The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-20
PREJUDICE AGAINST FARMING.
Extracted from W. II Seward, Address at Rutland

nature mas lett all the human faculties IT
one sense incomplete, to be perfected by gen
eral education and by training for special and
distinct pursuits. She has left those faculties
not less incomplete. and without more adapt
alton in the farmers case than in arv other
Her laws are general. inilcxiblc. Brutcs on-
" have perfect instincts. Man ran he moth
lng, and indeed can do nothing at all, but by
the guidance of cultivated reason. Notwiih-
standing admitted differences of natural ca
pacltv. and OF tastes and inrlinatiOms, it il
nevertheless practically and generally true.
that success, and even distinction and emi-
ncncc in any vocation is propor,ioned to the /
measure of culture. training industry, and
perseverance brought into exercise. So h
will be the best farmer, and even the best
wOodsman or wcll-ligger, as he will be the
best lawyer, the greatest hero, and the great
est statesman. who shall have studied mos,
widely and profoundly. and shall have labor
ed most carefully and most assiduously.
There is another prejudice even more in
furious than that which have thus exposed
The farmers son is ayer>e from the fathers
ralling. He does not intend 10 pursue itand
Is always looking for some gate hr which /"
escape from it. The prejudice Is hereditary
in the farm house. The farmer him>citi> not
content with his occupation; nor l. the farm
er's wife any more 80. They regard ii as al
humble. toil>omc aud lahoriou> one: they
continually fret about its privations an,! hard
ships, and thus they uncon>rion>ly raise il
their children disgust towards it. l. not
this frequently SO: Is there farmer here
who does not desire, not To sa, seek. to pro
cure for his son cadets, or a milshipman'>
warrant. a desk i'll the village LAWYERS Office
a chair i'll the ph, sician's study. or place
behind the counter in the country store, in
( preference to training him for the lahorS o.
the farm? | fear there Is scarcely a farmer
son who would not tly to accept such posi-
ton, or farmers daughter who would not
prefer almost any settlement in town or city
10 the domestic cares of the farmhouse and
the dairy
Whence is this prejudice: 1t has come
down 10 Us from a -c> ot barhar>m. In the
savage state, agricultural labor is dc>pi>rdbe-
cause bravery III battle and skill in the chase
must he encouraged; and 80 herui>m is still
requisite for thv pubic defence in the ,ar-
her stages of civilization, and the tiIirr of the
soil, therefore, rises slowly from the condi-
ton OF a villain. >crt or slave Ncverthe-
less, ancient, and almost universal as this
prejudice is, | am sure that it is unnatural ID
mankind III ripcned civilization. such as that
10 which We have arrived Ot all classes OF
and We employ very few soldiers. while til,
whole structure OF society hinges on the agri
: cultural interest. \ taste, nav passion fol
agriculture is inherent and universal anon.
: men. The soldier or the sailor cares littl,
Tor learning. mechanics or music: but the 80
lace of his weary watchin.> and his milnigh
dreams, are rccolleciions of cottage home
The merchants anNIctieS and the LAWYER
studies, are prosecuted patiently for the uti
: mate end of graceful rcpo>e III a country seal
and lunaticS, men and women, are won bac
TO the sway of reason by the indul gence OF
a labor in the harvest field. and the culture d
u fruits and flowers in the garden of the ASy
: lum.
|. know that frivolous persons, in what
n called fashionable society. who sleep till nool
= still continue To dcpreciatc and dcspisc rura
l. pursuits and pleasures. Bnt what are the ,
X pinions of such minds worth They equal
,s depreciate and dcspi>c all labor. all indu>tr,
Il all enterprise and all effort; and they re-,
e their just reward in wearinrss OF themsclro
Is and III the contempt OF those who value HI
p. man talents, not by the depth i'll which the
f are buried, but by the extent OF their emplo,
Is ment for the benefit of mankin l.
d The prejudice, however. must be expclle
le from the farmers fre>ide; and the tarlnt
at and his wife must do this themselves.
- is Just as true in this case as is the MOI
ID practical one which the rustic poet had
r. view
III Tile wife, too, must husband, as well a. the man
.r Or farewell, thy hu>handry do what thou can.
I Il. 4. Il.
Il tutcd, and highly advanced society like ,oul
intellectual cultivation relieves men from |.
Dor, but it does not at all exempt men frol
the practices OF industry; and that notwitE
o. standing the current Use of the figures o
: speech, ''wcari.d limbs sweating brows, hal
dcned Sincw>, and rough and blackcnc
IS hands," there is no avocation in our countr
j. that rewards so liberally with health, wealt
e and honor given application OF we'll direct
a ed industry, as does that of the farmer. Ii
It he is surpassed by others in other pursuits,
d is not because their avocations are prefeyabl
5, to his own, but because, willis he has ncglec,
f ed education and training, they took care t
: secure both.
d When these convictions shall have cntere'
Y the farmhouse, its re>pcctahility and dignit.
e will be confessed. Its occupants will rrgar'
:, their dwellings and grounds not as irksom
5 scenes of humiiating labor but as their owl
It permanent home, and the homestead of thc
Il
i known before, and new born emuations, vii