Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-03-24

THEIR llDeFLy. Ine 1Our mllIlOn farms
i'll the United States are mostly homes
of plenty and of culture. The peasantry
of Germany, the tenant of England, the
vine-dresser of France, and the Ameri-
can farmer represent the same occupa-
tiOn, but in all else how different. The
social and intellectual condition Of the
rural population of any country is no
uncertain measure Of its high civiliZa-
tiOn and progress. The thoughtful
statesmen of Europe now admit that our
system of land-hOlding is one of the
great sources of enterprise and thrift as
well as of popular content, and gives to
industry the chance of permanent re-
ward, and to labor the dignity of free
dom. Popular education brings general
intelligence. Industry, energy, and
physical health combine to produce the
elements of character which make good
citizens and successful men. Loving
their homes, the love of country is easier
and stronger.
Schlegel. in his Philosophy of History,
says:
Perhaps il is not too much to assert that
many Of the qualities which fitted the Ro
mans for conquering the world, and perfect
ing their 50 celebrated jurisprudence, was ac-
quired, or at least nourished and matured by
the skill, foresight. and persevering industry
so needful for the intelligent and successful
cultivation of the soil.
And in this country, since the dawn of
the Revolution, when at Concord
bridge.
''the embattled farmers stood,
AJsd fired tie shot heard round the c0rLd,"
this hardy and patriotic class has been,
in ever conflict, chief source of the
Nations triumph as it is to-day large
element of tie Nations strength.
The bane of England and the curse of
hapless ireland to-day is the unnatural
divorce of the soil from those who till
it. One-fourth of the whole of England
andIWales (mOre than nine million acres)
is owned by seven hundred and ten per-.
persons, and two-thirds of it by ten
thousand two hundred persons; two
thirds of Ireland by one thousand nine
hundred and forty-two persons, mostly
in entailed estates. Two-tEirds of Scot
land is owned by three hundred and
thirty persons. In Great Britain and
Europe agriculture is loaded with the
dead weights of standing armies and
idle aristocracieS. These it feeds from
the products of its soil. No wonder that
nearly six hundred thousand immi--
grants within the last year have sought
free; within our borders. More
than three-fourths Of one per cent. of the
entire population of Great Britain aid
Canada have immigrated to this country
during 1880. American products have
filled the English markets, and this COM
petition, with oppressive land tenure
laws, is destroying their agricultural
prosperity, and producing social and po-
litical changes which will affect the
structure of English society. The his
tOrian dates the decline Of Spain to the
expulsion of the Moors, who were the
only industrious agriculturists" OF that
country. Neither civilization nor pros
perity has ever long remained when this
fundamental industry declined.
Our country presents grand arena
for the full development of healthy ma
tional life. Our territory, without Alas
ka. is fifteen times as large as France or
Germany, and twenty times as large as
Great Britain and Ireland. But our free
and happy homes are more than land and
wealth. They and our civil institutions,
our schools and churches, honored labor
and equal manhood, are the expansive
forces of our progress. Literally it IS
described in the account of the "land OF
promise" It is indeed "a good land, a
land of brooks of water, of fountains
and depths, that spring out OF valleys
and hills-a land wherein thou canst eat
bread without scarcenesS; thou cansE
not lack anything in it-a land whose
stones are iron, and out of whose hills
thou mayest dig brass" The maFVels of
its natural resources need only wise de
velopment to return to the Nation
wealth beyond the dreams of ayarice.
Population, wealth and our national
credit have formally and definitely
placed the United States among the
great powers of the earth. No nation
ever entered on so splendid an Inherit
ance. Its domain is large enough Tor
and enriched with every
seed of national power. Here science
and inventive arts have taken laeor by
the hand, that they might meliorate lis
drudgery, multiply its products, al
brighten all its work with Il 9
grace of knowledge. All these advances 8
have enlarged the scope and elevated
the rank of agriculture. Quiet indus
tries and honOred labor nOuTish patriot
ism, and are brides to peace. The energy
of our race developed here in open
schools and free homes, elevated by the
conflicts for liberty, and ennobled by
the OphOrtunities and aspirations which
belong to republic, evolving wealth by
the creation of real values in mine and
farm. by manufactures and commerce,
arms itself for independence and insu ures
progress by the growth of indispensable
NVIlplV Un,ne0
and expanded to the amplitude of its
proper destiny, is majestic possibility.
r-r~v-Dn WHITMAN