Daily national Democrat., 1860-09-05
nailg 9lational Qrmotrat.
Address of Gabriel N, Sweezy.

unon similar occasion, though under cir
cnmstances far less favorable and encourage
inc We then assembled to witness the first
exhibition of our infant society, and we came
together full of fears and mistrust as to what
would be the result Of our feeble efforts to es-
tablish the Society of the North, whose ex-
liLition this day we have witnessed with Sc
much pride and qualification Again we have
come together from the valleys of the Sacra-
mento, the Feather and the Yuba from the
valleys of the Mountains, from our forest
homes and mining camps, and have assem-
bed to night full of joy and pride at this
wears success and full of hope and courage
for the future. Here at this fitting season of
the year has come the farmer fresh from lis
newly gathered harvest the horticulturalist
smiling from his orchard bending beneath
the weight of luscious fruits; the mechanic
from his work shop blest with the rewards Of
his years toll the miner from his golden la
bors happy at his abundant success; the
herdsman from his pasture fields with heart
made glad at the yearly increase and i'm
provement of his locks the artizan from his
study cheered by the honors won by his
chise, or the laurels gained 10y his pencil !;
the merchant from the avenues of trade and
commerce thankful for the blessings of pros
perity that Lhas crowned bis pursuits with
success; and those Of every vocation and call
ing in life, have come from their various la
bors and duties rejoicing in plenty and gem
eral prosperity, to return thanks unto an All
wise Providence for the many and varied
blessings that he has bestowed upon them
during the past year. Abundant are the rea-
sons we have for returning thanks aud rem
dering prai-es unto that God who has watch
ed over US and so bountifully prospered us in
all our pursuits and undertakings The past
year has been signaly favored with health
to man and beast. While tho people of other
lands have suffered from cold, drought-from
the pestiencr, the tornado and the hurricane,
we have been blest with genial season, with
the early and the later rains, with an abun-
dant harvest and with peace and plenty, ard
freedom from sulferings and hardships We
should therefore, with the Psalmist of old.
praise the Lord and "Sing praises unto our
God, who covereth the heavens with clouds,
who prepareth rain for the earth, who giveth
to the beast his food: lie maketh peace in
thy borders and flleth thee with the finest
of wheat "He giveth snow like wool, lie
casteth forth his ice like morsels lie sendeth
out bis word and melteth them; He causeth
his wind to blow and the waters tiow."
We have come together, fellow -citizens,
with thankfulness, to witness and exhibit to
one another the products of the soil, the fruits
of our toll and industry, the handiwork ofour
hands and the achievements of the mind, to
renew and extend those social ties that en-
dear us to one another, TO Il common coun-
try and that make us one people Yea, to
study the advancement and improvements
made by our neighbors; to acquire fresh
knowledge and to gather new zeal and
energy for the duties of the coming year
When look around me and behold the vast
asscm6lage here congregated,- when | cast
my eyes upon the varied resources of our
young State here represented and contem-
plate their superior excellence, feeling of
pride comes over me, and the recollection of
the past rushes upon my mind, and | natur-
ally recall California as she was few years
ago. and ask the question, What has pro-
duced the change? | then beheld her as the
land of few soourning adyenturers in
pursuit of the golden treasures hidden in her
mountains. She was without agriculture
without the mechanics arts; without trade
and commerce; without society; without
laws and without schools. Her broad val
leys had never yielded to the ploughshare or
her mountain sides been disrobed of their
forest mantle. On the bosom Of her clear
crystal streams no steamer had ever rode,
and her vast territory was unmarked by
roads and highways and untraversed save by
the Indian war path and the pioneers trail.
To-day she boasts of population of 10000
Inhabitants, of rich and populous cities, of
tlOurishng towns, of cultivated fields, of
growing orchards and vineyards, of manu-
factories, trade ard commerce, of whole
some government, of schools and seminaries
of learning sufficient for the wants of our
people; of churches, asylums, and other
charitable institutions Less than ten years
ago her unsettled inhabitants imported all
their grains and provisions and nearly all the
necessalies Of life; the tools of the mechanic,
the laborer, the miner, and all the imple-
ments of husbandry were furnished from
foreign workshops. To-day We are our own
manufacturers in nearly all branches Of the
business; we produce our own meats, sup
ply our own tables with all the necessaries
and many Of the luXuries, and have already
become exporters of wool, grains and wines
as well as of gold When we contemplate
the rapid advancement we have already
made, in all the industrial pursuits, in wealth
and prosperity vixen we consider the ad-
Vantages we possess in geographical position,
IN climate, in produetiveness of soil, and in
our mineral resources, we should take cOur-
age and strive to make our young and golden
State one of the first in agriculture, in manu-
factories in commerce, in arts in learning in
wealth and prosperity. 1t is to our agricul-
tural products and to our fiocks we must look |
for our greatness and affluence as "A State and |
a people. These are our riches With these |
we are fed and clothed. Gold is but their |
representative. The arts and the artiZan but
change their character to suit the convent |
ence and the wants Of man; trade and COM
merce but exchange them ready for convent |
ent use. But when a producing people be-
come their own manufacturers, carry on their |
own commerce, and furnish their own repre- |
sentative gold, they are indeed great, rich |
and Independent State Such ere long must
be the State of California if she continues to
Improve in her agriculture, her manufactures |
end her commerce. The question of her
greatness and her future destiny is with you, |
the husbandman, the mechanic the merchant |
and the miner. Wi houta tagriculture, without
manufactures, and without commerce, the
sciences and the arts would cease to flourish, |
learning, religion, and literature would die
out, and man would sink into barbarism
Agriculture is the mother of civilization, and
with civilization comes religion, the arts and
the sciences. The Island of Mere, in ETHIOPIA,
was the cradle of agriculture, and SO it was
OF civilization. 1t gave religion and the arts !
of civilized life TO the valley of the Nile 1t !
was to agriculture that Egypt owed her great |
ness and she derived her knowledge from the |
farmers of Mere. Judea is indebted to the
visit of Jacob and his household into Egypt
Tor the Introduction of agriculture, and the
blessing Of civilized life. FROM Egypt and |
Judea agriculture and civilization were car
rled into Greece, and the fertile valleys of
Ihessaa and 5eda became noted for their
pasturage, their corn wine and oil and as |