Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-11-10

"M. r. RIICHlE 81 NOGfh Il. fhlO ib''O'>"
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER q, 1854.
THE AGRICULTURAL SOClErf-A SlNHl-
LAR SPEECH.
At the recent meeting of the Agricultural Socle'y'
there was al exhibition of feslng which atew des
pondent persona regard as an alarming portent.-
We do not view the circ umstance i'll 30 serious an u.s.
pect The display Of passion to our mh"' "aS "''
thing more than slight spark struck out by the col
lson between rival candidates; and we u'u h'' i't
one moment interpret it as an indication o' e"'"''
ranking feud. All the officers OF the Society were
reelected with singular unanmity, and the OPPOSE
ton to the Secretary did not imply any per''hai nos
tity Many persons think the doicat OF General
Richardson in the first instance betrayed much ILL.,
gratitude aud injustice the part of the Society; and
they propose now to repair the injury, they regard
it. They do not seem to reflect that this would he
making stonenent for one wrong by perpetrating
another for if it unjust not t" elect General
Richardson in the first instance, it would bc much
greater hardship to turn out Mr.. Rufin, without any
nr.;erce of accusation aganst him. In private con-
yersatou, the friends Of General Richardson urged
his election on the ground that he was the victim OF
in public, but we would not be surprised if it fur
nished the original and main motive for the move
ment in his behalf. The imputaton on the Demo-
cratic party and the Legislature is equally unjust
and indiscreet, and for the sake of the Society we
trust the friends of General Richardson will urge his
election on some other ground.
There is reason to apprelend that in one way or
another party spirit will usurp control Of the Agrlcu
ura Society In respect of power, the Society is al
ready very formidable organization and if all Its
energies were directed to particular end there is IL"
other force in the State to withstand ii. There ls
danger lest this power be perverted to the selfish pur-
poses ofplace-hunters It's proverbia that man once
smtcn with the mania for RECEIVERS his rea
SON. As the Petender affected the title and cereno
ny Of royalty in the midst Of desttution and desert"n,
and to the day of his death busiy intrigued for the
recovery of his paternal throne, does the politician
exiled from power aud place, cherish IN obscrty re-
collections of his former state, and seize with avidiy
upon every chance Of restoration to office We warn
the farming community, the mcn who have entered
into this Society in good faith and with no other view
than to accelerate the progress of agricultural inl-
provement in Virginia, to beware lest the work OF
their hands be mutllated--lest men clandestinely
SOW tares in the field which they have uSsduously
cultivated and thus rob them Of the harvest which
they expect to reap.
As for the ill-feeng which excited By the
competition for the Secretnryship of the Society,
that will soon subside unless it be indiscrcetly
or persi.teutly infla,ned. Not by the decay of
interest in its affairs by any personal rivalry for
its offices, will the Agricultural Sncr!y Of Virginia bc
dissolved. The danger approaches from another di-
rectiou. Again wo admonsh the farmers to keep II
sharp look out on the politicians.
In this connection we may say word of the very
singular speech which DIR. Venable, delivered at one
OF the meetings of the Society. The speech was re-
marknble only for its excessive stupidity but we OBJ
serve writer in the Baltimore SIN undertakes to at
tach some consequence to it, for the that was
evelod against Richmond The bad temper Of the
speaker patent enough, but the most astute COM
mentator would be puzzled to extract distinct idea
from the macs OF rubbish. There tumble OF
talk about Norfolk the Straight-Shoot Railway, and
cabbage ad imfnAua, but never a sensible word
The speaker seemed to be the victim OF the horrible
delusion that between the rats and the millcrs Of
Richmond, he would be pluudered even unto sarva-
ton. Accordingly he lifted the flood gates and pro-
iectcd upon 1iaxall, Warwick, Taaierro, and the
rest, a torrent of words which precisely as fee
bic in power it was copious in volume DIR. Vena-
Bile charged that the millers Of Richmond were com
bined to depress the price of wheat if with Peters
burg on one hand and Alexandria on the other, and
with Norfolk and Baltimore easily accessible from its
wharf, few gentlemen in this city, could, despite the
facilities Of instantaneous communication with all the
mark cts of the country overcome the laws of trade
confound the relations Of supply and demand and in
broad day plunder the farmers of half their CROP
The statement Of the proposition exhibits its absurdi
ty; but no description report Gun convey an ade
quate idea Of the cloquence Of the speaker