Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-08
!. AGRICULTURAL a CONGRESS.

SAGmme88Bes
To the Editors Of the Union and Americana
SELMA, ALA, Dee. 6.-The following Is
the address Of Gen. w. II. Jackson, of Da-t
wilson county, Tennessee, before the Agri-
cultural Congress tonight in favor Of a
consolidation with the National Agriculture
al Association. 1t was listened to attentive
ly, and produced a decided impression:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen ofthe Con
vention: The committee Of the National
Agricultural Congress, which appears before
your body, are delighted to know that your
body, like ours, Is national in its embrace,
which, l must confess, did not so under
stand at the time we organized at Nashville,
| Oct. 8. 1t affords US great pleasure to be
with Won on this occasion. Yours is move
in the right direction. Permit me to offer
few reasons why the two Associations should
be consolidated:
l. In the multitude of counsel there is
safety-in numbers there is strength; there
fore, the greater the number we can enlist
in this enterprise, the more successful we
are likely to be.
2. From the combined intelligence, energy
and effort of the multitude, great results
may be expected. See for example what
has been achieved by associations of capt.
talists who have invested their money in
navigation, commerce, fisheries, manufac
tories, railroads, telegraph lines, gas compa-
MES, insurance companies, mining compa-
MES and the thousand channels Of enter
prise through which capital seeks accumu-
lation. Witness the compactness Of organ
ization and the skill, energy and judgment
displayed in the promotion of their respect
i've interests. See the success which they
have achieved by lobby representatives, me
MORALS, petitions, and by all means, fair
and unfair, legitimate and illegitimate, in
manipulating legislative bodies, State and
National, in securing aid and protection for
their various enterprises and interests.
Again, various combinations Of capital
readily band together. like clansmen
needing the whistle of their chief they as
semble on call and exert the full influence
of capital and brains on the representatives
of the people, while the great mass Of the
people, constituent masses, the agricultur
lists of this broad land, the producers of
food and Of the raw material which manu-
facturers and mechanics work into useful
and profitable forms, fail to exert their para
mount and legitimate power and influence.
Why is this? How is it to be explained?
Certainly no lack of intelligence in class so
preponderating in numbers; no lack of
means in such an immense aggregate of
wealth, but all for lack of systematic and
extensive organiZation-an organization CO.
extensive with the boundaries of our coun-
try. In the language of my worthy friend,
Col. Killebrew:
" We must organize organize thoroughly
and efficiently. All other trades and pro-
LESSONS have their organizations, and their
voices are needed in our legislative halls.
The farmers in the South at least, have
been like disorganized army after rout,
each one striving to take care of himself
without any assistance from his co-laborers. |
Instead of joining their united energies to |
effect deliverance from those evils that have |
oftentimes sorely oppressed them, they have
preferred to work singly, pulling in various |
and opposite directions; neutralizing the |
power of each other and producing state of |
rest and inactivity by the exertion of equal |
and opposite forces. In this way they have |
nulIifed their influence and Importance. |
Like broken hacks, they have suffered |
themselves to be hitched in the traces and |
driven at will by any half-fedged willing |
who had purpose to accomplish. Let this |
be stopped. Let the agriculturalist learn to |
Let the sheaves of the brethre begin to |
make obeisance to the sheaf of Joseph. |
We are a power in the land, let that power !
be felt. Weneed more solid men in our legisla- |
tive bodies-men endued with the spirit of |
agriculture, of sterling good sense, Of calcu- |
lating sagacity; honest, able, shrewd, vigi- |
liant and firm, to counteract the evil and |
growing influences of the representatives |
of aggregated capital, Of heartless |
Spectators and Of great corporations. |
Let the westwards organize and mutual |
protec ion ring along the lines with voices |
as clear and as shrill as a clarion's, until |
every nook and corner of the land shall feel |
the benefcent effects of organization and |
cooperation"
What has thus far prevented this |
organization? / would suggest among the |
reasons or obstacles, the general apathy |
of farmers and pla tiers as a class, |
and their wide separation in locality. The |
quietude of their vocation and the nature |
of their pursuits do not favor prompt and |
frequent assemblages for consultation and |
discussion touching their interests-for |
setting forth their claims on Government |
notice and favor, for protesting against ne |
elect or oppressive exactiOns, for demand |
ing their rights from their representatives |
and for the improvement of the prevailing |
system of culture and farm economy. But | |
am gratified with late indications in counties |
and States that change has come over |
the spirit of their dreams. The apathy | !
trust will soon be shaken off and with loud |
acclaim the voice Of the nation viii pro- |
claim the true social position and para |
mount Importance Of agriculture as the |
great, broad basis of national prosperity, |
comfort, virtue and conservatism, (for agri- |
culturists are conservative and law abiding |
and have stronger reasons and inducements |
for wanting to see the country in state of
peace and quiet, and 30 see the Government |
wisely and economically administered, than |
any other CLASSY A wider diffusion of edu- |
cation-books and periodicals will rapidly |
difuse light among cultivators of the soil |
fairs will kindle up emulation-counties |
and States will come together by their dele |
gates in national Agricultural Congress. |
From this great focus light and experience |
will flow out to the confines Of our great |
country, and by this annual and familiar
intercourse of cultivated minds, as
perities and prejudices cherished at a
distance will be smoothed and converted
into the amenities of Christian civilization.
Every Farmers Club, every County Fair
ID OlSdulACu anu hlhoOdJ
give their share of impulse to the great
cause we seek to promote. They are valu-
able tributaries to State institutions, and
these all serve TO swell the volumes of re-
ported experiment, practical experience and
scientific research, which will be sent forth
from this great confluence of all the tribu-
taries, viz, the National Agricultural Con-
gress, and just the same relation we have
supposed the County Fair to bear to the
State Association and the State to the Ma
tional, as magazine of facts and science,
the same proportion viii exist between the
respective organizations in their political
weight and influence on their representa-
tiVes in State and National Legislatures
an influence which will be felt and respected
whenever it is Systematically, stimuli
taneously and persistently exerted by
the constituency Of which agriculturists
constitute so large component part. The
necessity for compact, thorough and ma
tional organization among agriculturists is
greater now than it has ever been in the
past, and the necessity will continue to
grow in the future, since legislation seems
to be controlled in the interest of rings in
nearly every vocation. In this connection
permit me to say that without national or
ganization we can not hope to carry out