Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-04-23

There is moi a mere foolish notion afoat in
the world, than the one that It is the occupntion
that oives character to the man. One nccnpa-
II IN. az the ..means Of getting living" as
the phrase goes, is precisely as high and cred
table az another, provided that it be honor
able. and in accordance with the laws Of God
and man. The man who holds the plough,
hammers his iron. or drives his peg to support
himself and his family, with the necessaries
and comforts Of life, is not whit below the
one who measures tape behind the counter,
mystiies the law at the bar, or presides at the
councils Of the nation. Therei is vulgar and
most pernicious feeling abroad in the commn-
nitv on this subject. Fathers must educate
their sons for one Of what are called the
learned Professions" Mothers must marry
their daughters to lawyer. doctor, clergy
man. or a merchant. Horror! the good lady
would as soon think of marrying her daughter
TO Winnebago, as to homely, industrious.
and honorable mechanic. Whv. the family
would he dsgraced the name dishonored.-
No. no! The business of a carpenter, black
smith. or farmer. is not so respectable as that
Of shaving notes, drawing stolidity from the
desk. peddling rotten wood for pills. or selling
snuff and tobacco And yet the duties OF all
the learned professions. as we'll as those of
mercantile fe, are performed for the same rea-
son that the shoemaker wakes his thread, and
the farmer plants his potatoes; namely, to OBJ
tain living. People who have begun life in
the ditch. endeavor to establish in society arti-
fetal Observation-Disclosures which they
vanlv hope will elevate them above the conn
mon mass from which they were taken, and
give to them an importance which innate worth
and honesty could not command for them
Labor is labor. Honest labor is honest labor.
Honest and honorable labor are the same.
whether performed by the king or the heggar.
and is inst as honorable in the one as in the
other. Ii is true that all men, by habit and
by taste, are not fitted to pursue the same vo-
cations. and that there are natural Omissions,
not distinctions, as the word is commonly used,
created by habit and taste. This is as it should
be, and fits us for discharge of all the pecu-
liar duties that devolve upon MS as members of
society. But to say that. because man per-
forms any given duty, however humble. tho
necessary that duty may be, necessarily de-
grades him, or renders him less meritorous
than his neighbor, who performs another duty.
yet not more faithfully. is to say that we still
adhere to the monarchica principles Of the old
world.
Let the father edncate his son to some hon
orable calling, and if he have prediction
for any particular business, as is Otter the case.
let him follow it. if it be- possible-it is the
man that ennobles the business. not the brsi-
ness that ennobles the MAINLAND not spend a
thought upon the distinctions liz occupations,
honorable and honest, that fools have attempt
I'd to build up. Let children be taught 10 be
honest, honorable and upright; to set a proper
value upon the riches of world, which is on
ly, at best, a bubble, blown into existence to-
day to burst tomorrow, and to unde, stand that
the only true and real distinctions in society
are those Of virtue and vice, and that the only
true and enduring riches are an intellect duly
cultivated. affections schooled, ard heart that
knows no guile.-[Spirit Of the Age.