Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-19
,yOLUME A7.-NUMBER s.
THE ELEVATION OF TsaE WORKING



II isharly necessary to state that by "work-
ing classes we mean those who are engaged
IN some Of the various kinds Of manual labor
Mental labor Is as arduous as any species Of
manual exertion, and those thus employed, Of
ten envy the farmer his keen appetite, his sound
and refreshing sleep, his freedom OF disease,
and exemption from harassing cares, But he
generally tries to solaee himself with the re-
Election that he is one round higher upon the
lrai ladder OF life. But our estimation Of
men depends not upon the kind Of labor BY
which they Obtain support "Fhe sweat OF
the brow by which aman earns his bread
may be produced al the anvil or the bar, al tho
plough OF in the pulpit, on the Judges bench,
or the bench Of the shoemaker or in physicing
the sick, or shaving and steering the well;
with us ii makes no difference The fact that
a man is engaged in one employment rather
than another, neither raises or lowers hum ia
our estimation. Neither do we care a straw
whether he is worth million Of dollars, or on
" Waterbury cent? whether he ride in
Coach, or waddlcs behind G wheel barrow,
whether his coat is made Of ten dollar broad
cloth, or his back has ever known the company
Of a coat at all. Ifhelive in splendid palace,
he on that account is no better nor worse than
the man who hives for a shilling week. ia
lObtu III Ntsi Ddlt VI cttiilC ilChiA} DhiluiHh
''nearest the sky.n
But virtue and intelligence command our
highest respect and esteem wherever we find
them. We love the good and instinctively pay
homageto virtue and genius, What is that raj
SEES man above the brute2 Ii is evidently hissu-
perior mental endowments. II there is any nat
ural aristocracy, it is the aristocracy Of mind
This is the distinction made by the God Of ma
uire But the-''cod fish aristocracy" Of birth,
wealth. caste, employment--is a contemplate
invention Of men who are made after very
small pattern. This peacock aristocracy we
detest and abhor.
OF the two elements Of greatness, let those
who are engaged in manual labor appropriate
TO themselves large share. Letthemeulnvaie
with assiduity the head and the heart. In viz
tue we think we can safely say they arc second
TO none and their intelligence is far greater
than that Of men similarly employed in any
part of the world The time has been when
ia England the fact that man could read, was
evidence in court of justice that he was
clergyman There rs case reported in one
Of the early reports, where a man claiming ex-
emphon from the penalties of a crime on the
ground Of his beng clergyman, Gin aecor
dance with the sustom of those early times,)
was handed the New Testament TO read, and
beng able by spelling cut some OF the hara
words, to hobble through a few verses, the
proof Of his clerical profession was considered
as established.
The progress Of education has been rapid in
the old world since then. but no where is intel
ligence difIused through the masses of society
as in our happy republic. But much still re-
mains undone. Many hours are wasted in
ldleness, in unnecessary sleep. and unproff
abb pursuits, that ought 10 be devoted 10 storing
the mind with useful knowledge. Intellectual
food Of the best quality can be obtained for a
triiie. The golden fruit of knowledge is with
IN the reach Of all. Rich stores from the deep
mines of thought are freely profiered to the
woriiingmen of America. Let them therefore,
improve diligently each leisure moment and
cultivate the dormant energies Of the deaihless
mind. and they will thereby bless themselves.
and greatly increase the strength and glory of
their eountry-.N H. Dem