Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-10-07

there. In it we pant. constrained. The
ear shriuks from its never ending noises
and the eye from its glaring sights. Its
tumult disturbs the mind and its wretch
edness appalls the heart. At the word
Of permission we fly from il rs hound
escapes the lash or a bird darts liom the
gilded bars behind which it has been i'm
prisoned. The yigor which was its birth
right could not come to its wings, nor
could it ever sing within its elegant dun
geon quite as /, might pour out its joy
from within its lealy home, or while Nv.
inc through the clear spaces of the pure
free air. The country and The country
alone can satisfy us.
These are some OF the causes which.
acting with accommodating force upon The
population of our cities. are impelling
SO large portion Of it toward the
country.
anticipate the action OF these tend
encies in nature aud society with happy
confidence. The curse of poverty will be
removed from agriculture, and the fields
that are sterile and the damp levels that
lie undraincd. under the control nt enter.
prise and wealth. will become fertile and
fruitful. You cannot develop a great
and complex industry, requiring many
agents and Instruments. without the rs.
sislance of wealth Money i needed,
and money il precisely the one thing
the average New Englandcl has lacked.
He who is compelled To- invest only for
immediate results cannot INJECT wisely.
An interval Must rhp'c ,clwecn Tie
expenditure and the return. aud this II
poor man, with a family lu support and
heavy taxes 10 pay. cauuv, Afford. The
county can ncNrI redeem itself The
cities ma come t. the ;e-cur. aud Ia lie
persons OF those who IN them have
amaSscd wealth aud obtained a Wider
knowledge OF men aud things thana 81.
cluded lite can give. introduce aud in
auguratc such new methods aud ecOno
mics rs will give to agriculture higher
and more attractive character and richer
profits
hold that it is nothing less than a ,lu
" for every man who has been 81 pro,
pered in mercantile or professional lie
as to Ice able to assist in this undertaking,
to ioiu those who are already active in
this direction.
We cannot afford, gentlemen. TO allow
agriculture 10 pass into dccadcnce.
When the farming class shall Lc consid-
cred as AN inferior class We have revived
the disastrous distinctions OF the middle
ages. II is because the New England
farmer has not been u serf or peasant
that New England has become what she
is. doubt il 4 Republic could endure
long in any country where agriculture
is not the prime industry. When wealt h
aud culture aud civic honors have been
divorced from the soil of the county, the
country itself will have sunk into lament
able debasemcut. For it cannot be lie
MED that The forces that originated and
secured TOT Us our free Institutions came
as directly from the soil Is tho streams
flow down from our native hi Is. The
land holder in all Civilizations has been
noble A part OF the country was his;
his to love. to improve, 10 defend. Hav-
ing rights himself. he was easily educat
cd to regard the rights OF others. BE
Ing a lord himself he could not become
slave.
IL is not on the farm that little children
are worked fourteen hours each day the
year round, deprived ol school and home
influences. II is not on the farm that
men learn to "cornel" great interests
aud impoverish the many. that unproiita
BILE wealth may be added to the tow. 1t
is not on the farm that men learn how 10
manipulate caucuses. and then celebrate
the success of their lrickery with sup.
per at the city's expense
But will detain you no longer, and
yet linger in closing As one whose pen
has found congenial ii not familiar
theme. Beyond the walls OF this tent.
looking over your heads and lar away. |
behold the hills and wales of New Eng
l., 81. ma
shadow Of those hills, most OF Us were
born. The roads along which We ran to
school; The little stream where we learn
ed to fish; the fences We helped to build;
the fields where we were taught 10 toll
the dripping well where We eagerly
auenched our thilsi, all are there. We
have changed, but they remain the same.
Our faces fade. the rose wiihers from the
cheek and the lustre deserts the eve, but
nature seems immortal in her youth and
renews her beauty with the coming oil
every spring. There is something sooth-
inc and sustaining in this permanence OF
nature. Life is as a shadow and our eyes
ache in watching it, 30 rapidly does II fly,
but the soil beneath our feet and the sky
above our heads. these pass not. but re.
main and abide as nourished and upheld
by the hand oil their Creator.
Lightning. IS usual. is amusing the
rural districts with its fantastic freaks
II does some queer things and occasion