New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-24
THE CATTLR.sHOws.


We consider it cheering omen Of the
future that the Agricultural Fairs" Cattle
Show is the older but less comprehensive
name-haye not been suspended wholly by the
yicissitudcs of the times. II is relief to OBJ
serve in the newspapers side by side with stories
Of carnage and contest, reports of these AMIGA
bic rivalries, in which this honest farmer pits
his fat pigs against the swine Of his neighbor,
and that substantial yeoman carries away from
twenty competitors the laurels of the blowing
match We are sure that these innocent festivi-
ties have moral effect quite independent OF
their practical usefulness; and that they will serve
an excellent purpose by relaxing the tension Of
the rural mind, which, throughout the past Sum-
mer, has been kept so painfully on the alert. In
times of public danger, dependency is more to be
dreaded than hostile arms; for 1t leads to that
oyerestimate of the importance of our reyerses,
and that underestimate of our resources, which
may bring us to new panic and overthrow. We
are afraid that our people are too prosaic for
the old Greek custom Of wearing flowers in sea-
sons of national peril; but we fancy that com
Portable excursion TO the county town, with his
wife and daughters, and day given to sight
seeing and tho hearing Of good speeches, will do
the farmer no harm. lie will bring back with
him, though he win no premiums, the material
of many Winter evenings conyersatiOn-remi-
niscences Of extraordinary beeves, of miraculous
calves. and Of unprecedented sheep-of some
cornstalk bearing more ears, Of some corncob
bearing more kernels, than ever stalk or cob bore
before. But he Will, if lie be an intelligent oh.
server, win more than this; for all the beautiful
display melowiDg or moving under September
sky, will reveal TO him the dignity and importance
of his calling. IT. in the turmoil and hustle Of the
rebellion, he has sometimes felt that it was an
ungraciou. fate which consigned him TO peaceful
labors, the triumphs of the harvest-home will
teach him that he, too, is contending though it
be only with sterility and the unpropitious ele-
ments; and that every bushel Of corn which he
has produced every pound Of beef and pork
which he is ready TO send to market, is con-
tribution TO the stability and yindication Of the
Constitution. Gunpowder is an excellent thing;
but what is il without grain Maneuvering may
be masterly but the best tactician must have
depression, banker may go on, month after
month"; manipulating the same ragged roll of Sc
curities, taking nothing, perhaps, and perhaps
adding nothing to its value; but all this time the
sun is shining, the rain and the dews
are falling, the seed is swelling or sprout-
ing, the plant is blossoming or bearing The
richest gold mines are in the meadows of the home
farm Two bright days in August put millions OF
eagles into the strong boxes of Wall street. An
untmcly rain may make all the bears happy or all
the bulls dismal. When we talk of sieges, we
think of castles only and Notifications; but good
general in the field may spend month in beseging
the bcefbarrels of the cncmys commissariat.
Herodotus tells us that at sestos the besieged
"boiled and ate the cords Of their bedsteads' and
this century las witnessed the remains of a grand
army subsistng principally upon horse-lesh and
snow-watcr. Every Roman army had herds Of
cattle and nocks Of sheep and gonts in the rear.
But the Roman armies had something better than
these; they had masses Of muscular men, whose
strength had been acquired in the pursuits
of husbandy. The legionary soldiers, in
time Of peace, did not merely live in the
country, but they were prohibited by law from
coming into the city, except on market days,
which were only about three in a month. The
Roman farmers established the Roman Empire.
SO Juyenal, amenting modern corruption and
sensuaty tells us that, in earlier and nobler days
he who had thrice been Consul, and once Die.
tator, would come to the country feast with his
spade on his shoulder, from the hill which he
had been cultivating. Aud, like our own substan
tial yeoman. the Roman was practical farmer.
SO far from having any negroes to help him, he
scarcely had any white men. Blacks were very
expensive goods: nor was it then thought dis
graceful for citizen TO labor. Ii was not unit
the downfall Of the Republic, that man was
considered pauper who owned less than ter
slaves. Then, indeed, came luxury and ruin, os
tentation and anarchy, spendor and wretched
ness, Incidence and barbarc subjugatOn. Witt
the old irugality and industry, the old nyineibil
ity disappeared and the farmers Of tho NortI
stolked in all the majesty Of muscle Oyer tn
ruins Of Rome.