The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-07

A Pleasant Afau.-The duty of report
ing the different fruits on exhibition at
Assembly Hall, yesterday, prevented us
from hearing and reporting the address of
the Mayor, welcoming the delegates to
Richmond, and the reply of Hon. Marshall
Wilder.
However Objectionable His Honor, the
Mayor, may be to us politically, we have
profound respect for the happy manner in
which he performs the duties of his posi-
ton, under circumstances like those of yes
terday. We, however, congratulate our
selves and friends, when we remember that
it might have been worse, and certainly no
better with the material to select from.
We supply the omission we were COM
PEELED to make yesterday. M
RECEPTION AT THE CAPITOL.
AT half-past twelve the members of the
Society marched in procession to the Capi-
tol, headed by Mr.. Allan, Of the Virginia
Horticultural and Pathological Society, and
Colonel Wilder, of Massachusetts,. Ar
irving there, they were received IN the hall
of the House of Delegates by His Honor
Mayor Kelley, who spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF MAYOR KELLEY.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen, 1t is a
pleasant service to be charged with extend
ing you, as ] am happy to do, very cor
dial welcome to our city on behalf OF the
authorities and people of Richmond and |
embrace the occasion, also, to congratulate
my fellow-citizens on the presence among
them of so large and intelligent a body of
gentlemen from all parts of our common
country, engaged in a duty so beneficent
that their deliberations will provoke hostile
criticism in no quarter. M ts
The Union of science with labor is among
the most characteristic peculiarities OF our
age. The time was when philosophy
marched along the highway of the earth
wrapped in lordly pride, which disdained all
association with labor, and if it degned to
cast a look across the hedge, that divided
it from the field and the garden, it was to
vent its scorn on the dusty hand and less
intelligent brain there engaged. From this
two great evils resulted. First, agriculture
and every other form Of fruitful labor lost
the important aid of philosophy, and
secondly, philosophy itself lost the power
full stimui,.s which profit lends to every
development of human effort.
Almost within our memories all this has
been changed; the white hand has clasped
the brown, the teeming brain has grasped
the plow, the pruning-hooS and the sickle,
and those great agencies for the betterment
of our race whom God hath joined are no
longer by man to be sundered. And with
what splendid results on every hand !!
Surely if he may be claimed to be bene-
factor of his race who makes two blades OF
grass grow where only one grew before,
your praise should be a thousand fold
greater who have taken the bitter fruit OF
a thorny tree in the wilds Of Eastern Eu-
rope, untitled for food for man or beast, and
therefrom have developed the most delicious
fruit of our day in more than five hundred
varieties. [Applause.l And lastly, gen
tlemen, welcome you with peculiar plea.
sure, as this is your first assembling in a
Southern city. Let me indulge the hope
that you have not only brought hither your
persons and the superb results of your
skill, but that you have come among us
; bringing your hearts likewise. [Great APP
plause.l
When the late unhappy strify was ended,
the first act of reconstruction was passed
by nature. Our brotherhood was still
boiling in hostile veins the clenched hant
was still unrelaxed, and the passions o
war were still rife when from a thousand
, skies and hill-sides and athwart Thousand
plains came the generous sunlight, the gen
} tie rain, and the tempering winds, filling ul
: the gaping rifie-pits. ebattering down tn
sharp escarpements of frowning forts, blot
, ting out with waving grain the fierce sea
I of shot and shell, crowning battlement
with fragrant flowers, and weaving beau
, tiful carpet of green over the scenes ant
: sites of wars worst devastations. lap
plause.l May it be your happy fortune an
high privilege, gentlemen, you who labo
{ with nature in so many pleasant and profit
5 able fields, to lend her a helping hand an
a willing heart in this, the noblest field c
all !! loud and continued applause.l
COL. wILDER's sPEEH.
Q AT the close of the remarks of the Mayor
f Col. Wilder replied as follows:
: Mr.. Mayor--ln behalf of the America
{ Pathological Society and in my own beha
: L return you my grateful acknowledgment
e for your gracious welcome and for the mos
Y eloquent words in which you have addresse
: us. / am happy to be here. We are hal
/. py to be here in the capital of the Old Dc
e minion, State so distinguished for the pr,
b duction of illustrious men--of Washington
t Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Harrison an
# Tyler-all of whom have filled the hIghe
: station in the gift Of the people; John Ma
e shall, Patrick Henry, Henry Clay, nam,
: that will ever constitute a galaxy of talel
II to fill the brightest page in the annals
American history. We come from diffe
ent and widely distant sections Of our coul
II try.
!. | came from the cold and sterile soil
h New England, where we have not the lu
# uriant soil OF the West, nor the war;
II genial and sunny cline of the South bu
4 sir, we have hearts as warm as yours; al
=: | although granite and ice enters LARGELY in