St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-09-29

were MIlIdrI lIimOrc, IrCSldCnt
tie United States Daniel Wchstc
Secretary of State Senators Bell, {
Tennessee, and Dawson, Of Georgia
and the distinguished Senator fror
Illinois, now present, was mcmbc
, Of the committee by whom the const
tuition was prepared The vcncrabl
George Washington Parkc Custis wa
also mcmhcr. and served as Il Vice
, President until his death.
Rclying upon the support Of gcr
crous and discriminating people, b
whom it was created, and for whom
was prepared to labor, it commence
i. forthwith a series Of annual Nationa
Exhibitions, which have now contil
ned, with unfailing regularity for
period Of seven years. During thi
time it has collected and distribute,
more than $4,000, the effect O
which upon the wealth of the natio
it would be difficult to estimate. Il
every city where its Fairs have beel
held, an amount has been expended
and stimulus given to every de
partmcnt Of business far beyond til,
cost Of securing its attendance. Anc
who that bcholds the display b,
which we are at present surrounded
can say that it has not become an es
tablishcd institution of the country
and that the country itself has no
been elevated to higher position b,
the evidence which is thus afforded o
the energy and power Of its people
But few brief years have elapsed
since this city, already claiming to b,
the granary of the world, was an out
post on tue frontier settlement Of oul
country-bcyond it was a boundlcs,
wilderness, inhabited by the savagcs
and the beasts OF the forest
viii you pardon me, brother Farm
ers of Illinois and Wisconsin, of low;
and Minnesota, if yield for a moment
! to the influence OF UvcrpOwcring assu
Citations connected with that cvcntiu
/ period in your history when the pio
nccrs of your now smiling dhd peace
lul country were fleeing in terror
from thc ton&hawk and scalping
knife of the savage; when their wives
and children were crowded together
/ in the block house at Fort Dearborn
which stood in the very heart of your
now popuIouS city--a small body ui
troops was sent from the sraboard t.
afford them succor and protection
! Of that i'll iatcd band, who were cX-
posed to the two fold vicisSitudcs OF
war and pr%t.Irncr, it WAS my lot t..
lee member. You will NOT wundor
therefore, tlIal | feel a peculiar inter
est in your growth and prosperity
and that when look on the familiar
scenery Of your lake and river, and
think of your boundIcss prairics, over
which have marched with no other
guide than I'll" compass and the sun,
| feel that ana not stranger, and
that in Kidding you welcome on yomr
own soil, | am exercising the privi-
iyIc Of one who may almost claim th"
rights of a citizen among You. In a
brief period after the events to which
| have alluded, the rushing tide Of
emigration came pouring in through
these great lakes, whose commerce
HOW rivals that Of our Atlantic coast.
and pressing onward to thc farthrrcSt
verge Of navigation, found It's way to
this favored spot, where the eastern
projection of the dry prairie meets the
western extremity Of navigation on
the lakes From this common point
of departure they spread throughout
that territory which their labors have
converted into an empire, and the re-
turning tide of commerce has built up
a mart for the outlet of their products
the growth Of which has not been
cquallcd by that Of aay city in the
world.
|, was the proud boast Of the great
Peter that he had built an imperial
city but where shall we find another
instance Of a city which has attained
the magnitude of Chicago by the
fruits of agriculture alone. She is u
fit emblem Of the power Of the West,
which is already competing for the
control of the nation, and at the last
annual mc' ting of this society in
Washington, claimed as matter of
right the location of the next annual
fair. To the State of Illinois it seem
ed to be justly due, for the roll of her
agricultural societies has already cx-
cccded that of any other State, and
she alone presented more than one
competitor for the honor. The city of
Peoria, small in numbers but large in
enterprise, and confident in her own
resources, was first in the field, aud
cvinccd Il libcrality which in proper.
ton to her ability, was even greater
than that of her more fortunate rival
Considerations of national policy com
PEELED Us to decide against her-bnt
her spirit and generosity excited oul
| highest admiration, and | here be
speak from all the exhibitors now pres
cnt their patronage of her fair which
will be held during the ensuing year
And now let us contemplate for q
moment the scene before us, and the
! duties which it involves. What al
evidence does it afford Of Irresistible
energy of the American people Less
than sixty days ago the bosom of this
beautiful prairie was repOsng in qui
ct lovcliness. Where the stiffness oI
nature then reigned supreme, all is
now tccming with life and energy
The list Of articles now entered is
greater than on amy similar occasion
and twice as large as that at the State
fair in this city only four years ago
1t embraces already sixteen States
and the province of Canada, extend
ing from the British provincesto Tex
as, and from the Atlantic to the Pa
ciiic
Fifty-scvcn Agricultural and Horti
cultural Societys are now reprcsente,
LIZ lnlnmniinns nmhraciu Snunntnn,