Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-10-08
THE PEOPLES OWN BOOK"
CnApTER.ii.
TRANSLATED From Lhe French bn NathQnie
Greene.

You are the people: Know then what
is meant by this term, the people.
There are men who, Sruaning under
The burthens Of the dsy, inccssantly ex-
posehio the sea, 10 the rain, 10 The wind,
10 all the vicissiudes of the seasons, cult
vate The earth, deposit in its bosom n por-
ton oftheir strength and their life with the
seed that is to frucify, and thus with tho
swea, of their brows obtain the food neccs.
sarv for all.
These men are OF the people.
Others explore the forest, the quarry,
The mine descending 10 immense depths
into tile bowels of The earth, that they may
extract the materials indispensable to The
trades, the arts. These, like the first,
consume their life in hard labor for the
procurcmenls oflhose things which all
need.
These also are or tho people.
OllierS- cast metals. fashion them, and
give them the forms thar adapt them, 10
thousand varied uses; others work in
wood; Others spinning wool. flax aud silk,
manufacture different stufis; others provide
in the manner for the different wants aris.
ing directly from nature, or from social life.
These arc ofthe people.
Many, amid continual perls, cross the
seas to transport from ono country 10 an
other, those things peculiar 10 each; or
struggle against waves and lempcs,s. rn-
der the tropical fires as amid polar ices
either To augment The common mass Of
substance, or 20 draw from the ocean mul-
lirndes Of productions useful 10 man.
These also arc Of the people.
And who are they who take up arms for
their country, defend her, give to her their
past years their labor and their blooh!-
Who dcvo themselves for the security
ofothers. that they may rest in the tranquil
employment Of their Gresides' Who are
they, if not The children Of tho people!
Some Of them also, through thousand
obstacles; impcllcd and sustained by ge-
Mus, develope aud perfect the arIs, letters
and the sciences, softcning manners and
civilizins nations; surrounding them with
that ,ranscenGcnt spleudor which is called
glory, and forming one oft',e most fruitful
sources of the public prosperity.
Thus, in every country, all the who eS-
haust themselves to produce and difuse
their productions, all they whnse action
turns to the profit Of the whole commune
~. the classes most necessary to its we'll
being, most indispensable 10 its pTeserva-
lion, they are The people. With the cx.
cep,inn OF privileged few who are bur
led in mere enjoyment. The people are the
human race.
Without the people. no prosperity, no
devclopcmeut, no life; for there can be no
life without labor and labor is every where
the destiny of the people.
Lei the people suddenly disappear.
and what would become of society! 1t
would disappear with them. A few isola-
ted individuals only would remain dsper-
scd over the soil, which they would then
be compelled to cultivate with their own
hands. To be able to live, they would be
obliged 10 become people.
Now, in this society, composed almost
entirely of the people, and which subsis,s
3ul Ivy the people, what is the condition
of the people, WEal does society for
them!
It condemns them TO an incessant strug-
Gle against mullitudes of obstacles of eve
ry species. which it opposes to the anchor
alton of their condition, to the allcvialion
oflh"ir aitlcious: il leaves them but
small portion of the fruits of their labors;
il treats them as the ploughman treats hi,
OK and often worse; it creates for them.
under divers names. inlerminablc seryi-
Jude and hopeless misery.