The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-06-24
re rp.rss Of the Axr.

S but little stoppage. The workman, III
q shopkeeper, the manin Office. the politician
9 the orator, the scribe, each act EDWARDS, an
. the cry is ever still, On! On! On!
Look at the first character. He is indee
, a machinist, ever toiling, ever waking. Fl
earns bread--little more. The sweat ooze
, lIom his forehead-he labors to promote al
, animal existence the honors Of the worl
are small to him-hee enjoys liitle-his en-
tire pleasure is in the bosom Of his family
And yet. he is happy. There are some de
pendent upon him: he satisfies their neces
sites, and their contentment proclaims thei
gratitude. The aim Of his labor is thus an
swered-his children grow around him, anc
with lip and heart they bless him. Blu
his labor is tinctured with anxiety. Tn,
pittance which he obtains little suflices fol
his numerous necessities. The hire he re
ceives is eked out as with grudging hand
land he seldom pleases whenever duty il
done. But this man is the nations prop
he creates the revenue--he adds to the bean
| ty Of the lustrous crown. and feels his right
to ask even ofthe haEghty aristocrat, or the
country's pride OF intslligence-'Am not q
man, and brother?
But the shopkeepe,. His standing in So
ciety is peculiar. II, tends his store-his
task is arduous, but he must satisfy the ca
prices of taste and fashion. What is the
character Of his customers! Are they grind
ders, or honest menu A purchaser too Of
ten expects to buy for nothing. He wishes
prices to be reduced in proportion to his
willingness to pay. Thus the position OF
the salesman is made lificult to the honora-
bic man. Some willnot lie for the sake OF
money. Is this articl, worth so much! Ii
is worth so much, is ,he answer--the con.
duct of the buyer frequently causing an un-
truth. The honorable man fixes his price:
he will not change nor reduce, ard he loses
purchasers. How thlnkless then is the of.
fice-how difficult to be honest, even in in
tention! Is not this servility OF the most
deplorable character! The shopkeePer can
scarcely live unless lie deceives. He can
nor be freeman. His mind grows corrupt:
he gets into habit oil falsehoOd, or becomes
bankrupt. The public create wrong
and fearful sort Of competition, and the shop
keeper suffers. But ie must go on. on. on
or be forever ruined, and entail dishonor on
his children. The remedy for the evil is
with the purchaser.
The man in office Is ever at the bidding
Of the people: he is tie peoples servant,
and is paid by them. His office is made
thankless. Full OF care to fulfil his trust,
his eyelids are weary and his heart faint
The People-men Of all grades, tastes, and
feelings-spur him On. With so many mas,
ters, how can be please! They make his
duty mental and physical slavery: he sell
dom pleases, and whatever may be his &C.
ton, be is the subject Of censure.
The politician and the orator occupy. a
place but little more enviable. The man
who guides the helm Of state has to look
sharp to the shoals and quicksands: by one
false move the ship may founder His brain
is racked by pain. The idol Of one party
and the criminal Of the other, he rises and
falls with the tide Of popular opinion. He
must be weight on that portion Of the
community who oppose him, and yet they
thunder in his cara on on! on! even whilst
placing breakers in his way. The orator,
too, may electrify BY his eloquence and ell.
ocution. His body labors with his mind: he
must study human mture-succumbt to all its
caprices-make it bis chielest aim to please.
He may draw Promethean light from heav-
eli, or resuscitate grandest ideas from the
''vasty deep" the minds and hearts Of men
may be moved--in few hours a new shade
OF light appears in the horizon, to darken or
enlighGen, and still the cry is on on! on OF
he, too, sinks into oblivion with his unlor.
trmate eompeers. How similar is the gra
dalton OF the man Of the fourth estate. He
must preoede the spirit Of the age. With
him il is 'Writel write write!' and the pen:
Life flows on! on! on! He cannot travel
backwards. Progress is his beacon star
That must not glimmer or set; it is expec
ted ever to shine. Every written line may
be the glory Of the man-but every wore
may be an offence to the reader. He mus
continue to plod-he must think-he mus
write--but he cannot satisfy mind. Tn,
cravings are too great-the appetite is insa
table. The public morals and the ooun
uy's veal are in his hands. Awful respon
, sibiIityl let him err and he meets with it'll
mercy. Sunbeams must be made gloriou
lights--shades must be turned to summe
J clouds-winter must be superseded by
season Of brightness, health, spirit and Wig
+ or, or he fails in his prescribed duty. TIL
people expect all this, yet render him br
! little service. The very pleasure Of the &c
itor or author is made toll: the midnigf
+ lamp burns dimly. His every act is patr
otsm: he -suffers-his brow is hea
ed with mental fever, and yet he goes OF
, onl onl at the bidding of popular aPPlaus
a or censure.
VI In all these stations progress is deman'
ed. Man is made to appear a noble beinl
seeking for perfection-perfection whic
: cannot be secured. Every aid is brougl
|. to bear. Associations, virtue, Temperance
faith and religion, are subservient to Il
!. great desideratum. Man has faith: he b
d lieves in selfpower. Give him the lev
O and he will move the world. Superhuma
; exertion is used progress is visible: the We
O bowels Of the earth and the components
i the atmosphere are used for the transmissiC
o Of thought. The vapor Of water is the co
Il veyancer Of material bodies: man looks i
a to the deeps below and the heavens abov
a. studies the nature Of other spheres-and,
y; he progresses, finds that on every stone, e
st cry blade Of grass, every sunken valley
Ne lofty mountain, every shining star and eve