Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-10-28
VOL. 7O.-355O. NO. 2.
President Bnekham,s address.

| ffcsidfnt bufknanfs Address,
nrFona rm vFnnoSr tRtNHSs Assocu,uos.
The speaker began by referring to The famous
reply, Of the ycnnonter when asked what they
| raised up IN Vermont A. the climate is rather
| cold, said he, and The soil Is rather hard, We
4 have taken 70 raising men II was a towering
| boast, but perfectly true The chief crop Of Yer
mont is not butter or cheese, wool or horses, but
| men and women. The country depends on Yer
mont for men to MI rs professions and carry on
its enterprises, ~ really as the city markets de-
pend on our butter and cattlc trains This is
mission Vermont the mother Of men let us ac-
| cept it-and inquire What are the conditions for
| the successful raising of mtn?
First, We must hold fast 20 the old rural virtues
| of industry, ffugalty and honesty The cities
cannot compete with NJ N raising men, beoau
public sentiment there docs not encourage this
| fundamental virtue. lazness Is reproach In
the country II II called leisure In the city and
| admired. We produce some rogues in the coun-
try, but they instinctivey fee from the blaze Of
honest country Indignation to the cities where the
prestige Of splendid rogeery has hoodwinked the
moral perceptions of society. The demands of
style make frugality disrcputable and break down
the code " business honor City life with its IN
tense activity develops the powert that is in a man.
but his character must he formed amid the re
wholesome influences q the country. Almost
All great men were nurturcd In the country and
then developed in the world. But the influence
Of what is called modern progress is threatening
these grand old primitive virtues in Vermont
The pruhloni-and " v q hard onc-is how TO take
1n culture. To get nd n hardships TO make life
more genial and at the same time keep the old
humcly vhtues The great desideratum IN
modern civilization is a class Of farmers, whose
intelligence, thrift and good taste shall make
farm life attractive, aud turn the current now sot-
ting toward the unhealthy excitement of city life
back to the simpler and purer enioyments of the
country " this cannot he done cannot ra SO
men When 1t ceases to he respectable In Ner-
mont for men and women To he INDUSTRIOUS fru-
gal and modest, hard a. l. our soil and cold our
climate, We must descend to the task Of raising
fuod to support fools
Secondly In order to raise men, We need the
best educational influences. II Is essential that
the whole body of the people should be trained In
the rudiments ~ knowledge, II " equally essen
tinl that there should be- a goodly number Of
highly educated men scattered through the com
munity. One such man raises the intellectual
tone of q whole village. Why did New England
start So fair in history-with 50 wise an eduga-
tonAl system and Intelligent an entire constit-
uency Because 50 large a number Of her Lead
ing men were profoundly educated Why has
Scotland for three hundred years been the most
prolific In men of intellect of any country in Eu-
rope Because her University system has scat
tered so many highly educated men through all
the professions and callings The limited educa-
on of the masses tends 90 the prevalence Of shall
| lownoss aud sciolism, unless corrected by pro
| ionndcr views. Young men, sometimes whole
I communities. become Nictimized by a specous
/ iailarv which thorough student Of human
/ turc and history would have at once exposed
/ Vermont has not so many educated men rs she had
forty ago. tive ltf a. higli proportion As
Scotland, and every farm and common school,
| every art and profession, would he elevated.
Thirdy--We want To provide for the culture OF
the patriotic spirit lie who has no love OF coun-
! try II less than q man. Through this feeling
| comes somo Of the nobest influences to which our
| nature il susceptible. The heroes to whom
| feel ourselves akin communicate something Of
| their greatness Of soul To US The world has
/ Missed of the stage Of history the men who were
too broad to love their country, the Anacharss
/ Cloutzes the orators and advocates of the hui
/ man race aud has crowned those who have loved
| their country 10 the death, and those who have
/ embodied the nations love in oratory and song.
The patriotic spirit IL exposed TO dangers in our
| time The new generation IL coming up under
different influences iroin hose which prepared mo
| present for it, great ulal We nave virtually
abolished the Fourth Of July, and have outgrown
the sentiment which II fostered We have no u; =
tional epic no national songs, not even popular
| history our great national orators, Henry Web
stor, Clay, are becoming obsolete. onr great
poets with one or two exceptions, are under Eur,
/ poan inspiration. only two states have memo
rails Of the late war ON the walls OF their capitols
| What are we To depend ON Tor patriotic lnslhri-
/ ton Our Young children are taken abroad i'll
crowds to be educated and learn to hold their own
| land in secondary esteem. But there il one con
soing fact patriotism clings fondly to hills and
mountains II everywhere else men become cos
/ mopolitan, and ashamed to he patriotic, let q
| rugged and passionate patriotism cling to these
hills and nestle in these valleys
see said the speaker another danger threat
ening the sources OF character; mean the sceptl-
cal point am not afraid Of free inquiry, nor OF
its results but dread the prevalence Of the sheer
ing and cayng spirit it is fatal to all nobleness
Of character. Supcrstitions sometimes hit man
out Of selfshness and anmalisn; scepticism,
when It becomes q habit, tones down and emascr-
lates everything When the feeling comes over a
young man, what do know about anything
perhaps there IL no mind, no SOUL no God, this
other feeling N sure To come" What IL the use ol
wanting and denying mysclfY Then Mephis-
tophiles drops in and strikes bargain for his soul
In closing the speaker said, opne that this as
sociation, while 1t has honorable ambition to
raise fine cattle, cares more for men than foi
CATTLE and for cattle mainly for the sake Of men.
one Of the most hopeful signs OF the times is the
dissatisfaction Of farmers with their relative po
sion It will he glorious day for the society
when they come to take their proper position and
to exert their due influence In modern life This
they can do not by class persecution, nor by
tricks Of legislation; only by increasing their in
teligcnce and making themselves in general men
tai power the pects Of any class In society. hope
tn see the day when the farm homes of New Eng
land shall he the best representatives of oui
civilization, thoabodes Of industry and refinement
Of simple elegance and plain dignity of pure NOR
ality and cheerful pety, to which men shall fe,
frmn the dsquietudo of the city, and from whicl
they shall look out with pity upon the sham and
hcaftless pleasures Of the fashionable world.