Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-10-18
"The World Owes Ne a Living. >,
BY HORACE GREELEY.

be world owes me good living and III
have it." says some blackleg, as he finishes
luxurious repast /" here landlord, another bot
lie OF your prime Madeira!' Half dozen
empIy-headed fops, who ST, gazing on him with
stealth. in silen. admiration, hail the sentiment
with rapturous applause. !" "'rhat's il land
lord! more wine here! we won't go home I'LL
morning. Let US go it while we are young
Who cares for the expense Z" The conse-
quence Of this is, the pifering of money draw
efs, The ignominious loss of employment, gen.
teel ioalerism, and SO on, until one of these en-
lerprlsing gentlemen in eager pursuit of the
good living" the world owes him, puts the
wrong mans name to check, or in some kind
Of a way gets ticket for the marble palace al
Sing Sing, where the state provides living"
for those it considers deserving, but not Just
such one as consist with their own estimate
OF their exalted merits.
The great error in this case is the original
maxim. Il is false and deteslable. The world
owes you living? How owes! Have you
earned it by good service If you have, weh-
er on the anvl! or in the pulpit, as toiler or
teacher, you have acquired just right to
livelihood. But if you have eaten as much as
you earned, or worse still, have done lll;le or
no good, the world owes you nothing. You
may be worth millions and able to enjoy every
imaginable luxury, without Gaze or effort but
you have done nothing 10 increase the sum
of human comforts, instead of the world owing
you anything, as fools have babbed, you are
morally bankrupt and a beggar.
Mankind are just waking 10 consciousness
Of the duty resting on every man TO be active
and useful in his day and in his sphere. All
are not called TO Dig and hew-or pow or
plane-but every man has sphere of useful
ness aloled 10 him by Providence, and is un-
faithful TO his high trust if he deserts it for idle
pomp and needless luxury. One man may be
fued by nature and inclination for an arlizan,
another for sailor, and third for merchant !;
bu, no man was ever born fitted for an idler and
a drone. Those who become such are the
victims Of perverse circumstances and de-
plorable false education.
Z" But has not a rich man the right to enjoy
his wealth !' Mos, certainly. We would be
the last to deprive him of it, He has natural
and legal right to possess and enjoy it in any
manner not nurious 10 others; but he has no
moral right 10 be useless because he has supe-
rior means of being useful. Let him surround
himself with all The true comforts and true lux
ures OF life; let The masterpieces of ar, smile
upon him in his galleries and The mighty minds
of all ages speak TO him from his library. Let
plenty deck his board, and the faces of those
he loves gather joyously around it. Let him
possess in abundance the means of satisfying
every pure and jus, desire of his nature and
become wiser, nobler, larger in soul, than his
less fortunate neighbor But let him never
forgel-as if he is properly trained. he never
can-lhat it is his solemn duIy TO be useful 10
his fellow creatures, especially 10 the depres-
sed aud sudering-to labor for their benefit,
and suffer. if need be, for their elevation.
The seryile idolairy with which ignorance,
and vugariiy have looked up TO power and
wealh-ihe hosannahs which irampled mil
lions have sung before the cars Of conquerors
and other scourges Of the earth-are fading
and fitting for ever. In the twilight which sue
ceeds the gross darkness, there comes a season
of moral anarchy. when men having lost faith
in The jugges which once blinded and bound
them, resolve 10 believe nohing-io decfy and
PROSTATE all that rises above It's lowest level.
Now The laborer with his siuews returns haired
for the contempt once cas-! upon him and says
=" What good is there in anything but manu-
al laborl-away wish all else!---lhose W hose la
Dor is chiefly mental are deceiyers and mohsr'
But this is a transilory ebullltioD. The world
soon learns 10 respect its benefactors in what
ever sphere, and TO realize that he who truly
and honestly exeris himself in some depart
ment of useful effort, may justly claim broth
erhood with all who toll, and make and earn.
Let the rich cease 10 look down on The poor---
the merchant on the porter let each respect
the dignity of man, whether in his own person
or in that of his less fortunate brother lei
haughtiness and pride cease on one side, and
envy, jealousy and haired with their train of
direful consequences will vanish from The 9TH
er, and all animated with common kindness
will move forward in common concord TO the
ailainmen. of the highest good.
A contemporary says, the following from one
of the old British poets is exquisite. Heihinks
it is the very essence of fancy. liwas ad-
dressed TO a lady upon whose bosom fake Of
snow had fallen and melted:
The envious snow comes down in haste,
To prove thy breast less fair,
But greves to see itself surpassed,
And melis into tear
Pshaw = says Noah's Messenger, we can
bea. that any time. Look here !
Down her white bosom rolled iear
We know it hadn't oughIer,
Until al last---al last, oh dear
Her shirt was ret as water.