The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-11-02
THE VIRTUES OF THE POOR.
THEIR SOCIAL ESJoYMENTs.

| this community, who toll from day TO day
fIom week 10 week, and from month to month
with scarcely an idle hour for relaxation and
enjoyment, with little or no hope of pecuniary
independence, and who nevertheless, are sat
lsfied and happy. They love integrity, appre-
ciate character, and would rather starve than
commit an outrage ora fraud. They rise in the
morning, aware that their task for the day is
lncessant TOLL They return TO their homes at
night-fall, physically exhausted, and yet cheer
| fu, and prepared TO mingie in the social en-
jOyments OF The brlef prrIod allotted them, be-
tween sundown aud the hour assigned for rest.
Give them employment-constant employ
ment-let them have health, robust and vigor-
Gus health, aud although murnur may be-
uttered occasionally al 1.-The proud mans con-
lumely," yet they fulfil all The obligations due
from man to man, are kind of heart, cheerful
of spirit, and ready should occasion require, to
assist an unfortunate neighbor or friend. The
| virtues oil the poo., the honest, the laboring
| classes of the community are not sufficiently
appreciated. Ii is wonderful, when We know
the trials TO which many are subject, and see
The temptation by which they are surrounded,
/ 10 find how few, compa ratively speaking, de-
viate from the right path. 1t would do the
heart of the rich and benevolent man good, il
| he were TO wander occasi ,nally into the work
shops of the poor, watch the buoyant spirit in
which labor is performed, and then follow him
! TO his humble abode aud listen TO the history
of his social life. The better nature of the
1 prosperous would melt, his sympathes would
be enlisted and his admirations excited By the
plain but truly noble virtue OF the children oil
toll, the untiring and ind omitable courage BY
which they press forward in the laudable eff
4 fort 10 maintain reputable position for
ii e.
latter as many comforts, aud as much moral
and intellectual training as possible.
| In this country; the line OF barrier between
the rich and the poor, is perhaps narrower
than in any other on the face Of the globe
And yet even here it is sufficiently broad. 1t
is more so, indeed, than people generally i'm
/ agine. IL we are fortunate In having wealthy
parents, we know nothing OF the struggles and
privations of poverty and toll, and cannot
therefore sufficiently appreciate and feel foT
the children OF want and penury. And If,
having been poor ourselves, we gradually &C
Quire position of prosperity and compartive
afIluence, the false pride of the hum1n heart is
apt to induce desire TO forget our early orr
| gin, and to manifest ignorance OF the scenes
and associates of our youth. And then IL Is
that barrier between the rich and poor l.
created. We imbbe prejudice, we scarcely
know why. We too often associate poverty
either with Incidence crime, and fancy tina
because WE have been fortuuate-and ihave
escaped the shoals and quick-sanks by which
SO many have been wrecked, that they hav.
been culpable, and that TO culpability rather
than unavoidable disaster, sshould be attribu-
ted their poverty. But this is an unjust and
i that
II Misfortune does not always wait on vice,
i Nor is success the constant guest of virtue :"
i The poor err quite as seldom as the rich
q while their strong necessaries frequently sur
round them with additional temptations. Vir.
tue and integrity should IN some sense be es-
teemed according to the circumstances under
which they are manifested, and TO the temp.
tations to which they are exposed. A ricl
man has no inducements TO be dishonest fo
pecuniary advantage; or none, compared with
i poor and humble day -laborer, who, with Q
d large family dependent upon his efforts, still
finds il exceedingly difficult 10 supply them
n with the necessities, 10 say nothing oil the
Il comforts of existence. How much more Gre
ditabIe, thereof the honest position OF The lat
ter.
: Two great objects, as il seems to us, should
] be sought for By statesmen aud phiianthrO.
pists. First-abundan, employment and fair
wages for honest industry-second, means and
!, leisure for the moral aud mental advancement
and the social enjoyment of the poor. We re.
gard the dream OF equality, as applied to social
a life and to the possession of property, as moi
only UtopisD, but as sadly delusive and mis-
i chievous. Nevertheless, we believe that much
may be done for the general happiness and
social comfort of the laboring classes. Thei
interest, their want and their virtues should
occupy large share Of the attention OF ou
statesmen and Legislators; for The happier, the
more industrious, the more elevated In So
! cial, moarlan intellectual point of view, ihs
masses become, stronger will be he security
for permanency in our institutions. A system
which studiously enriches one class at the ex-
| pense of the other, which takes from the mul-
RI lllude the means of comfort and competence
the sense of independence, and the hope Of
honorable prosperity, is not only unjust and
5 anti patriotic, but II is cruel and inIquitous
] The masses, the millions, The industrious poor
$ are entitled to large share Of our sympathies
and should be encouraged, comforted and di-
rected upward aud onward at every fitting oP-
o portunlty, and by every proper mode. u
should be remembered that they have little
I time TO think even of their own wants, inter.
: ests and grievances. They look straight for
4 ward-they are forced TO look straight forward
: TO the main point, subsiStence"-and hence
J. Others of more leisure, thought and means
? should sympathise with, reflect and act TO
them. And Heaven guide and guard all such
i ROWING UP SALT RIVER.