Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-26
Address of a. II. Black. ESQ.

Ladies and Gentlemen We learn there was q
time, away back near the dawn OF creation, when
perfect harmony reigned throughout all nature.-
= When the morning stars sang together, and all
the sons of God shouted for Joy" The poets tel
us that during this time innocence was safe VII h.
out an ayenger; the rod Of the OppressOr was I'M
felt and unknown; the rose bloss0med without a
thorn, and the sporting lion ramp'd, and in his
paw handled the kid" They represent it as pc
Rod OF perpetual spring and perpetual youth
9 No joint benumbng cold, nor scorchn9 heat
Famine nor age had any beng then"
From the Bible We have positive information in
regard to this period, and there learn that its
happy condition surpassed even the fancicS OF the
poets.
But alas for us our frat parents.sby their great
transgression forfeited this fair inheritance, and
the beautiful order of nature which was prepared
to furnish exquisite and endless delights was bro
ken up, and in its stead came sorrow and sick
ness, violence and death. The ground itself was
cursed, that it brought forth thOrns and this
ties, and man, with his moral nature warped and
perverted, bending under load OF guilt, was ex-
PEELED from his beautiful Eden to till the ground
from whence he was taken. Here, gentlemen,
your occupation commenced. Adam was the first
farmer but that he furnished pattern worthy
OF your imitation may be doubted. When he set
out IN life he had no neighDOrs TO meet and con-
suit with yOu have. His nearest neighbOr was
the man in the moon, and unless his manners
have greatly changed, he was not very sOciable.-
Our great progenitor, no donbt, had to wiring all
his information the subiec OF agriculture from
nature, by hard experience and perhaps on this
account he was permitted to live so much longer
than we
After the flood we are told that Noah became a
husbandman. He turned his attention to the
cultivation OF the grape, and it might seem, be-
came q little too fond of its j'.tce.
OF all the nations of antiquity Egypt took the
lead in agriculture She was the granary of the
surrounding nations for some thousands of years :;
and as far back as the days of Abraham, nearly
four thousand years ago. read Of Journeys to
Egypt to escape famine. She invented letters ;
became the mother Of the arts and sciences, and
gave civilization to her nC;ghbOrs. Her agrcul-
ture gave her the prominence that she long
maintained, for her fertility enabled few OF her
people to make support fo1 ALL whilst leisure was
Afforded Tor intellectual improvements the adj
vancemenb of tho arts and sciences. military en-
terprisCs, and the construction of those st1pen-
dous works that still continue to instruct and as
tOnish mankind.
The Greeks and Romans, also, paid due honor
to the ploW, and they furnish Us with many beau
tiful myths, showing the high esteem in which it
was held among them. They placed Ceres, the
goddess OF agriculture, among their - det 3.tG-
jOre&,' OF great dlylnltleS, and her worship
one of the most solemn Ceremoulals of their re-
ligiOn.
When the city of Athens was founded, they feiSn
that dispute arose between Neptune and Miner
va 20 which OF them should be hOnOred with
the name Of the new city. The gods to whom
the dispute was referred decided that WluGhey er
of them should confer the greatest benefit on
mankind would be entitled to the name. Neptune
struck the earth with his trident and produced
the horse q Narlike animal but Minerva out of
her spear formed the olive an emblem OF peace
and LusbaGdry, and the case was decided in her
favor.
At the close Of the civil wars, that resulted in
the destruction of the Roman Republic and the
establishment of monarchy, the condition Of Italy
was wretched in the extreme. The drain on her
people to supply the armies had caused Let fields
W 9e neglected Tor many years; ana starVatIon
anu want had become common. To add to the
general misery, the lands of many Of those who
had espoused the cause of the Republic were con-
hseated; and multitudes of these sufferers tocked
to Rome to excite the conopas sion of the Emperor
For these accumulated evils, and to prevent
others threatened, it was thought the best remedy
would be, to turn the attention of the people to
agriculture. For this purpose. the poet Virgil, q