220 AMERICAN FARMS. 



It is also very far from wise for farmers themselves, 

 as it is also for the general safety, to allow the opinion 

 to prevail that they are unfit to grace our legislative 

 halls or to put character into our laws. Mr. Gladstone 

 saysvpf the statesmen of the early history of the United 

 States : " It is no extravagance to say that, although 

 there were only three millions of people in the thirteen 

 States at the time of the Revolution, the group of states- 

 men that proceeded from them were a match for any in 

 the whole history of the world, and were superior to 

 those of any one epoch. Their fortunate appearance was 

 undoubtedly due to well-regulated muscular freedom." 



It is a calamity for society to be governed by physical 

 weaklings, with less and less brain capacity, who may 

 become finally, as the monarchs of Europe were said to 

 have been at the beginning of the century — imbecile. 



