Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-11-11
CON- 1HUNICATION.
To the Members Of he Agricultural Society of Brook
Mai

! A'''V'
| GkSrLEMEN.- Having been appointed 10 deIiyc,
| an Address TO you AZ your Getting ext month. am
! pcrcewng, as the time approaches. that u compl
ance with your request would be very iuconvenlent
il not npracticable must beg your ind u nee in IN
! liberty which | have, under these circumstance
concluded To assume, of addressing YOU through IN
! present medium. Without enquirng whether
may not be much indebted to seniority as ~ an,
other consideration for The honor ofhs appoinmen nj
] must confess IT has afforded some giaufcs
ton. and Tor which you will be pleased 10 aeoep
my sincere acknowled gments Although my hea
has been whitcned by the i.oss aud bleaching wind,
OF many awinter my heart is not yet cooled down, by
their reirIgerating aud benumbng influence To u
state OF insensiby To the favorable opinion oi my
neighbours and acquaintances. IL would he ad
ditional qualification to me- If should be able on
this occasion, 10 offer any hing worthy of your at.
tention-any Thing calculated to insenrate the spur
II, 10 extend the views, and 10 promote the highly
laudable obj ects of your association.
Few circumstances of recent occurrence seem "a
wear n more suspicious aspect towards the iutuic
| condition aud drsnes Of our country than the nu-
mofous Agricultural Societies which have Of late
years been instituted in this State aided and enlipht
ened by II we'll conducted periodical publication,
devoted TO Tue Improvement OF the ptaeuoe and lhc
promotion 81 tbs interests of agriculture.
Alter the fetal defeat of the Romans and The al
most entire destruction Of their amy the MI mo
rable battle OF Cannr the Senate and people OF Rone
went out to meet their returning General ut the gates
OF HE city. and rendered him their united thanks lor
having evlnced by his conduct, that, under sue h
disastrous circumstances. no had not dcspaited OF
the Republic. Equally, ard The same principle
are those persons entitled 10 our gratitude, ho llsi
conceived the design and instituted the measures
now IN operation for amelioratng tho condition OF
ngrlcuurs III this State. Uuder The most dlsh.ail-
ening circumstances, they have not despaited Of
success. In The midst oil exhausted aud discharged
ola neids' extended in many places sighiless dis
lance, with noihinP to diversity the dfcary landscape
nut slnnled phes, deep pnlhes and extensive abra-
sions OF soil,-nnless perchauc. they might desery
IN the distance slow-mov,ng line OF migrating FAM.
lies passing over these scenes ui horotess s,cI,lly
TO some lar distant region oi the "est,-surronnd"d
by these disconragng appearances. and the sill
greater discourageneuts presented by ignorance,
apathy aud prejudice. have these pioneers 81 ag,i
cultural reform commenced and pereyeied III their
patriotic undertaking,
Ii not quite IN the foremost rank Of these reform
en, congratulate you, gentlemen, IN not being far
behind the foremost. The So,ieiy YOU have ,nsii-
tuted cannot well tail OF beneficial results 1t will not
only advance the Interests OF agriculture IN lis egh
borhood. but as the velocity and momentum oi u
moving body are increased by every additional i'm
pulse IN the sane dnecuon, will tepd, by the add
ton OF snothe, iesprc table the general stock
Of interest already fxGted the subject, To extend
and increase, by means sympathy and example, the
general spIrt OF agricultural improvement. To this
great oil ect much OF public attention, much OF n,en-
tai energy. now LestuWed on objects than
less, might still with grea, advantage 10 the com
muniIy be transferred. II, Tor instance all the ex
cltement and cxettion which have for the last thirty
years been coupled IN party polIics had been de
voted 10 agricultural Improvements the entire surface
OF Nrg MA might. ere this, have been made to flour
ish like the gaidcn Of Eden.
Meeting incidentally with party spirit, Indeed
where. Of late years do We not meet with IL y let
me ask your indulgence TO few remarks on that
NH Ia 1s. iIeIlx a.
nal principles ol one of the great political parties of
our country 10 those OF the other, aud generally
exercising the rlgh of suffrage 10 conformity with
that preference. YET do not touch The subject Of
poncs al present with The view OF supporting the
priDc pies or pfetensons al euhel, but oil depreca-
ting the iniempeiauce OF both.
Tins State, with respect 10 parry, is about equally
divided; aud Judging ltom the polite press, and
other indications OF publc sentiment, II would really
seem that each moiety did really believe that the o.
Their consisted entirely OF knaves and dupes. The
interest OF both parties, on general view, appcarst
be identical: how then are we to account Tor sucl,
an exasperaed conl,areIy If opinion, and on such
multitude OF topics, about the proper means of pro
noting that interest The interest of The maJoriy
of the two parties, constituting the great body OF ihe
people, is certainly the same But with respect 10
parry leaders, the case is quite different. Amongst
Them 6nd adverse aud conflicting interests.
Good government is all the eat body Of the people
desire OF the public tuDclonaries. The, aspire
not to the honofs and cmnlumenls oil olhce-haVe
u thought, expectation or wish OF ever paficIpa-
ting IN them. And provided the government be
well administered II is Of 10 real Importance
them whether 1t be a dnnisiercd by a,
b, G, or ID, +. +. But with respect to the
party leaders, the ambitious and NOISY, II not
the great men OF The country. the reverse of all
this isirue. On the supposon that public affairs be
as well or even better managed by their advesaries,
il is nevertheless their interest that their patty
should he in office for, III tins case, they either
ipso aclo in office themselves. least IN the direct
road TO Office The question, then, which OF the
two parties should administer lie government ~ 10
these l. aiding and independently OF any coral le-
ration about The public welfare, question oil tie
greatest imporlaDce--a question almost Of lie and
death. 1t involves the question. whether they are
TO be doomed 10 the dull, lngorous walks of private
life attain political ehineuce, honor, Office and
power the most splendid objects thai can possibly
be placed beior. the eyes Of aspiring morIals.
But 10 the attainment Of these Objects under an
elective government, such ours, necessary, 10
the leaders OF paily, 10 get ma orly OF the peo-
pie on their side. Hence their earnest endeav0urs
persuade the people that all HE talents, integrity
and political orthodoxy OF the whole community are
posse ssed by themselves. And hence the exacerb on
of parry coulic the approach OF every important e.
iectioO particularly OF every presidential election
For the president is the source oi honor, office and
salary which, well understood he generally DIS
tributes amongst his parzans; selecting those ol
| the richer aud higher offices. who have been
chiefly instrumental IN eleva,ng him TO his high sta
| ton,
We are now thuk. possessed Of the true key
winch unlocks aud exposes 10 view ihe nature, me
chanism and operations of iary spirit. The main
| RIM SOC &c ,n,lt