Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-12-21
THE WORKING CLASSES.
Er'dSt Of Mr.. Legare's speech in III
House of Representatives.


Sir, as Southern man / represent e.
quail rent. capital 81 wages, which are all
coniounded in our estetes-and | protest
against attempts TO array ,withou! cause,
withouta color Of Pretext or plausibility.
the different classes Of society against one
another, as If in such country as this
there could be any natural hostility or
any real distinction between them-a
country in which all the rich, with ha rd-
ly an exception have been poor, 81 all the
poor may one day be rich-a country ia
which banking institutions have been OF
immense service: precisely because they
have been most needed by people, who
all had their fortunes to make by good
character and industrious habits. Look
at that remarkable able
not as work OF art but as a monument
OF history-which you see in passing
through the Rotunda. Two out of five
OF that immortal committee were me-
chanics, and such nen!' In the name
OF God, sir, why should any one study
to pervert the good sense. aud kindly
feelings Of this moral and noble people,
10 iniuse into their minds sullen envy
| towards one another, instead of that pc
nerous emulation which every thing in
their situation is fitted to inspire. to
breathe into them the spirit Of Cain
muttering deep curses and meditating
desperate revenge against his brother
because the smoke OF his sacrifice has as
esnded to heaven before his own! And
dc not they who treat our industrious
| classes as if they were in the same deba-
tol- a.. Al.
of Europe, insult them by such an obi
Gus comparison
Why. sir. you do not know what pc.
verify is-we have no poor in this coun-
try, in the sense in which that W ord is
used abroad. Every iaborer. even tho
most humble, in the United States, soon
becomes a capitalist; and even, if he
chooses. proprietor Of l4nd-for the
West with all its boundless fertility, is
open TO him. How can any one dare to
compare the mechanics Of this land,
whose inferiority in any substantial par
ticular. in intelligence. in virtue, in
wealth to the other classes OF our country,
have yet to learn with that race Of
outcasts, of which so terrible a picture is
presented BY recent writers-the poor Of
Europe? A race, among no inconsider-
able portion of whom famine and pesti-
lence may be said to dwell constantly
many of whom are without morals, with.
out education, without country, with
out God and may be said to know no
society, only by the terrors Of its penal
code, and TO live in perpetual war with
it. Poor bondmen Knocked with the
name Of liberty, that they may be some
times tempted to break their chains, in
order that after few days of starvation
in idleness or dissi patton. they may be
driven back to,their prison house to take
them up again, heavier and more CALLING
than before; severed, as it has been
touchiDgly expressed, from nature, from
the common air aud ligh: of the sun;
knowing only by hearsay, that the fields
are green. that the birds sing. and that
there is perfume in flow rs.t And is
it with a race, whom the peIverse insti.
tutions OF Europe have thus degraded
beneath the condition Of humanity, that
the advocates, the patrons, the protectors
ofour working men, presume to compare
them?
Sir, it is to treat them with scorn at
which their spirit should revolt, and
does ieVoiI Just before left Charles
ton there was meeting caIIsu ---~..,s
purpose, which was regarded by the peo-
pie Of that city as unfavorable to public
order. There was something, / suppose,
in the proceedings, which looked to the
invidious distinction of which l have
been speaking for tiled, | have beard,
to an expression Of sentiment from one
Of our mechanics which struck me as
noble beyond praise. He said he won
dered what could be meant by address
ing to the industrious classes particularly
all inhammaiory appeals against the in
stitutions of this country, as if they were
not part of the community-as much
interested in its order and peace as any
other-as il they had no ties Of sympathy
or connection with their fellow citizens
above all, as if they had not intelli-
gence and knowledge enough TO take
care Of their own interests, but were re-
duced to state Of perpetual pupilage
and infancy, and needed the ofiicious
protection of self constituted guardians
| Sir, that was sentiment worthy Of a
freeman, and which may be recorded
with honor among the sayings OF heroes
"FIauklin and Sherman, Signers OF the
| Declaration -TM;chlet tMr Hardy.