Year: 1874

would not hold its place in society, or that
community could prosper without it. The
enduring prosperity Of the. state, from the
earliest periods Of civil organization, has
been founded upon the resources Of the SOIL
the lords of which have in all time constitu.
ted the ruling class, wherever society has
been divided by arbitrary lines. Around
the rural homes Of the great and powerful
landowners have always been gathered all
the luxury and elegance and reisement
which can grace and beautify mans abode
And shall we be told that all this is to be |
denied to free state and to free and equal
society," Not thus have our own ancestors
taught us for from them and their lives
we may learn that to the simple rural home
Of the citizen Of u republic belong the finest
influences and associations aud that the state
founded by an independent rural population
is more powerful than an empire whose right
arm is legitimacy and whose left arm is sub.
servency. That we shall one day, find that
just and equal balance of industrial forces,
which allows no such distinctions as lead
men away from the land, do not doubt.
hail, then, these evidences of u return to the
pursuits Of agriculture. | rejoice in these
crowding indications of an increased faith in
the soil.


do not forget that am considering that
form OF agriculture which is adapted to New
England, and not that which, occupying
broad tracts OF cheap and sparsely settled
lands, is devoted to the supply of staples to
the market. 1t is eastern and not western
farming which has been truly prosperous in
our country the farming of the small colo
nial land.holders, the farming of these states
in which other industries have 6ourished as
well, the farming which, as time has gone
on, and the population has increased, has
been transplanted from New England into
the valley OF the Mohawk and has taken
possession Of the broad lands of Ohio aud
the fertile valleys Of Pennsylvania - the
farming which looks not alone to the great
markets for the sale Of its products, but
which recognizes the value of home mar
ket, and shares local prosperity that
farming must ultimately prevail throughout
our land that farming which eau afford to
fertilize the soil, and not farming which ex-
hausts and robs and migrates 1t you
would witness the highest prosperity Of
American agriculture, 90 with Inc to those
states in which u fertile soil is occupied by
industrious and intelligent farmers aud in
which the streams are occupied by busy and
prosperous mills those states in which the
two Industries have gone hand in hand, aud
in which neither has aourished at the ex-
pense of the other. We shall not have re.
pose and satisfaction until this system be-
comes general 1t is by no means accord
ant with our institutions to place the market
at one end Of the Union and tn, producers
at the other. They should be brought into
such clese proximity that the question of
transportation shoud not enter into their
account. They should be so commingled
that the products of the soil may be readily
brought to the door Of the manufacturer,
and the products Of the mill may be put
upon the market at the lowest possible cost.
This combination is, at the end to save
both.


The rapid introduction of manufactures
into the great agricultural regions of the
West is already teaching this lesson. 10
these establishments, thus fortunately situat-
ed, the supplies of raw materials and bread
stufis come at the lowest market rates. La
skill they are fast overtaking the older
manufactures of the East. Their labor is
already as cheap as, or cheaper than, east
ern labor. Give them their capital at as
low rates OF interest as prevail at the East
and they have us at an advantage at once,
and We shall tind that the same section
which is furnishing foreign markets with
breadstufis is also furnishing them with
manufactured goods, the production of mills
SO fortunately located with regard to what
ever they consume, that they can compete
in economy with the whole manufacturing
world. There is no reason why our exports
should consist 30 largely Of products OF the
soil. With cheap food aud abundant espl.
tai, we ought to give our labor an abundant
reward, and ut the same time enable the
farmer and manufacturer to cooperate inti-
mately, aud to supply each others wants at
reasonable prices. While doing this among
ourselves, we should also open foreign mar
kets to our cheaply manufactured goods as
well as to the surplus products Of our soil.
Whenever the industries Of the West become
developed up to the point to which have
alluded, New England will learn the value
of her soil as well as of her mills and will
learn, moreover, that the success Of both de-
pends upon the application of the highest
skill and the most carefully conducted econ
omy. So shall the agriculture Of New
England be developed and restored to the
position and prosperity secured for it by the
fathers.