The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-12-01
Productive IndnStry - AgricuItu-
raj COllcgeS,

raj Colleges.
The men who earn their bread by the
sweat Of their face, the industrious mechan-
ics,.the hardy n-brtwn d tillers Of the soil,
constitute the true nobility Of our land.-I
The bread and clothing of the people, are
the products of the farm and the workshop.
To chop down the forest, break up the fall
lsw ground, SOW the seed, gather in the har-
vest, baild barnes, dwellings, manufactures,
ra;lroads, construct fabrics Of clothing, or
.implements OF use in the arts, ore all occu- |
pations belonging to the class Of productive
industry. Those who engage in such enter
prises, are contributors to the prosperity and
advantage of the country. Upon their Ia
,bors, are ul classes dependent. Without
them. all would perish. s
To labor, therefore, is necessary, useful
and honorable The majority of the peo-
pie, must, and all, ought to work. In the es'
timation of some, to be minister, or law
yer, to live in the shade, with white hands
and undeveloped muscles, is more dignifed
and honorable than to hold the plow,or WELD
the hammer of the blacksmith. If, there
fore, q man design his son for profession,
he gives him liberal education; if for tiller
OF the soil, he is permitted only to enjoy The
advantages of the common school in the
winter season, and must graduate as soon as
the ordinary rudiments OF knowledge are ac-
quired. Why this difference II there are
beauties to be found in poetry, facts worthy
Of consideration in history, truths Of import
ance to be learned in the realms Of the nat.
ural sciences, is 1t not right that the farmer
boy should enjoy them! l. the mind can be
disciplined by the study Of the Mathematics,
II the language can be chastened beautified,
rendered concise and expressive,by the study
of the classics, should not the laborcrs Of
the country be benefited by these, as well as
the students of the so-called learned profess
sions! The farmers of Ohio, should be
men of enlarged, disciplined and compre-
heDsive minds. Every thing that is useful
curious. or beautiful, car be made to contri-
butte 10 their advancement in their industrial
pursuits, in the performance of their duties
Gs citizens Of growing commonwealth, in
the security of their happiness as social and
immortal beings.
At the Worlds Exposition in 1851, in Lon
don, and afterwards at New York the Queen
the Lords and Ladies of England and Eu.
rope, the President of the United States, aud
leading politicians of this country, were in
vited upon the platform, and places of honor
assigned them. They came 10 do honor to
the inventive genius and industry of the
world; and yet the great Mechanics and Far
mers, whose skill had wrought out the won.
ders of the Exhibition were kept down
among the common people. No place OF
honor was assigned to them. This was
wrong. They should have occupied the
platform, and the Lords and Ladies and poll
itieians have been kept below. "Render
unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's,"
and "unto God, the things which are Coils"
Let the titled noble, or the bargaining poll
ticiaD, or the unproductiye laborer, receive
what renovn he merits, but award to the
noble men who live on the farm and in the
workshop, the well-earned laurels which
their genius and industry have won.
We began with the purpose of saying
something in favor Of Agricultural Schools
and Colleges, but came near forgetting our
text. The physician has his Medical school
and lectures; the law student, the UDiyersi-
ty, or the office of the practitioner; thf STU
dent Of Theology his Seminary why should
not the farmer have his College, with emf
nent Professors, where every thing pertain
ing to his, the noblest of occupations, can be
studied and understood. We are not preach
ing in favor of what is called '.book farming"
Theory and practice should be judciously
united. A man who knows nothing only
what he learns from books is "poor stick"
In any working community; but what would
man be who never reads anything
We look upon the establishment of Agri-
cultural Colleges as one of the noblest en-
terprises of the age. We are glad that
change is taking place in the public mind.
The great men Of future time will come from
the working classes, and every effort to give
honor and influence to laborers in the fields
Of productive industry, should receive the
cordial support of all good citizens.
2.
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