chiv- 

 alry, whose knights errant are the men that " conquer all 

 hard weather," whose martial music is the rustle of corn, 

 and the stroke of flails, — who give you, instead of coats 

 of arms, arms with the coats thrown off, and for banners 

 sheaves of grain. 



Never turn your backs, farmers, on the Town-hall. 

 Never lose a vote. Take a lesson from your own craft. 

 Try a political candidate by his back-bone. Give the 

 crafty and supple dodger the outside row. Treat the 

 drones as the bees do. Understand the men that are set 

 up for office, and if they are not true men who can show 

 you an honest eye, and a brave conscience, take care to set 

 them gently down again. See that agriculture gets as 

 much honor from legislatures as institutions that are more 



