74 
STATE AGEICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
mands on the part of the masses who assume to practice them^ 
and their excedingly small measure of either knowledge or 
culture, the present real rank of these pursuits is, of necessity, 
low. 
How then is this necessary equality of the professions to be 
brought about ? By a liberal diffusion of knowledge'among 
the industrial classes. This will elevate and enoble both them 
and their pursuits, and nothing else can. 
Ho matter whether the masses, who mainly constitute these 
classes ask for it or remonstrate against it, the pursuits, as such, 
require it, and the material prosperity and social and political 
welfare of the State imperatively demand it. 
It may be assumed that it was considerations such as these 
that disposed the Congress of the United States to enact the 
law of July 2d, 1862, which so liberally provides an endow¬ 
ment for “ at least one college in each state, where the leading 
object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical 
studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches 
of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, 
in such manner as the legislatures of the states may respective¬ 
ly prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical edu¬ 
cation of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and pro¬ 
fessions in life.” And it must have been considerations of this 
sort that induced a number of the individual states, which were 
the grateful recipients of this national benefaction, to make 
large appropriations of money for carrying this wise and noble 
purpose of the general government into effect. Had they done 
less, they would have been recreant.to the trust reposed in them 
and false to their own real interests. Had they done yet more, 
the importance, nay, .necessity of the enterprise, would have 
warranted them in so doingand the truest and wisest men of 
all lands would have applauded their liberality. 
But the work of building up agriculture and the mechanic 
arts, until they shall have attained positions of rank and honor 
corresponding to their relative necessities, is a labor of immense 
magnitude, and opportunities for doing better justice to them¬ 
selves and the great interests for which they have been so far 
