Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-31

| lty Itself devise better calculated, To di-
vert the attention from labor, THAI AN en-
tire abstraction from it for three whole
years, al a period of life when impressi-
ons are strongest, and habits are form
ing! Not merely TO abstract the atten-
ton from labor, but 10 employ and amuse
II bv more agreeable occupations That
this is the lamcntable state Of society,
very little observation on practical lite
will suffice TO prove. There is no want
| OF learning III the community so far from
IT, that the learned professions are every
where overStocked, and Il redundancy of
pretenders is thrown upon society.
These become useless droues in their ia
miles, and IN society, from their want OF
occupations; when, If they would have
prevailed upon tn mselves 10 conquer
their unfortunate repugnance TO labor,
they might have become the most va;a-
bic and respectable members of their Ia
miles and of society WHY then this in
considerate and even inioierant rage for
still further burlhening labor, with the in
calculaDle expense OF erecting school
houses all over the country, when they
must serve, as so many aluremenis from
labor and thus lessen still further lbs capa-
cities and productiveness That iudispo-
sIiion to labor, is one striking character
lsiic OF Virginians al this time, is obvious
10 every impartial observer; and It's Chief
cause is as obvious as the effect, Ii arises
from the unfortunate principle of reluc-
tant labor, which is generally diilnsed
throughout the whole community 1t arises
from the state of slavery. Ii arises from
the preiudices of the country against la
Dor, because labor is the universal lot of
slaves; Tor that reason 1T Is deemed de-
grading, and thus the moral sentiment, or
rather the moral prejudice of the country
Is superadded 10 the natural disposition
at man TO avoid labor, Ill producing the
effect Here then is presented subject
demanding the most serious contempIa-
lion and the most earnest care of the le-
gislature. What effect will be produced
upon The labor Of slaves, by diveriing d
greater portion OF the treepopulation from
labor, and particularly from the mocha
meal arts! The immediate consequence
viii be that slaves will occupy their pla-
ces III the acquisition of the mechanical
aris-Will this be Il desirable consequence?
Let any man of observation, and of fifty
years of age, look around himself and re-
collect what Is the increased proportion
of slaves now engaged in the business of
mechanics, compared 10 what il was lhir-
~ wears ago? He would probably be as
from the Indisposition of free persons TO
labor, and their recession from it. AS the
trecmen recede from the mechanical arts.
the slaves must and will fill their places.
What would be the effects of excluding
ireemen from all the mechanical arts, amt
committing them altogether TO the slaves {?
Might not the consequences be the most
serious and destructive? Might not the
safety, and even the existence of society
be endangered by such an operation 3
Suppose then the greatest possible sue
cess 10 attend this system of universal
learning, and the whole free population to
be converted thereby into philosophers,
leaving Tie slaves IN possession of the a
griculiural and mechanical arts, Which
description al pcrsons would possess most
knowledge Which would possess most
power? VIII = could do most good 10
society! Which could do the other the
most harm2 Ii isa great mistake TO sup
pose there Is more knowledge or utility i'll
philosophy, than III the agricultural and
mechanical arts. These form the solid
dishes for The subsistence, the growth and
the strength ut society, whilst philosophy
Is the mere garnisbIng, the whip syl-
labub OF society. If then, instead ofhoid-
ing out these iilusory allurements TO the
laboriug peor, you would adopt measures
for excluding slaves altogether from me-
chanIcal occupations, and thus enlarge
the scene of labor 10 freemen; how much
more solid would be lis benefits 10 them
than these temptations TO idleness? How
much less flattering and alIuring! and
how much more friendly and beneficial
inregard TO the commonwealth, how much
more security, how much more respecta-
billy, how much more wealth and pros
perIty would be produced by it! But let
the enquiry be further indulged-It is laid
down as postulatum by the sagacious
Hume, aud other celebrated philosophers,
that the degree of value on every thing is
III proportion TO It's utility 10 man; or I'm
other words, that utility is The true mea-
sure OF the value of every thing. Let then
the rule be applied 10 philosophy on the
oke hand, and TO the agricultural and me
chanical arts on the other. Which ofthe
requirements has produced the greatest
utility TO man? To agriculture, he is in
debted for his comfortable subsistence.
10 mechanics, for his Affiliations, his fur
nture, and almost every other comfort,
and luxury of lite. To ordIphilosophy
Tor many ingenious contemplatiOns and
Developments of his O wn nature and lis
intellectual endowmeuts. TOnaiural phi
losophy for knowledge ofthe principles
ofthe planetary system, the distance of the
sunand planets from the earth, and the re
spective periods of the respective reyoluii-
of the planets around the sun, and a
great variety Of other principles ofthe uni
verse; all tending to enlarge and improve
tie contemplation of the human kline
and-all highly uscfuland beneficial IN iheir
proper applications. But there can be
no comparison in the degrees of the uti-
lily OF these Requirements. Without agri-
culture, man would be reduced TO tie sa-
wage state and bis numbers, essential
~ diminished. Without the mechanical