THE* PLEASURES OF AGRICULTURE. 187 



ing the lives, the wealth, or the liberty of the nation, which has 

 thus subdued sterility, and drawn prosperity from a willing source. 

 By the second, the blood pretended to be enriched, is spilt ; the 

 wealth pretended to be increased, is wasted ; the liberty said to be 

 secured, is immolated to the patriotism of a victorious army ; and 

 desolation in every form is made to stalk in the glittering garb of 

 false glory, throughout some neighboring country. Moral law de- 

 cides the preference with undeviating consistency, in assigning to 

 the nation, which elects true patriotism, the recompense of truth, 

 and to the electors of the false, the expiation of error. To the re- 

 spective agents, the same law assigns the remorses of a conqueror, 

 and the quiet conscience of the agriculturist. 



The capacity of agriculture for atfording luxuries to the body, is 

 not less conspicuous than its capacity for affording luxuries to the 

 mind ; it being a science singularly possessing the double qualities 

 of feeding with unbounded liberality, both the moral appetites of 

 the one, and the physical wants of the other. It can even feed a 

 morbid love for money, whilst it is habituating us to the practice 

 of virtue ; and whilst it provides foi the wants of the philosopher, 

 it affords him ample room for the most curious and yet useful re- 

 searches. In short, by the exercise it gives both to the body and 

 to the mind, it secures health and vigor to both ; and by combin- 

 ing a thorough knowledge of the real affairs of life, with a necessity 

 for investigating the arcana of nature, and the strongest invitations 

 to the practice of morality, it becomes the best architect of a com- 

 plete man. 



If this eulogy should succeed in awakening the attention of men 

 of science to a skilful practice of agriculture, they will become 

 models for individuals, and guardians for national happiness. The 

 discoveries of the learned will be practised by the ignorant ; and a 

 system which sheds happiness, plenty and vi/tue, all around, will 

 be gradually substituted for one, which fosters vice, breeds want, 

 and begets misery. 



Politician?, (who ought to know the most, and generally know 

 the least, of a science in which the United States arc more Hee|)ly 

 interested than in any other,) will appear, of n^ore practical know- 

 ledge, or at least of better theoretical instruction ; and the hope- 

 less habit of confiding our greatest interest to people most ignorant 

 of it, will be abandoned. 



The errors of politicians ignorant of agriculture, or their pro- 

 jects designed to oppress it, can only rob it of its pleasures, and 

 consign it to contempt and misery. This revolution of its natural 

 state, is invariably effected by war, armies, heavy taxes, or exclu- 

 sive privileges. In two cases alone, have nations ever gained any 

 thing by war. Those of repelling invasion and emigrating into a 

 more fruitful territory. In every other case, the industrious of all 

 professions, suffer by war, the effects of which, in its modern form^ 

 are precisely the same to the victorious and the vanquished nation. 

 The least evil to be apprehended from victorious armies, is a per- 

 manent system of heavy taxation, than which, nothing can mor^. 



