Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1844-07-25
AN INcIpENT-THE LARoRINc MANS
- ~ SPEECH. -
Rton ffe osnesatJN 70 Colrier.

tne3e oflepQcrafs VINO walk upon tnelr turkey jar
pets and ride IN their splendid coaches, and whose
purses are bursting with untold gold, wrlng from
the hard toll of honest, uncolmplaning industry
Who say, are these rich nabobs, that they should
call upon US, the poor men Of the country to be
taxed to swell the profits Of their lordy manutac-
tories !"
The occasion was political meeting the ora
tor ouondam Federalsto Of Columbia county, prom
inent in the ranks Of Van Burensm; the audience
chiefly hard working men from an adjoining man
ufactory. The sentiment was received with burst
of applause, amid which the orator sat down.
"Mr PRESIDENT exclaimed voice in note so
distinct and peculiar as at once to draw the eyes
of all to the speaker-(a slender man, with thin
and Intellectual aspect, plain but neatly clad)-
MIR. President, am one of those oppressed poor
men to whom the orator has referred. desire to
speak may be heard - 5 ..g
Leave being granted he proceeded as follows =
s'Some writer has remarked, that there is no man
so humble but that his life faithfully reported, will
afford some useful moral and as an ounce Of ex-
perience is worth pound Of theory, even my life
| may not be will out its use. andy trade weav-
or. Six years since Twas employed in amanutacto-
| ny in Rhode Island. My employers were honest
and intelligent, though wealthy men, they paid me
fair but not high wages, these wages, however,
were Pasactualiy paid, and my experience has
taught me that dollar in hand is worth IL shll-
| ings in promises. | was Industrious and frugal,
and therefore contented and happy,my wages suffi-
ced not only for my support but also to accumu-
| late small surplus. was pleased with my con-
diton, and looked forward with well grounded hope
| to happy future. About this time speaker came
among us, who used arguments precisely similar to
those employed this evening His views were novel,
ingenious, and striking. We were captivated with
his theory. Before, we thought ourselves well paid;
| we now imagined ourselves oppressed. Before, we
| thought ourselves happy we now began to think
! ourselves miserable. The exchange TOR me was
bad one, Cor who would prefer misery and discon-
:.
the pursuit of the theory to regard its consequent
ceS.
sHe told us that the distinctions Of wealth and
poverty were merely artificial having their founda-
ton in the superior wickedness or weaknes1f man
kind and wholly unsupportedtby reason or justice;
that we were all alike Gods children. and there
fore alike entitled to share in his bounty that
the entire structure Of society was wrong and need
| ed reform that wealth as at present employed,
was merely an engine of oppression; and that the
main object Of its possessor was to grind the face
Of the poor. We were fascinated with these views,
! and began to conduct accordingly. Our work began
| to be sighted, and our employers began to COM
plain. Matters ran from bad to worse, until finally
a general combination of the operatives being at
| the head) suspended the works We were all OF us
| discharged, others were employed, and in about
four days the mills were again in active operation
now for the first time discovered that theory re-
duced to practice has its practical results that
though it may afford amusement for the fancy, it
neither clothes mans back fills his stomach
aud that as the best way ofjudging Of a,treels BY
its fruit, the best way Of judging OF theory IS
by its practical effects. | formerly knew myself
! happy; now found myself miserable. formerly
was laying up money / now was! as rapidly
spending it. So far had certainly not changed for
the better. tr
g In short time my surplus became exhausted:
and as my name had become somewhat, prominent
as retormer, found it diff cult to get work from
I oil ali 10 arod mn inAupncn and
example. Poverty now staredm me in the face; and
though necessity be hard school. fools, it is said
will learn in no other. determined to profit (if
possibleJ by my experience, and set myself to Cur
slider my present condition and its causes now
remembered that the speaker whose argument had
captivated my fancy practised upon very different
theory from that he preached that though he de-
nounced wealth, no one waslnore obsequious to- the
rich, and though he sympathised with the poor, he
never would touch the cause Of poor man unie,s
his fee Che was lawyer) was paid in advance
hence concluded that mans acts are the best test
of his principles, and that when we find man
preaching one thing and practicing another, we
may reasonably distrust both his doctrine and his
sincerity. In my own particular, my theory had
| operated disastrously. It had reduced me from
comfort to want, and had filled me with discomfort,
envy, and jealousy, towards my more favored neigh
( bors. nizf3s3 IN
"What had happened to me might reasonably
happen to all and theory followed by such eff
! fects, might fairly be pronounced unsound but
whether unsound or moi, i reflect that it was folly
\ for me to sacrifice my money, independence and
comfort, substantial advantages, for idea,
! the vague conception of another mans brain. We
have heard. my friends, the rich denounced but
why denounce the rich Suppose your or I, by
prudence and industry, (as well as we may, attain
to independence are we therefore to be stigma
tised as aristocrats Or, suppose we leave our
property to our children, heyto be prescribed?
And why should we, who rant employment, pro-
claim war against the rich, who alone can give it
to US Suppose all were as needy as ourselves
who isto employ as and if no man employs us,
where is our bread? But why denounce the Tar
if Itincreases the supply how, then canI raise
| the price! Itincreases employment and the wages
Of labor how then, can it inure the laborers If
you have no tariff, the rich will buy whatever they
want abroad and employ foreigners il you have
tariff, they will buy what they want thOnne, and
! employ yon. Which Of the two do you prefer
/ Next to God, mans first duty is to his family,
and nations first duty to itself Let the Ameri.
can Government look out for the American people,
and leave the English Government to take care Of
the English people. We, my friends practicing in
dustry and ffugality, should remember few plain
maxims, and we cannot well fail to be prosperous.
| We should remember ,l@ti 37 5#
! 81. Tojudge Of public men by the effects Of
their saeassves, not their professions. If the peo-
pie have. thriven under their administration, and
there has been no corruption, extravaganza or pub
lie debt, it may be we'll enough to try them again:
but the people have not thryen under their meas
ures, the people would be fools to try them again;
| for, what has happened once may happen twice
what is bread in the bone will show itselfin the
flesh; and mans calling himself Democrat don't
make him one. - F
q. That il is most prudent TO let well enough
Il ~ A. "A. a n