The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-10-11
Address by John R. French, ESQ,
Before the Geouga Free Agyiculiuroi S
ciety, at CidriciOn, Sept, 25th, 1861.

Mr. I>fCStdeh, L0dIeS, Queens,
.SoldierS;-lf stranger, unacquain,td
with the workings OF American Inslilu-
tlons. visitor from some monarchial gov.
eminent, were TO ask me for a specimen
Of American Suciety-for well worked
out result Of our usage and laws-I would
bring him TO your pleasant County OF
Geauga. would solicit days drive OF
a span OF those feet. fooled horsee Just
passed from this ring. and would take
the enquirer through your Geauga town.
ships showing him your well .ktpt roads,
your beautiful and cIeanly trimmed farms,
with :heir broad meadows and their
stretching slopes OF upland, Of pasture and
of orchard would point him to your
comfortable homes, and with special pride,
your School-houses and Summaries, found
in every village, and graciug almos; every
cross'road, and free with all their treas
nres 10 the poorest and humblest child
] would bring my traveller friend here,
Mr.. President, on this mellow September
day, that he might see these specimens OF
your aocks and herds, and in yonder Hall
the golden products of your dar;es, and
the sklllul handiwork Of your fair daugh-
ters and matrons. Aye, would show
him the Men and Women of Geauga--
gathered at their Autumnal festival, with
their thank offerings TO that mcrciful
Being who has established the Seasons,
and who sendeth his rain and his sun.
shine alike upon the just aud the unjust.
| would remind this enquirer after Amer.
lean progress and Republican develop
ment. that all tLis material and social
growth-all this refinement and civiliza-
tion. was but the product Of half cen.
tury. That within the memory Of living
men all this beautiful country, stretching
of in such broad landscapes from this
pleasant hight, was an unbroken wilder
ness. Then with what pride as nm Amer.
lean citizen, could tell the stranger that
all this is no miracle-only the natural
outgrowth Of our American Free Ins;ilu-
lions. Under Gods good blessing, Free
Labor, Free Schools, Free Pulpis, Free
Presses, Free Ballots, Sober Habits, Up.
right Priciples, with the heal,bful ipflu-
ences Of rural life-,hese have achieved
it all. God made it pleasant country
and spread kindly skies above it, while
your fathers were indeed Of good blood
and good principles, but at time like
this, when traitor hands are put forth for
the destruction Of the Government itself,
it is well TO remember for how much Of all
our achievement. political, social and pc.
cuniary. we are indebted to institutions
now in jeopardy. No where else have
our peculiar American institutions had
freer play than here on the Western Re.
serve,and no where else have they worked
out NOR legitimate results.
But not only are you Free people in
Geauga Coun.y-rejoicing proudly and
inteligently in your Liberty but you
are exclusively a farming people, and
there are heal,hiul Influences, moral MS
well as physical, springing directly from
the labors and associations OF rural life.
The farmer has less to do with men and
more TO do with God, than the followers
ofolher pursuits. This til!ing OF the earth
and raising Of crops is not a "vulgar"
business, as sometimes ignorantly asserted
but is the most royal and ennobling Of all
avocaiions-affording ample scope for the
highest intellectual culture or scientific at
tainment. These laws Of vegetable life,
so common as 10 be almost unnoticed,
open broad and beautiful field for
thought and research. For instance, ha,
more beautiful! than the growth of corn,
through all its stages Of development from
the few handsful of dry grain cast into
the earth, up 10 the time when it puts on
its golden vestmenis for the harvest holi.
days, gracefully bending toward the earth
with its weight OF food for man and beast.
Or. the growth and maturing of an or.
chard, from the setting OF the scion to the
day when in its kindly shadow you may
sit with your wife and your little ones and
eat Of its grateful fruit. And what lin.
illess field for delight and research in The
annual reawakening Of nature--when,
after months o! sleep and frost the long.
bound earth is released from its icy chains,
and fervid suns and soft rains carpet its
pastures and meadows with their pleasant
green and open the fruitful bosom OF the
ploughed field TO every grain and seed
dropped from tho farmers hard, buried
hut 10 spring up again, and under the
quickening influences OF the Summers
sun and rain and dew to ripen their grain
and fruit "every planted seed and grain
which had been loaned to The earth COM
pounding its pious usury thirty, sixty, a
hundred fold-all adapted 10 the susten-
ance Of living nature-here titled corn.
field. food for man there an implanted
wilderness, the Great Fathers farm