The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-06-08
MECHANICS.

"Look at that man, driving his barouche and
horses" said whiskered dandy in Broadway
show can America ever arrive al distinction,
when all classification OF persons is thus annihi-
lated, and the coach of your tailor runs against
the wheels of your own tilbury." This is the OPT
Mon, no doubt, of many who never earned dol
lar by their own industry. Bonapare, the best
Judge of human nature and OF merit never visited
great painting, specimen of ingenuity OF me-
chanic art, that he did not, on taking leave, walk
up formally to the artist, or mechanic, or eng-
neer, and taking off his hat, salute him with
low and respectful bow It was an homage due
to merit, and he always paid that debt. Nothing
gives me more pleasure than seeing mechanic
in his own coach-that is to say, if he drives his
own coach on the actual profits of his occupation
if he mistakes the time, and begins too early, he
is lost-for mechanic who sets up his coach,
and is compelled to set it down again, from pre-
mature commencement and not understanding his
position, is poor creature indeed, and runs ahead
of his business.
1t is custom, and bad custom, in England,
to look on tradesmen and mechanics as al inferior
class of men, without reference 10 their character
or wealth. This, however, grows out OF the dis
tinctons and classification of society i'll monar
chcal government, and keeps mechanics, except
in the city of London, continually under the ban,
and consequently prevents their ever attaining a
high rank; and we regret to add that we are tine
tured little too much In this country with the
same feelings. Some of our families, accustomed
to believe that there is in mechanic something
low and grovelling, prefer bringing up their sons
to profession, or in counting house, or in a
retail fancy store and, when they come of age,
they have capital to give their children to COM
mence business with, and they drag out a weared
and poor existence, depending on chance, and sell
dom attaining affluence. This is not the case with
the sober, industrious mechanic: he has a bust
ness, capital of which he cannot be deprived,
and, if he possess ingenuity and enterprise, and,
above all, sobrety and industry, he is very likely
to attain fortune The secret, therefore, in this
republican country, is to- give our sons good
educaton-an education suitable for any profess
sion-and then make mechanics of part of them;
because, if they temperate, ingenious and fru-
gal, they must make good living, but if these
principles engrafted on good education, such
mechanics not only become rich, but they become
great.
The education which qualities them for the bar
or the bench-for the highest honors of profess
sion, imparts greater value to their mechanical
pursuits, and enables them to take high rank in
the political world, sustained by powerful nte-
rest; and if we had larger portion of mechanics
in Congress than we now have, the country would
repose in safety on their sagacity and intelligence.
True, there are prvations and Inconvenience in
learning and working at mechanical business
boys must be up early and late--live hard work
hard-they must make great sacrifices of ease and
comfort, for a term of years; and then they will
begin to realize the good results-to taste of the
good fruit-besides, what is above all price, their
habits from Ia to 10 are formed in proper and
safe mould, free from incidence, vice and extra
vagance. ....
The very dandy who turned up his honorable
nose at the Tailor driving his barouche and pair,
was actually the son of mechanic and inherited
large fortune, which he does not know how TO
use. In a few years, he will have dissipaed it in
folly and extravaganza, and then become loafer,
and, without knowing how to earn his bread, he
will follow the meanest trade in the world-that
Of beggng-N. 7. Star.