The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-11

Of the present DAY, as true anu ~
pure as our honored sires who laid
the foundation of this boosted Re-
public, it is with pride | point you
TO the National Grange. | imagine
that it is abeautiful scene to-see |
them come up there from the East
and from the West, from the N orth
and from the South, forgetting and
saying, LET the past re-
main in the past, and we will unite
into one grand brotherhood and
look forward to happy future"
| imagine, too, that it is an Affect
ing scene to see the grasping OF
hands in brotherly love of those
who wore the "blue' and those who
wore the "gray." Iremember that
/ once heard Bro. Darden say, some
thing like this, "that when he first
went to the National Grange he
went there with those old feelings
of prejudice against the Northern
people. But when he arrived there
he was happily deceived. They
gave him warm reception and
greeted him DIS a brother" And in
speech that he made there he
used language something like this:
ain the next political campaign, if
the bloody shirt is waved do not
think that it is the farmers who
wave it, This speech was re
ceivcd with the greatest applause
and enthusiasm by the Northern
people, and in token of their appre-
cation of it hey assembled around
him and heartily shook his hand.
Now brother Patrons, when Bro.
Darden returned to his Southern
home and told us these things if
we, like him, had harbored animos-
ity and prejudice against our Nor
then brethren, we were then ready
to exclude it from our breasts, and
to plant in lieu thereof sympathy
and brotherly love. And doubtless
when the Northern members of the
National Grange returned to their
homes and their people heard the
language which fell from Bro. Oar
denis lips they. too, were ready to
lay aside the "bloody shirt" and to
shake hands across the "bloody
chasm." Now if the social feature
of the Order has run out to such an
extent, if it has done more than any
thing else TO unite a solid South and
a solid North, and is making an
effort to restore the Republic to its
prestlne purity, then should it not
be advocated and commended by
every true American? l say, EN-
phaticllly, that it should be by all
who possess that patriotism that
true Americans should possess.
Patrons, | have no claims of my
own to present, and can not boast
of what | have done to advance the
interests of the Order, but can say,
from the depth of my heart, that /
love the Order of Patrons of Hus-
bandry; l love it for what it has
done for our country; | love it for
the beautiful lessons which it has
taught me; l love it because it is a
farmers institution, and the only
organization that was ever destined
to elevate the agricultural class, and
if the year 1882 should be the last
year of its existencesand L am per
mitted to reach my three score and
ten years, even then, its memories
will be as fresh as the rose that
sparkles with its dewdrops of a
bright summers morning. But /
am proud TO say that l have no
fears of the Grange dying, and l
think we need not, when we take
into consideration the circumstan-
ces under which it has become a
National institution; in a nation
which was so demoralized as the
United State of America; in a ma
ton which was divided and fought
four years one of the bloodiest wars
that ever stained the pages of Amer
lean history, and while the parti-
san politicians continued to wave
the "bloody shirt" and cry out "a
solid South and solid North" and
while the dark clouds in the 'epolit-
ical horizon" kept our country en-
veloped in gloom, in the midst of
all this, in spite of all this confusion
and generalization, the Grange
movement has moved steadily on,
and to-day there is fraternal feel
ing existing in every State in the
Union, and now that the sunshine
has burst through and dispelled
the darkness, shall we not fondly
hope that the darkest days of the
history of our Order are now in the
past?
Now, in conclusion, want to saw
that if | was called upon this eve
ming to answer the question why it
was that the Grange had succeeded |
under such embarrassing circum-
stances, while other institutions and |
orders had failed even in ante-bel- !
lum days when our country was |
peaceful and prosperous. I would |
know none better than this: simply |
because woman, pure and lovely |
woman, with her refining, elevating
and undying influence, is welcomed
70 the Grange. She cheers us with
her presence; she aids US with her
counsel; it is she who causes the
Grange to inculcate the principles
IF morality, refinement and dignity:
+ iS she who odorpe tho .o.:o. |