AGRICrLTURAL ADDRESS, 



Delivered at Castle Garden, during the 19th Annual FaxFj 

 October 9th, 1846. 



By the Hon. Henry Meigs. 



Ladies and Gtntkmen : 



The American Institute had this year, as it always does, looked 

 abroad in the republic for some citizen distinguished for talent and 

 patriotism, to deliver the Annual Agricultural Address. It had 

 hoped to obtain the aid of the accomplished and elegant scholar, the 

 Rev, Mr. Choules, of Boston ; but his engagements prevented his ap- 

 pearance before you, and I am bound to express our great regret 

 that we cannot avail ourselves of an address from him w^hich would 

 have graced our annals. The Institute then immediately looked to 

 Mr. Goodrich, the gentleman known to the public by his admirable 

 waitings under the familiar name of Peter Parley. Circumstances 

 uncontrollable by the Institute, also prevent his appearance until 

 within an hour.* The Institute has called me out, because it does 

 me the high honor of confiding in my zeal in the great landed cause; 

 and in ready obedience to their call, I beg your indulgence while I 

 exert myself to give voice to some of the opinions and doctrines of 

 the American Institute upon this greatest of all temporal questions. 

 To utter a new idea in relation to it, is extremely difficult, for its 

 best, its everlasting truths were understood, taught and practiced by 

 the greatest men of antiquity. After a sleep of ages, during which 

 a dark obscurity rested on the minds -of men, a sudden break of the 

 light of intelligence was seen in the glorious invention of types ! 

 Then genius found the way to fame: all questions of interest toman 

 began to be considered and to be organized and ornamented by pow- 

 erful writings, printed for the millions to read. Then uprose, from 



* Fortunately he has arrived, and has just given us his talented address, another 

 proof of his high ability and of his well known philanthropy. His words are most 

 happily adapted to the understandings of our youth, and are received by the best of 

 our men as words of wisdom and goodness. 



