Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-05
ADDRESS of WELCOME
BY HON. R. E. CHAMBERS,

Before the Tri-County Institute o
Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson
Counties, in Welday's Hall, at 81
ClairsviIle, Dec. 29th, 1881.
The sacred historian informs US, al
the beginning God created the heavel
and the EARTH" and said Let the eartl
bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed
the fruit tree yielding fruit after hi
kind, whose seed is in itself upon th'
earth. And the earth brought fOrtl
grass, and herb yielding seed after hi
kind, and the tree yielding fruit, who's
seed was in itself. after his kind-ant
| God saw that it was good. He created
the sun and the moon, the fish of thu
sea, and the fowls of the air, and said
Let the earth bring forth the living
creature, after his kind-cattle anC
creeping things and beasts of the eartf
after his kind, and it was so. And, a:
the crowning glory of creation, Goo
said, let us make men in our image, aft
ter our likeness, and let them have do
minion over the fish of the sea and ovel
the fowl of the air, and over the cattle
and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth. So God created man, male and
female created he them-and God bless.
ed them and said to them, be fruitful
and multiply and replenish the earth
and s,G6d,te it,; and have dominion oUer
the fish of the sea, and OUeT the fO,Ul Oj
the air. and OUer every liUi,1g thing that
moveth upon the earth. Behold, have
given you every herb bearing seed
which is upon the face of the earth, in
which is the fruit of a true yielding
seed; to you it shall be for meat"
Here then we have declared the pur-
pose of mans creation, endowed with
capacities, subordinate only to the Crea-
tor, with dominion over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth, the
herb bearing seed, the fruit upon every
tree, all made to minister to the CON-
fort and convenience of man as he per-
forms the mission pointed out, multiply
and replenish the earth, and Slt6dlte it.
Experience teaches us that even the
richest garden, if left to earth's sponta-
neous growths, will become as the will
derness. and that the wilderness sub
jected to the subduing influences of
mans device may be made to blossom as
the rose. The earth has untold capaci-
ties but the whole inert mass, until de-
veloped by the intelligence of man, is
barren of good to the human race. In
its innermOst recesses lie hidden mines
of wealth of gold and silver. Beneath
its natural and homely exterior lies the
lusterless diamond, and the ruby. The
miner brings these gems from their
hidden receSses, and the skilled lapidary
makes them the ornament of kingly
crowns. The earth in short is the ulti-
mate resource of all worldly wealth, and
human comfort when subdued by human
power and skill.
Its mountains, its hills, its valleys, its
oceans, its streams, its soils are the min
listers of God to bring happiness and
comfort to the human race. The COM
mand "Subdue the earth" implies the
agency of human energy, intelligence
and skill to fulfill the ultimate designs
of the author of things terrestrial. In
the soil, lie concealed, the elements of
which is built the human structure; the
blood, the bones, the muscles, the tissues
of the human body, and through these,
the manifestation of the intellect; that
which is god-like in humanity. The
command ''subdue the earth" still fur
ther implies, that the spontaneous pro-
ductions of the earth do not subserve the
highest end of mans creation, do not
tend to his highest usefulness in that
sphere in which he moves.
Upon the health and perfection of the
physical body depends the power of the
mind, and upon the power of the con-
stituent elements which enter into the
human economy depends the health of
the body, and the harmony of the
whole nature, mental and physical,
depends upon the nutritious quality of
the food we eat, the clothes we wear
and these again, depend upon the
skill of the husbandman, in the
production of food, which is health
full, and life giving, and thus it
again, contributes to the comfort and
happiness of human beings, and essen
TALLY conduces to IA higher morality and
the higher life-and thus we see the
command "subdue the earth," when
followed to its ultimate and logical con-
sequences, has meaning and an influ-
ence as measureless as eternity itself !;
of the progress made in "subduing the
earth, in the centuries since the COM
mand, our knowledge is circumstan-
tial. The earlier nations have left be-
hind them meagre records of how they
titled the soil-how they sowed-hOw
they reaped--and of the methods by
which they converted the proceeds of
the soil, into food and raiment. We
know from sacred history that ancient
Egypt abounded in corn, and profaHe
history informs US that the ancient Egyp-
tians were skilled in husbandry and in
adapting their crops to the soil, and the
seasons. We CLEAN much information
on these subjects, from the paintings and
Inscriptions with which they decorated
the tombs of their dead.
Indeed, we may speak modestly of our
own attainments. when We reflect upon
the advancement of that early date, in
rural affairs. Attached to the villa of
the husbandman of that day, was the
farm-yard, with sheds for the cattle and
sheep, and stables for the horses. A
steward directed the operations, super
intended the wOrkmen, and kept ac-
counts of the expense and profit. Grains
were stored in vaulted chambers, with
openings above to receive it, and below
for removing it. when required-mod
of convenience and safety. AS to theiI
modes of cultivating the soil, their
paintings show US. First, the plowman
followed by the sower, scattering the
seed-then another plowman, mixing the
seed with the soil, and lastly, the roller
these, in regular succession. These
give us glimpse of the processes Of
that day for su6dting the earth, in ODE
dience to the command.
That these nations attached great val
ue to this land, is evidenced by the grea
solemnities observed in it's transfer from
one to another owner. Added to tn
tillage of the soil, may be added the pas
toral occupation of the inhabitants O
} that ancient land. Even the nomads o