My desire, however, is, that the rural districts shall not lose their
relative importance or cease to control in public affairs. Misled and
deceived they may be, interested in a public wrong they cannot be, and
theirs is the sober thought upon which reliance must be placed for the
correction of errors and delusions, which may temporarily prevail.

In societies like this the farmers have the opportunity of comparing
opinions and results, and thus increasing the amount of their
knowledge. The spirit of emulation which is excited must lead to
improvement, by better directing energy in their pursuit. The
publication of the results and the comparisons thus instituted with
what is done in other States, encourages State pride and developes
community feeling. Whatever tends to the cultivation of the idea of
State sovereignty and community independence, strengthens the
foundation on which rests our federal government--the fruition of that
principle which led our fathers into the war of the revolution, where
they purchased with their blood the rich inheritance transmitted to
us.

Man once received the title of Domitor Equi, he being proud of the
achievement of taming the horse, and then, so far as we can learn,
gentler woman sat like Penelope handling the distaff. Subsequently
there arose a race of Amazons, who, aspiring to the feats of man, lost
the gentleness of woman; but in our happy land and day, rising above
the one without running to the excess of the other, lovely woman, with
all the gentle charms which graced a Penelope, musters her energy when
occasion requires, and displays her prowess in commanding the horse.
Among the interesting features of the exhibition I shall remember the
equestrianism of the ladies. Though it was beautiful in every sense of
the word, it was not regarded as mere sport, but the rather looked