Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-18
THE CITY.
TIE SPRING FAIR
az the Tennessee Agricultural and
Mechanical Association.
First Day.


First Day.
The annual spring exhibition of the Ten
nessee Agricultural and Mechanical Asso-
citation commenced yesterday. The dav
was bright and lovely, and Just such wealth.
er as could have been desired for the open-
ing of the fair week.
THE GROUNDS.
Since the fall exhibition, the grounds
have been materially improved, and are
beginning to present an attractive appear
pearance. A large amount of shrubbery
has been set out, new walks have been laid
off, and on every side we see the hand of
improvement. Between the Amphitheatre
and Floral Hall, a spacious summerhouse
has been erected, rustic in style, with roof
made Of reeds. Between the points named
we also see preparations for a couple of
lakes, designed by the gardener in charge.
| The ground work has been commenced
and IN year more, the space in the rear
OF the amphitheatre, and surrounding the
Floral Hall, will be redolent with sweet
flowers and border plants, with beautiful
foliage trees in abundance.
THE OPENING EXERCISES.
The spring exhibition, its objects, bene-
fits, ETC., were referred to by Col. T. B.
johnson, President of the Association. in
an opening address to those present, which
was In substance as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN This Associa
ton has been in correspondence with sew
eral distinguished gentlemen with the view
to procure the delivery of an address at
the opening Of our Fair worthy of the occa-
sion, but we have failed signally failed, and
this Is our second failure in this line, from
which we have lesson by which to profit
that Is, that working men should think
and talk for themselves, and not be de-
pendent on other people to act for
them. Fairs are not new in Tennes-
see they were inaugurated by State
authority, and commenced over twenty
years since under its liberal policy and
prosecuted by the people with a success
greatly exceeding the most sanguine hopes
of their projectors-giying an impetus to
the two great interests of human civiliza-
ton, agriculture and the mechanic arts.
resulting in improvements in the culture of
the soil, the breeding and rearing of domes-
TIC animals, and in stimulating the various
domestic industrial resources of Ten
nessee more than triple that which |
could hsve been expected without them. |
They have been suspended for time for |
causes which l need not explain. Our for |
tunes have been shattered; the resources |
of great number of our most enterprising. |
energetic, intelligent and worthy citizens |
have been crippled; our labor system revo
lutonized; our fields have grown weary of |
our system of tillage, taking all and return |
ing nothing, and refusing to yield the re- !
ward to the tolls of the husband |
man, of which, in times past, |
they have been so liberal Through |
the fundamentally of our fairs, we |
bring the farmers, mechanics, industrial |
rural population, commercial and profess |
slonal community, all equally interested |
and alike qualified, to offer valuable infor-
nation to each other, all together to ex-
hibit the result of our several efforts, COM
pare notes, institute comparisons, mutual |
ly determine which is best, give the sue
cessful competitor premium as a token |
Of merit and commemoration, and thus |
encourage laudable rivalry in which all !
the contestants may become benefciaries.
These contests suggest with great force the |
advantages and effect of proper under
standing of the business in which we are
severally engaged
1t is well understood in the so-called |
higher spheres of life, that knowledge is
capital and power. 1t is none the less SO
in agriculture and mechanic arts.
These exhibitions show who understands |
his business best, and allow all to start
stresh at the most advanced point attained
by the foremost, and with persistence in
this we may soon hope to wipe out the
burning shame that our soil is deteriorating
IN fertility, and we are sending abroad
for corn and hay, and constantly draining
our pockets to supply that of which we
are abundantly able to produce plenty and
to spare. If we can but by our fairs in
duce the workingmen. and especially the
farmers to think, to raise their standard of
education, and to assert the dignity and
honor Of labor, and maintain their true
and legitimate position in society, then the
gullies In our fields, those eyesores of the
farmer who respects his voeation-to the
man of taste, who has love for the beau
ties of nature, and lOaths the sight of any
and every thing which Injuries and distorts
the face of mother earth, and sug-
gests carelessness and ingratitude-
will disappear, our hills will be clothed
with grass, our valleys viii team with
golden harvests, our flocks and herds will
be large and fine, and fat and sleek we
can then feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
and administer to the wants of the needy.
The face of the country will thus become
beautiful; mans cOuntenance will be clad |
in SMILE our matrons and maidens will
rejoice; orr little ones will skip about
and frolic like lambs, the presence and
smiles of Almighty God will rest upon us,
and peace will continue with u.s. The at
-ainment of all these great ends being the
leading objects of holding fairs, we, as
Christian people, regard it as an exalted
privilege to the public, and invoke Divine
Providence to crown our efforts with sue
cess, and for this purpose we defer to our
friend the Rev. DIR. Moore, pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church of Nashville.
At the conclusion of the Presidents re-
marks, Rev. t. v. Moore offered mp the
following prayer:
PRAYER.