The Van Buren press., 1875-12-07

| tuoJ tVae "Niltii We INV pChOiu HI thG
not far-of future in our state, is to rest |;
or rather. it is the means through which
that wealth is to be obtained. Through
the channels Of agriculture, mining and
manufacturing it is labor that is to keep
alive and prosper us; :" labor, paramount
to all other worths, for ii is the creation
of them all" This labor in a country
like ours, is to be directed to producing.
manufacturing and conveying, or to adopt
the expression already noted and used by
the writer's of our day on political econ
omy, transmitting, transforming, and
transporting. To illustrate as these wri-
teIs do. the agrculturist transmutes
seeds into vegetables, grain fruits, and
these again into beef, butter, hides etc.
| The mechanic or manufacturer trans
forms matter, such as cotton and wool,
Into cloth, aud ,rou iuto toois and imple-
ments, and the trader or merchant trans
ports these values for exchange; then VIC
, have the circle of labor complete
| 1t is as true now, as when Bacon said I;
Those things which make nation
great and prosperous, are fertile soil,
busy workshops, and easy conveyance OF
men and things from place to place F"
Wealth, as understood In science, includes
all objects of value, that is, value for ex
change; or wealth is the mass of useful
things which we produce by labor; or,
rs others define it, wealth is the result OF
all the efforts which we make for the sat
isfaction of our wants and tastes And
now it is an admitted truism, that no per.
feet conception Of a peoples wealth or
economic condition can be formed unless
their capacity for development, as well as
their industrial genius, be taken into ac-
count.
With these general ideas of labor, the
purposes of your association before us,
and what constitutes wealth, kept in
view, let us indulge in some reflection in
another direction and then let us, as far
as possible, make special application Of
these theories.
lnquiring philosophers have said, that
civilization depends upon climate and
soil or, as some express it, the two pri.
mary causes Of civilization are the climate
and fertility of the soil In those coun.
tries where the soil is fertile, and the eli
mate so certain and fixed that production
is sure and tha harvest forctold, necessi-
ty does not compel man to work. The
date, we are told, furnishes to Africa a
food almost without expense; the climate
rendering it necessary in great measure
to use vegetable diet anil but little cloth
ing is required. Three dollars there will
raise child to maturity. In such eoun.
tries it is conceded, civilization docs not
become either the highest or most perma
nent; under the influence Of the climate
man is not required or inclined to work,
and the soil does not demand 1t.
In other countries, soil and climate
may both be forbidding, both harsh and
ungcnerons, so that man requires all his
time to make a bare support His efforts
all depend upon, and are at, the mercy OF
the winds and clouds. History tells us,
that in such constant draw upon him
in countries of this character for a sub.
sistence, man has not the time nor dispo.
sition to learn manners, arts and scien
ces, and to perfect the laws under which
he lives. Yet for his better development
must not be blessed, so to speak, with a
climate and soil that would render all eff
torts on his part unnecessary. He must
not have his living, nor his wants made
up ahd gratified ut his hands without ex.
ertion from him, He must be compelled,
in order to supply defects OF soil or eli
mate, or both, to originate and improve
appliances for agriculture. Then we come
to this lesson taught BY our authors, ia
king climate and soil together, or, if you
please, the bounty of nature, true and
genuine progress depends more upon the
energy Of man, and in the past, the rich
est countries were those where nature
was most bountiful, but now the richest
countries are those where..nan is the
most active.
BY these what may be called accepted
doctrines, let us see how Arkansas stands
and ask whether hers, tested by them, is
a hopeful case? Here we have well.
tempered climate, neither too cold nor too
hot; fair proportion OF wet and dry
weather, where the energies Of man are
not chllled or deadened, but are active
and buoyant; where he is stimulated to
work. and feels the better for it; soil
fertile and yielding, but requiring steady
and cautious cultivation, and, when prop
erly titled, returns to the laborer as hand.
some compensation almost rs any soil OF
which we have any knowledge. While
our soil is good and productive, it il adj
apted to the growing and raising Of a
vast variety OF articles. What is it we
cannot produce here that tends to the sat
isfaction of our wants and tastes, that
goes to make up true wealth Splendid
timber. and variety Of it; minerals OF
all descriptions, water unsurpassed; cat
tie, hogs, sheep, horses, mules, all thrive
and do well and can be raised TO as
great perfection mere as anywhere. Have
we not "the groves, and the dancing
ground of the sun " What field, then,
for the work of agricultural and mechan.
ical societies What splendid theater
1t 10 for the patrons of hnsbandry to ex-
pend their energies with full assurance of
the most gratifying results What n
grand center from which, according TO
the theory announced, a noble and last
ing civilization can be brought forth or
course we have exceptional seasons,
when mans energies arc checked, and
when our rich soil seems TO withhold its
natural and usual produce. But these are
rare-so much SO that they cannot be
considered in making mp Judgment as
to these matters