Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-11-23
THE WORKING CLASSES.
Erfr0cis of Mr.. Leeare's Sp0eh IA tse

House IF Representatives..
Sir. as a Southern uian . represent equal
rent, capital, wages, which are all eoniound-
ed ia our est4les--and I protest against at
tempts to array, without q cause, without a
color Of pretext or plsusibiiIty. tho different
classes VI soeisty against Quo another, as II,
IN such . countr, a. this. there could he any
psiural hostility or any real Distinction be-
tween them-a country ia which all The rich,
Nth hardly an exception, have been poor.
and all poor may one day be rioh--a country
IA which banking institution. have been OF itu-
mense service, precisely because they have
been most needed by people, who all had
their fortunes To make ey good character AID
Industrious habits. Look at that Remarkable
picture remarkable not ~ n work Of arr
but as a monument Of history which you see
iu passing through tie Rotunda. Two out 81
i've Of that iain,ortal committee were me-
chaoics-snd such men's 10 the name OF
God, scr, Why should any ole study 10 yerveri
the nsiursl good sense aud kindly feelings OF
this moral and noble people, 70 infu.c INTO
their minds n sullen envy tow ards ot.e another.
instead of that generous emulation which
every thing IN their situation - fitted TO in-
sPirc. 10 breathe into them the spirit Of Cain,
mutieTing deep curses and u,ednstiny de,per-
ate revenge against his brother, because the
before his own, And do not they Who treat
our indus,riOu. classes as if they were in the
same debased and wretched condition a, the
poor OF Europe, ia,ult them by such an odious
comparison;
Why, SIR, you do not know what POVERTY
s-Sc have no poor in thIs country. in the
sense ia which that word u used abroad. Eve
~ iaborer, even the nost humble. in the e.
States, soon becomes a capitalist, aud even
% he chooses, n proprietor Of ,snd-for the
West, with oil IT. bounJIess fertility, Is open
To him How can any one dare TO compare
the mechanics OF this land, (whose inferioriiy
In any substantial psrtieular-in intelligence
IN virtue, IN wealth to tho other classes Of
our country, have vet TO iearn,) with that
race of Outcasts. Of which - terrible pic.
ture Is presented by recent wri,ers-tEe poor
OF Europei race, among lao uncomfortable
portion OF whom famine aud peslIlence may
be said TO dwell coHs;autly-man Of whom
arc without morals, WITHOUT education, with
out country, without God! aud NAV be
sald TO know society only by the terrors Of its
penal code, and 10 live in perpetual war with
~. Poor boDdmen, Knocked with the name Of
liberty, that they may be sometimes tempted
20 break their chains in order that after q
few days of starvation in idIeness or dis,ipa-
ton, they may be driven back To their prison
hSN'S w taAo hSui uP hSaiH, htaNpI huu
more CALLING than before; severed, as Il has
been touchingly expressed, from nature, from
the common air and light of the sun; know
ing only hy hearsay, that the fields are green,
that the birds sing. and that there is perfume
IN 1owers Ind is IL with q race, whom the
perVerse institutions Of Europe have thus de-
graded beneath the condition of humanity
that the advocates, the patrons, the projectors
OF our working men, pre- sumo 10 ceupsre
them;
Sir, Il - 90 treat them with scCru 81 " hirh
their spirits should revolt. aud does revolt -
Just before I left Charlcsion, there as =
meeting csitsa for some purpose, Nhish q.
regarded by the people Of thai eity - aHf.soT-
able TO public order. There Was sou4osaing
suppose in the proceedings, which locked O.
the iDd,S iduai di.,incIion Of which have hect
speakihg-for h led. I have heard. 10 az 80
preston Of sentiment from Sne Df Sar H,s.
ehanicst which struck me d. uo,ie a. ssit
praise. lie said he ~osa4srsl ~Lst so. u o.
meant by sddfessing TO the lalss.tisgs, s,.r-
particularly all IphAmmsIosl sPYcah ss,.ss'
the Institutions OF the e"sstfs. . . 8 -
were not part Of the cosb0ss -.
interested 10 It's order aud p,ss. g.. - z
ASST they had no ties OG :, .Hp.,h, au-
nection with their fellow ,isyeu. a's.,. al
rs IL they had MOI intelligence and ks-oH is.l. .
enough 10 take care q thsir oNn iugsT.sss.
but we're reduced 10 a state u 2crpetssi ~.
pilAge aud infancy. and needed the OH rs
protection OF seif-eohsttutei gusrliars' sir
that was n sentiment worthy VI a freeman.
and which may be recorded, With honor,
among the sayirgs OF heroes.