Daily national Democrat., 1861-09-20
Dallp 9latloaal Democrat.
Annual Address before the State Agricul-
,rral Society delivered september 18th,
,oe1. nv Hon. G. Il. belong.

,a61. BY Hon. &. Il. DeLong.
NJ President and Gentlemen, Members Of
~ soei.ty: approach the discharge of this
.".t .a which your courtesy has assigned me ),
18th the greatest hesitancy, doubling my
oI;ltv to pei form ftly the same. This is the
annual festival of your Society. Hither has
eome beauty and galantry, Joyous and in
telirent throng. bringing with them the rich
oferings of labor, genius and art; and here
uthin your temples walls those rich gifts
are lavishly displayed. forming scene of
beauty and wealth entirely unequaled by
ANYTHING of that nature that it has ever been
nv fortune hitherto to behold The attempt
were vain for me with my feeble tongue 10
sneak the praise Of all that [ here behold
worthy of the utmost praise.
At this moment of your Soeiety's proud
triumph how strong within the hearts of its
n,emters must swell the tide of joy. This
thought caused him who may have witnessed
the many. very many, struggles and trials of
your Society TO establish itself in the hearts
of the people of this State. TO reflect upon
the train of events that have marked its
eourse from the time fits organizl ton until
now. And it may not perhaps be aihiss at
this time to recur briefly to that history; il
speaking of which, however, can promise to
do but partial ustice for the reasons that
have never been one of its members and have
never been furnished with sufficient statisti-
cal information from which | could learn its
whole history. Therefore | can only speak
from observation. | speak of this as one Of
California's pioneers; one who n few years
since pitched his humble tent within the en-
yirons OF what is now this proud city, which
was then but a mere landing place upon the
rivers side marked only by few tents and
a.. :. H.. H..
grown from boyhood to mans estate. as this
land has emerged from the savage solitude
ofunknown centuries to its splendid present
as rich empire of wealth and freedom -
Having carefully and iralously watched the
history of my adopted State, have become
partially acquainted with the history of this
Society. which forms portion of that States
history. l presume that nearly all of you
within the hearing ofmy voice, are familiar
with the nature and character of those who
first settled this State; of the nature of the
causes which led them here and the opinions
formed by most of them upon their arrival
here California was peopled by II crowd Of
uGventurers drawn hither 10y their thirst for
gain To snatch a fortune hastily, and hasti-
" return to their homes aud families whom
they had left behind, was the sole object of
almost all. They suddenly swept upon this
then almost uninhabited coast, like the wild
rushing Of al upturned sea upon desert
shore.
When they reached here, except in her
climate, they beheld in all of California no
charms for them excepting within her rich
gold fields; and into them they sprang, for
getful or seemingly unconscious OF all else,
like u crew of wild buccaneers sacking some
beautiful city. Each steamer that left our
shores bore away the treasure they had
reaped; and also bore to their friends and
families at home oft repeated assurances of
their speedy return. 1t was the copmon
opinion of all then that our valleys were un-
Gutivable wastes with the exception of such
small strips Of land AS bordered immediately
upon the streaGis that crossed through them;
that our mountains were desert peaks, con
tanning no wealth except tLeir minerals and
the mighty forests that clothed their sides
This mineral wealth. it was thought. would
toon be entirely exhausted, as it was deemed
10 exist ouly in the channels of our rivers,
creeks and ravines, which would necessarily
soon he worked out The beautiful timber
upon our mountains sides was also deemed
>alueless except for mining purposes, on ac-
count of its inaccesssibiility to any market
Among such people, in such land, en-
tertaining such opinions, it was almost in
possible 10 inaugurate any society or other
public institution looking to pernanence. Al
such II time aud under such circumstances a
Ahese this Society was organized.
At tive very threshold otits existence 1T was
met by she direst of all foes. against which
energy aud enterprise was ever called 10
war, VIZ A cold, selfish, heartless apathy
upon the part of our people. But the non
hearts of its orginators knew no such word
as fail they plainly foresaw in our valleys,
our mountains aud our climate, the germs of
that mighty destiny which now gids with
ependor our pathway of might and power.
They hoped on and struggled on. receiving
but faint aud sckly species of assistance
from the balance of the community, for a
long time; but adventitious circumstances
and their continued efforts soon produced II
gradual change in the opinions of our people
New inventions in mining machinery and u
steady increase of our population by immi-
grafton to our shores. produced daily new
developments of the mineral resources of our
State until the dazzling truth gradually be-
came apparent TO the common mind, that not
only the beds OF our stream0 but the hills,
the mountains and even the rocky ribs of our
mountains, Were all auriferous, impregnaied
with mineral wealth SO vast that only the
toni OF unkDown ayes could exhaust it, In
lact, It became apparent thu wherever with
In OR State mountains stood and water flow
ed there were rich minerals sure to be found.
Whist the minds Of our people were un-
dergoing :his change of opinion relative to
our mineral wealth, the labor of the farmer
IN the valleys had developed the fact that
Califurnia's seemingly barren plains were all
productive, and highly so; that only the Gp-
pication of the touch-stcues of Tabor and
science were necessary to reuder these val
leys seemingly so barren sweet, smiling
homes. The labor of the gardener and far
lHer in the mountains had also proven that
our mountain valleys were all perfect gar
den spots, and that even The grim looking old
mountain sides, with the aid of little labor
and little water would bloom and blossom
like the rose. The fact was also developed
that CALIFORNIA; soil and climate throughout
Its entire extent were productive of the vine;
that fruits and flowers, with trihing degree
Of care, leaped lavishy like magic from its
soil. Extensive mines of quicksilver. copper
and coal were discovered within our limits.
AS these great and beautiful truths, partial
~ mreseen by this Society became fail ly ap-
pa'ept 10 all, then this Society first began
10 receive substantial encouragement from
me masses; and at this time, although limit
esoiy the Immigration of the fair sex to our
9t'te commenced. How much the presence
oi Women WAS needed need not say With
out her, man rapidly refrigerated. and with
ner he has rapidly resumed his place. Before
"er advent to this land vice and immortality.
"ntil then prevalent speedily fled the
lahd or sheltered itself in hidden haunts. -
Our State then first put on her robes of per-