The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1857-11-12
Local Items.

mense multitude crowded into every avail
able sitting and standing place in John
sons large Hall last night to hear the ora
ton of l.. H, CHANDLER, ESQ, before the
Seaboard Agricultural Society. He
commenced very happily by saying that
he was not altogether unaccustomed to
finding himself before an audience. As
they say about revival meetings. he had
been used in various assemblages, to raise
his Ebenezer. He had thought, that, by
this time, he had run through with the
whole gamut. He was about to strike q
keynote that evening, which was entirely
new to him, in essaying to talk of Agri-
culture, and he was not sure that he
should not break down. He felt much
like the old sea-dog who ran afoul of a
Methodist meeting house which had been
swept off from land by freshet. No
technical agricultural address could be ex-
pected from him, for he was no practical
farmer. But amidst his boyish memories
were the Georges of old Virgil, who dis
conrsed OF soils and methods of cultiva-
ton. And his Sunday school lessons had
taught him of the Sabattical year of the
Jews, septennial agricultural holiday.
Speaking of fertilizers, the orator said that
the use of guano was not new. Cortez
who damned himself to everlasting fame
knew it's virtues; and Prescott, the histo-
rian Of his conquest of Peru, tells us that
the guano islands were sacredly protec-
ted from the intrusion of men during the
breeding season of the birds.
Agricultural Fairs were fixed institu-
ton. 1t is needless to claim that their
influence is salutary and invigorating to
the great industrial interest in whose
name they meet. 1t is well to assemble
together, to aid, advise and cheer. There
are certain stand-points, great table lands,
wherein we may stand and look back
upon the past and forward into the flu
tnre. Autumn isa time of peculiar APP
preparedness for the holding of these In
dustrial Councils. The various seasons
are like the different epochs of human
life. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,
correspond respectively to infancy, youth
manhood and old age. Manhood and
Autumn are meet for counsels and deli
berations, in which a retrospect of the
past is made basis for future action
Commerce, Manufactures, and Agricul-
ture were the three great industrial sys-
tems-the three giant agencies in civiliza-
ton. The three go hand in hand. Com
merce, which goes foremost in the march,
is yet intimately connected with manu-
features and agriculture. Several signal
illustrations of this connection were
given by the speaker. Agriculture,
however, is the basis of the whole, and is
therefore, the first industrial interest of
every state. 1t in fact precedes all civili-
zed life. Agriculture, the orator should
consider in the broad sense as being not
merely the cultivation of the soil, but as
including the conversion of vegetables in
to animals-the raising of stock. A pas
toral community, living by grazing flocks
and herds is therefore agricultural. Cain
was tiller of the ground, Abel shep-
perd-both agriculturists.
Agriculture is the true source of ma
TONS substantial wealth. To apply this
to our own country; our exports for last
year We're $50 millions and our imports
1862 millions. Now, of our exports, the
gross amount of agricultural productions
was 219 millions-Cotton being the lar
gest item. Cotton was indeed King. 1t
had twice saved this country from war
with England. Its strong textile held
these independent States together by a
stronger bond than that chain let down
from Olympus which held together Hea-
ven and Earth and Hades.
The sure reliance which supports our
courage in the midst Of this terrible fl
nancial panic, when mercantile firms
which have been transmitted from sire
to son with untarnished honor are go
ing down in ruin, is the reflection that