Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-05-31
From tho Eastern Democrat.

nat man who attempts TO draw a
line of separation between the rich and
poor, or to instil sentiments OF hatred
into the breasts of either class, is an en-.
my to society and to the welfare of his
species. In this country, happily, there
are no entalled estates nor laws of pri-
mogeniture; and, as consequence,
property is continually changing hands,
and seldom remains longer than one
generation in the possession of one ia.
mily. The rich men OF our country,
or vast majority sfthem, owe to their
own industry and perseverance, what.
ever riches or property they may enjoy.
They were poor once, and know some
of the ills that poverty is heir to but
by labor, properly applied, and the
practice of the virtues Of honesty and
integrity, they have reached their pre-
sent standing. Are they to be denoun-
ced for this ? Is their wealth, obtained,
it may with propriety be said, "by the
sweat of the brow" by early and late
work-by thought, care, and anxiety
lis IL to be considered q crime, and to
make them mark for the exercise of
the worst passions of the ignorant and
dlssolute, urged on by mercenary DEM
agogues, with the cries, that the rich
are the natural enemies of the poor,
monopolizers of the avenues of wealth,
and that money tyrannizes over laborl
The way to wealth is open to every
person. All men, for various motives,
are DESTROYS of acquiring riches, in a
greater or less degree; but some labor
more and think more than others, and
hence are more sccessful in their Of.
forts to get an extra portion Of the good
things ofllfe. Industry, perseverance,
and skill, la any pursuit, will general
ly be rewarded with success.
1t is false to say that there is any
separation of interests; any natural
hatred between the rich and the poor !;
their prosperity mutually depends up.
on each other. Labor gives employ
ment to capital, and capital to labor
One cannot do without the other, any
more than the hand without the head,
or the head without the hand. Capital
IS the head and labor is the hand of blu.
slness. Take away either, and there
is an immediate suspension. This is
exemplifed by the pressure in the mo-
ney market at present. Money-cap.
ital-has been in such extraordinary
demand, that its aid has been with
| drawn from many kinds OF trade. The
labor employed by this capital thus
| Withdrawn, has been turned adrift; it
is no longer required, as its vital prin-
ciple has been taken away. Thou
sands Of poor people are now out Of
employment in different parts of the
Union, in consequence, and the convic-
ton is now forcibly, sorrowlully bro't
home to them, that they, who have
been proclaiming hostility Of inter-
ests between the rich and poor, ard the
natural hatred between the two ex.
tremes of society have deceived them.
AS we began, SO we conclude, that
an individual who attempts to irritatc
the minds ofthe poor against those who
compose the wealthy part of the com.
munity-who tries to instil spirit of
outrage and plunder--of hatred and
hostility into their breasts--is a mis-
creant--an enemy to the compact Of
common rights and mutual protection
which binds society together--the law
and order-to the prosperity Of the
poor, and the existence of the rich
He ought to be treated as such, with.
out regard to the station he may oc-
cuPy.