Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-02-09

IN HelQ or INC WI -,
there will be few rich and few poor and
what is more, the Fictitious and cruel dis
tinctions. which now exist IN society. will
then rive place to an equality. indicated
not only by the common manhood Of those
who assert it. but by their generally like
intelligence and ike circumstances.
To preserve its healthy and vigorous
tone, the body requires the daily exercise
af not less than four or FIVE hours of man.
ual Iabor:-and if this amount be greatly
exceeded, III is atthe expense of the facul-
ties oflhe body. and to the diminution Of
he service which is due from it 20 the
mind.-to the spirit, that tabernacles in it.
Looking upon man in his true character.
that of a spiritual being, the only rule in
ordinary circumstances, for his bodily
labor, is so much as will promote the
freest, healthiest play Of his mental and
moral powers. To go beyond or to fall
short of;his is to violate the laws OF his
nature, and to hinder his supreme work.
the work of perfecting the inward man.
Statesmen and writer's en- political econ.
omy, were they to appreciate the import
ance of the proposed exemption from man.
ual labor, would recommend. that nation
obtain il by means OF an accession to its
wealth, rather than by retrenchment. es-
pecially such retrenchment as this paper
advises. They would look for the means
ofthis exemption, not to the denial of viii
ated appetites and the reputation Of per-
nicious Injuries; bat to the influx OF
| wealth arisinor from euch eonroas rs eve
TENS OF internal Improvements, more en-.
lighted agriculture, more enterprisins
commerce, and more extended manufac-
tnres. For several reasons, however, the
leisure and the disposition for universal,
mental and moral improvement would fail
to follow in the train of wealth so gotten.
Among these reasons is-that, great as
might be his weallh,its diffusion would fall
very far short Of the diffusion of the evil
to be renedied. The multiludioous poor,
who would find in the proposed relrench-
ment the means OF leisure for cultivating
the faculties of their understandings and
hearts, would find it, not in the national!
enrichment after which statesmen and
political economists seek: for in such en-
IuO POOI IuNC UuL SudES.
Another treason for not looking to an in.
crease of national wealth TO promote our
object, is that however great an amount of
leisure 1t might command, it would not
beget and foster amongst the mass of the
people disposition to improve this leisure
in mental and moral culture. Far differ
ent from this is the use made of property
saved by self-denial & the subsection of the
appetltes to the control Of reason. Such
property is well expended. The greatest
value of enlightened ret:enchment is 10 be
feun1 in the good influences it exerts on
the character of him who praclises it. The
property it saves is Of FAR less amount than
lis creation, or at least, improvem ent OF
dispositions to make right use of it.
To the question then, how the peopIe
tof this country shall obtain that leisure
from manual toll. which is necessary 10
the study, largest enjoyment. and mainten.
ance of the political and religious systems
that they have chosen, our answer is
set them cease from the evil practices on
which they are consuming means to com
mand this leisure" The most wasteful
and ruinous of all these practices is tina,
of drinking alcoholic liquors. This one
Abandoned, and the abandonment of others,
which are indeed less expensive and per.
nicious, but equally useless, would quick
| ly follow. ~
I When shall we have class of states.
men and political economists who will
have the dlscernment and integrity and
i courage to show open favor toward those
4 radical reforms which are essential 10 the
i perpetulty of our political and religious
institutions That our great men are
penny wise and pound foolish"
they hold at the spigot. whilst it runs a,
the bung"-is very manifest in their much
ado about tariff, bank and treasury
schemes, whilst they totally neglect that
j great and frightful drain, which intemner.
ance has opened up to our national wealth.
The annual loss TO this nation from The
consumption of intoxicating liquors ex-
ceeds hundred millions of dollars. But
who, either on the floor of Congress or in
State Legislature, ever hears this fact ?
! And how rarely do we meet in a
book on political economy with any fact
OF that class to which this belongs? This
nation, in spite, not TO say. largely in con,
sequence, Of its State and Federal egisla-
ton, owes TWO hundred millions of dollars
10 foreign capitalists. Legislation, con.
fidently as il is looked to for that purpose.
can never pay the debt. But the total alb.
stinence Of all its citizens from intoxica,.
ing liquors for only two years would save
an amount sufficient 10 paw il. Would an
annual golden shower. from which the
inhabitants ofthis nation should gather no
hundred millions Of dollars, be pleas
ant thing2 Their total abstinence from
all intoxicating drinks would afford them
that pleasant thing, and infinitely greater