The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-05
A Farmers Life.

The Hon. JosEPH X. WILLIAMS has re-
| Gently delivered an address before the Mchi-
gan State Agricultural Society, at Ann Arbor.
which is distinguished by the soundness of its
views no less than by the perspicuity with
| which they are advanced. We sincerely wish
| that we could afford room, consistently with
| our engagements, for the whole Of this ster-
ling production; but being unable to do 50, we
present TO our readers an extract from il. de-
voted TO a consideration Of the farmers calling.
| 1t is as follows:
1.-The best faculties Of men must be devoted TO
the farmers pursuits; the best intellect must be
engaged in 81 and the farmers life must be a
field wide and attractive enough for the engross-
| ment and development Of every human faculty,
or error, ignorance and thriftessness will not
| be explored, and the calling will not secure the
elevated position il deserves. Happily a rapid
change is pcrceptible. The relative position Of
professional, mercantile, and farming pursuits arc
changing day by day. The first arc no longer
sought with much avdty, the last no longer
| Stunned. wiso man should never encourage
his children 10 assume the duties, vexations, and
! hazards Of precarious and unhealthy pursuits no
matter how dazzling the prospect, how brilliant the
prize. There is higher object than wealth to be
gaincd-sound sleep and sound health; higher Oh
Jet than personal Distinctions composed con
science. In times past there seems TO have been
kind Of infatuation among the farnin z community
| in regard 70 evasion Of their honorable calling
| Thirty years ago father prone to act with
| bis children though he himself followed de-
| graded calling. He seemed to deem professional
or mercantile life the only road to high respect
| ability, or social and official distinction The
Websters, the Wrights, and the Fillmores, were
| not retained TO ennoblc their own but crowded
of to illustrate and adorn some other profession
| IL has somewhat monded Of late The public mind
| has become more sound. II bids fair TO become
| perfectly sound. II certainly will, IL men will
| speak tho truth, and hear the TRUTH and practice
ON lite precepts. The world will never regard tho
farmers calling the most honorable tll IL s 20
| cherished by himself In public estimation pur-
suit is appreciated at the value placed upon IL by
| those who follow IT, Turn back, then, the tide Of
public sentiment among the agricultural popula-
ton. The sturdy sense Of many sturdy farmer
picrccs the gauzc delusions thrown around the fan
ciful and frivolous life Of tho townsman. In the
expression Of his judgment sound, he yet pract-
caly may have sought all his life 10 make his chill
| dren the very butterflies he detests. IT be would
have his occupation take rank the most respected
and most dignifed among men, he must not him
self act az though he regarded it dull and stu
| pid exercise Of human powers. know not small
| farm 20 limited garden, that may not engross
| all mans faculties and consume all his leisure.
The time may be distant when each farmer may be
| a geologist, naturalist, chemist, but the time
has already arrived when the application Of science
to agriculture is producing peaceful, certain, and
gigantic revolution, elevsting the calling, multi
plying its results increasing its comforts, and pro-
noting higher civilization Of the race.
"a farmer should not consider IL presumption,
but duty, TO gladden. his home with all true, and
genial, and intrnsicsly valuable comforts that
shed glow and attractiveness around the private
home Of the citizen lie make IL more invit
| ing There arc fcw comforts and appliances about
the home Of townsman which countryman can
not enjoy. There a thousand pleasures around
a country residence which all the capital Of city
cannot buy farmer surveys from his window
with unalloyed delight the field now grooming by
superior cultivation, under twice the crop Of pre-