The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1854-01-19
Address Of Judge ChatfieId.
Before the Minnesota agricultural Soci

HgflcEHundI S1ciny.
The numerous and various occupations, in som,
one, at least, Of which, every sane and healthy in
dividual within the limits Of civilization is or ougb
10 be engaged, bear intimate and important relation,
to each other-relltions Of both mutual dependence
and mutual aid. Among them all there is not one
upon which human life, its permanent welfare anC
happiness, and all it, comforts and enioyments SO
much depends as agriculture; for it is that which
IN It's various Branches departments, produces
whercwthal, no, only feed and cothe, bul to fos
Ter and cherish the world Of mank ind.
Tradition aud reason teach as that peasnuai right
to property originated in agricultural labor and il
produce-a right founded in principle Of Justice so
manifest, that even the instructive perceptions of tie
simple, untaught child &C mature, saw, felt acknowl-
edged and obeyed t--that the acknowledgment OF
The principle made II necessary t0 establish and adj
minister rules OF laws Of Justice for the protection
OF the rght--rules whith have grown into a science
that has been characterized as CO the perfection OF
human reason" Thence a value was first affixed to
thing, creating not only a necessity for we ghts and
measures by winch to regulate quantities, but also
a necessity Tor medium or a standard by which to
control comparative quantities aud values and ell
force eqnvaients-necess'tes, the very principles OF
which give influence and power, the thing adont-
ed the measure standard of vaiue-an influence
and power, the action oi which upon the minds and
passions OF men, has begOtten and fJstered and
strengthened and sustained a commerce. whose enter
prises have already penetrated almost every land and
I
value; articles of trade, and old, known and
/ unkaown. When the right Of property was ac
knowledged and rules laws of justice were estab-
Iished Tor its protection the mind man was necrs
sarly brought to the contemplation Of the principles
oi equity and morality; and when weights meas
ures and value were applied 10 things, the mind Of
man was forced into the and exercise of IFS pow
ers OF computation. Thus the human mind was in,
duced to think, and apply thoughts 10 practical
purposes. lt was truly said 10y aa old philosopher
that " thinking is the OF thought" Then as
now, thinking suggested ideas the thinker and
To the active aud approaching mind born thought
is JOY. Thoug htfuloess such mind, becomes
both peasureabIe and habitual, and the, are ever
ia digentsearch after ideas, dissipatng doubts
investigating facts, deducing reasons, ill the, dis
play to their astoni*hed brethren ncHh discoy-
cred truth bright and glowing from the cruciilc of
ph osOphy. In hs manner has the mind Of man
moved on from the time Whcn lis weak aud totter-
ing infant steps were induced and sustained by the
aborer's hand, growing and engineering, by It's
activity and eXerose, fed aud sustained hv that
same hand, till by the process OF nductive reason-
ing which II has thus acquired and hy the practical
Investigation and experiments to which it has been
thus excited, It has extended its range into what now
appears Ia TO be The utmost limits aud recesses
Of all the arts and sciences. practical and theoretical
This advancement Of the human mind so originating
with the culture OF the earth, has brought with it as
incidents OF rather consequences, variety of human
occupations, some of which dignhed with the
scientific tile Of learned proies, ,ons'--and il is "A
cause Of regret and sometimes OF sorrow, that ihey
in many cases A'eraNy '' professions The
process o! mental cultivation and refinement seems
generally 10 bear with 1t cultivation and refinement
of the corporea! tastes, pleasures and desires and
these produce enjoyment and Qualification in neat
ness elegance, and ornament OF hahitation and au-
pare and require, Ia addition to the supply of the
real wants and demands Of life, decacics and lux
uries TO satisfy those acquired and often morbid
appetitcs and habits, which in many, il not most,
instances become, by Indulgence, strong and
iInper ous than those Of nature itself These add-
tions, (thus produceeD 10 the natural wants of man.
increased the amount, and multiplied the kinds oi
labor 10 be performed. tbat, to supply the demand
it early became necessary to withdraw from the
labor OF cutivatng the earih large portion Of the
people, and 10y degrees TO divide those SO Withdrawn
into great variety of occupations. In this manner
the hand became devoted to single a,ocatiou, aid
thus acquired a peculiar aptitude and skull which
produced y refined perfection in the structure or
fabric. Comncrce came aso In all her Protean
for,ns, her degrees and shades of degrees. She drew
from the fields Of agricultural labor those and the
dependents OF those no, rather hao toll th their
hands for their bread, chose TO desert the bosom OF
their mother earth, and 70 seek 10 extract, by their
wits per ccn;ase from The produce Of those who
remained. The cxc'emcBts and success Of COM
mcrce, have increased her voares till their name
is legion and by their activity and skill they have
acquired power that contIpis kingdoms and EN-
pires, yea, may say the World
Thus behold at THIS DAY the various and reta-
tive conditions OF and things within the limits
OF civilization Vhey all orr, mated in the applica-
ton Of the Lsborius hand of 10 the n,mturing
bosom ct his mother earth. The tiny seed from
which has grown al this inears,Ueless Amount of
mental. moral and phys irpit, was first scrnina-
ted b. the genial OF the of natural Justice,
whose light shed upon the primitive mind OF p,im.
tive man, this self evident ethical truth that he
and he only who by his labor prepares the ground,
sows the seed and nurtues the plant, of right entitled
to harvest the crop and ENJOY it. Thus agricultural
labor eliminated the hfst and nam principle upon
which human society rests, and ostensiby Cor the
security OF the application Of which in al its yari
anaoSies, TO the practical affairs of Iuan, all
the moral and political systens and Institutions OF
the civilized world, have heen established and of
which have arisen all the arts and sciences, and
all wealth and commerce.
As all these institutions, systems and incidents Of
civilized society originated in agricultural labor,
have they ever depended and still depend upon it
for support. Il is the basisthe earthly foundation
OF them all. They but the supersiructases.--It
10 true that many Of them are morally and pbrs-
icay bright in their beauty and glowing in their
grandeur. The more sublime and potent they are,
the should they cherish, and the more honor
should they reflect their old foster mother, ai-
culture.
Almost anv one Of these institutions might be
stricken from existence with but shock upon soci-
etv. which would either, restore il, erect
substitute, adapt itself to existence without 1t.
Abolish many Of them ard the effect would not be
different except in degree. Bat take from the sol!
Of the earth its power produce aught that Is cul
tivated by Labor, aud to sustain any dmnesG animal
or fowl, or paI-y the Of agricultural labor, and
the whole fabric Of c,vzed society would tottcr
and fall, and the dark cloud, the mpeneirabc veil
Of oblivion would hide forever all that Is
was Of human achievement and human glory The
monuments and remains which time and decay
should spare, wood in single generation bccomc
tn the successors or survivors unmeanIDg things
/ There would be civilized wars, but pcsiil-
ence and famine in alt their most frght'ul and hid
eous forms would stalk upon the earth AT mldnight
and mid-dav and with the sc,,he Of death and besom
Of destruction would down and sweep away all
of mankind, except those who could adopt and en-
dure that noniadic state Of life, from which agr-
cultural labor has redeemed its nations.
This is the true relation which agriculture bears to
the other trades and occupations among men-the
true relation in which he Who laborS aud produces
stands 10 him who labors iazes and eonsunes.--.
Thus the position which the Agricultural occupies
on the list of worldly occupations, is, first in necess
IT, frs, in Importance AMI should be first in the
and consideration OF mankind.
Among the things which the labor Of im-
,a,ta.t 4 value and IN Uhch he eventually arnuITed