Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-15
Gov. salem0n's Agricultural Address:
Delivered before the Annual Meeting of the
NalW0rth County Agricultural and Meehan-
ical Society, Sept. 3Oth. 1863.

ical Society, Sept. 3Oth, 1868.
Agriculture is the foundation of all civil
cation of mankind; it is the corner stone or
which rests society, without which empire:
would not have been and would not be. anC
history itself become blank page. Neither
the wandering nomadic tribes, with theiI
peaceful herds of cattle, nor the barbarou:
hordes who lived by hunting and fishing
could secure the rudiments even of civilized
life, until, turning their attention to the cul
tiFation OF the soil, they became fixed il
thelr habltations, the founders Of homes
families, towns and states, and thereby
emerged from darkness and barbarism into
hight and civilization. Thus history has re-
corded the early progress of mankind, and
points to agriculture as the certain and only
tanner of savage man. To prove this, it is
not necessary, however, to lift the veil that
shrouds the cradle of the human race and its
early Developments we need but look around
US and upon the aborigines who hover upon
our frontier Centuries have passed since
the virgin soil of this continent had to yield
to European culture the wild and savage In
dian has since then beheld how his former
hunting ground, whose vast extent gave but
poor and scanty support to him, has been
turned into great garden of civilization, in
habited by hundreds of thousands of busy
and happy people, where formerly but hun
dreds of his own tribe could find the means
of support. With wonder and Amusement
has he seen this civilization spring up before
and around him; the vast forests whose i'm
penetrable shades sheltered but the wild man
and wild beasts have disappeared. The white
man of the frontier comes first with his axe
and his pillow, he clears a modest little spot in
the vast wilderness and builds a modest little
hut, scarcely superior to his red neighbor's
wigwam few years roll bv, the modest lit
tie spot has widencd, and large and luXuriant
fields of corn and cultivated plants meet the
eye Of the pensivc and Jealous red man,
while the modest little hut has given place to
comfortable, large and handsome dwelling
amidst cultivated trees and garden plants.
But little distance marks another place,
where another white intruder has built an
other and similar home; where the accus-
toned eye observed but an Indian trail a few
years ago, broad roads have been hewn out
to facilitate the transportation of the white
mans necessares and products settlements,
villages and cities arise proud vessels with
white Sails or the dark clouds of swift and
seifprOpelling keels float upon the inland
lakes and rivers, and have scared away the
red mans little canoe, while the iron horse
snUEtS ucudllCe through TIE WILDERNESS, ana
with fearful rapidity threatens destruction to
the last hunting ground of the redskin. Sad,
sullen, vindictiVc and obstinate the Indian
turns away from the civilization of his white
brother neither persuasion nor threats can
induce him to exchange his hunting nipple
ments for the axe, the spade and the pillow ;
with civilization constantly before and around
him, with privileges and advantages offered
him. If he vii. but Leave his wild and savage
state, he is with few exceptions, the same
that Columbus found him. because he obsti-
nately refuses TO turn to agriculture If God
has not planted in him the inclination or abil-
ity to cultivate the soil, he has denied him
The advantages and pleasures of u civilized
life and doomed his race to cxtinction
The pursuit of agriculture not only marks
the first step of civilized life, but it Is the
rock on which society rests with all its pleas
ures, its advantages, its pursuits, and its re-
suits Other branches Of mans industry
might be neglected or omitted and while we
would thereby, perhaps, suffer great incon-
yenicnce and be deprived of many things chat
We are accustomed to regard as necessaries
Of life, yet civilization and society would con
tinuc and mans inventive genius would soon
supply the defects But picture TO yourselves
for moment the condition of the human
race if all the fields of agriculture on this
globe should lie waste and unimproved but
for one single season! With starvation
staring mankind in the face everywhere, all
the strong pillars of government society and
civilization, would be swept away; cQnstitu-
tions, laws, armies would avail nothing; an
arely, barbarism and chaos would reign SUI
premc, ard all the proud achievements of the
human race would disappear in the common
gulf of ruin in which mans existence would
cease, 1t would require the God-insprcd
imagination of Milton to describe the con
dition of mankind in such Il case, to paint
such things uninterrupted yet in prose or
rhyme
Agriculture supplies us with the means of
existence not only, but with most of the ma
terials necessary to our comfort and luxury.
1t has often been termed "the nohlest of
mans pursuits" and truly so, if those words
are rightly interpreted. Every pursuit, call
ing or labor in life that contributes to the
existence, the well-being, the comforts, edu-
cation or advancement of mankind has
equal claims to our regard and esteem. The
hired day-laborer who with frugal and scanty
means supports his family by toiling for his
fellow-man in thousand different ways and
manners the mechanic and artificer who la
Dor ingeniously in their workshops the far
mer who diligently supplies man with means
of subsistence and with raw materials for
other necessaries, comforts and Injuries of
life the merchant and trader who facilitate
the exchange of natures products and mans
possessions the officer, statesman, LAWYER
and awgiver who labor in the making, APP
plication and execution of the laws under
whose protection we are enabled to live in
peace and obtain redress for wrongs; the
81 10
try against foreign invasion and internal dis
sension and anarchy; the artist whose works
gladden. and instruct us; the philosopher
whose patient studies reveal to us the laws of
nature; the teacher who instructs the rising
generation; and all others who, in whatever
honorable and honest profession, labor or pur-
suit in life, assist in maintaining or elevating
mankind, are equally worthy of and equally
entitled to our respect. In the true condi-
ton of things, we should not make invidious
distinctions between the different callings of
man: natures true noblemen may be found
among the laborers upon any field of indus
trv. they are not confined to this or that par
tieular vocation in life.
s. The purest treasure mortal times afford
Is spotIeSS reputation !; that away,
Men are but gilded loan or painted clay"
That is the true criterion of mans nobility.
Idlers, the drones of society, who cheat God,
nature and man, of the value of their exist
enee. have little claim to our esteem: and
vet by strange perversion of things and mis-
application of terms, in many countries the
title "noblemen" is confined to a certain
class who despise manual labor and largely
consist of idlers and truants.
But in more limited sense, without east
ing reflection upon other branches of indus