New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-28
THE MODEL REPUBLIC. No. l.
LETTERS FROM JOSH SMITH TO HIS BROTHER IN LONDON
Respect Paid 40 Labor In America-Amertcan
Ladies do not Paint-NO False Jewelry
Worn-DiEnlGy of Man Recognized.

Respect Paid 40 Labor In Americn-Anlerican
Ladies do not Paint-NO False Jewelry
Worn-DiEnity of Man Recognized.
NEw-YoRE, March b, 1851
What strikes foreigner with sstonishment in
visiting America is the respect universally paid
to Labor In all European countries Capital is
worsbipped. while the Labor which creates that
Capital is debased. How different in the United
States There, the labOrer is the respected, the
royal man. The idle sink into nsignifcance ia his
presence. Indeed their existence in the Repub-
lie is hardly tolerated. Respect the burden"
said Napoleon, and the Americans have made
that i'm pressive sentence their motto. No en-
ployer Of workmen would dare to adopt the Eng
lilh principle of getting the work out of hu-
man sinews for the least money. He would be
disbonored if he were to attempt the system
Thus in America there is never any fesd between
the employers aud the employed-between the
capitalist and the proletaire.
was charmed by this sublime religion God,
if we will think of it, was the first worker. La
Dor commenced in Heaven. In England the la.
borer dofis his hat to the Idler. la America, the
idler though he be a millionaire, enters a work.
shop, factory, foundry, ship ard, or other place
sacred to Work, with abashed demeanor.
The streets of the large European cities are
huges consume,e natl. In England the crowd in
their stupid reverence for Do-Nothngs, forbear to
elbow them in the Gidewalk, clear the way for
them and salute them with humility as they pass.
In Broadway their appearance only inspires
contempt The Irish holman treats them with
diTespe =. The negro eyes them askance aud
with grin. The fingers OF men point az them.
The lips Of their fellow citizens are sblant with
scorn. There goes a skulker," is the universal
remark. God labored, and Christ and bis ap0s
ties lab ored, bat he does nothing" The lder,
Vithered by such reprObation, usually darts down
some By street. and escapes 70 his luxurious
home. If he has any thing good lurking 10 the
soul or him, he comes forth 6y and bye a Work
err Ifhe has lost all manhood he goes to Europe,
and is happily no more heard Of in the country he
has ditgrsced.
Ii fares the same with the other eek. There are
few fine ladies' in America. All the world knows
the pitiabe condition Of the poor work grim Lon
don and Paris. There is no such class Ia New
York, Philadelphia and Boston The dress aud
mantilla makers, the miiners, the straw sewers,
are honored in the Model Republic The indoent
woman, however rich she may be. fears to encOun.
ter their glance of reproach. 1t is beautiful to
tie distinction made by store keepers between
the fine do.nOthing lady and the honest indust1-
Gus girl. 90 but these Americans are noble IN
deed" / said Involuntary, with tears Of admira-
ton moistening my eyes, when first behed the
salesman Of Dry Goods establishment in Broad
lowed rich, idle LADY, who had just alighted from
her carriage TO stand. la the churches and lecture
rooms the best seats are appropriated to the
Workers in the tbeaters, concert rooms, and all
other places Of amusen ent the same arrans ement
obtains. In short, Incidence has no prerogative
in America-but, on the contrary, the citizens of
this great Republic strive by ell practicable means
to enforce st. Paufs golden commandment: "H
any do not work, neither shall be eat"
On Sabbaths, in all the Churches, the ministers
inculcate the same lesson. Christianity in
America appears what il really is, the Religion
OF Democracy Ii knows no distinction between
incidence and vice. Work while it is called
to- oBy" is a text which it applies spiritually and
literally. Indeed, the Clergy in this country are
in the van of Labor. Their industry is remark
able. They visit tue sick, inform the ignorant,
seek prohigacy in its lowest dens, and spare no
pains to elevate the depraved. They deny them
selves-I will not say luxures, bat even comforts
that are Decesssries to other men OF Learning
such as literary leisure and time for travel and
observation, that they may initiate their Master
in doing good. The American Clergy are truly
the Good Samsritsns OF the earth. They make
Humanity wholesome.
Another feature 10 American Society is the
absence Of all deceit Nobody wears false jewelry,
and no woman paints her face. An American
lady would regard IL as an act OF positive dis.
honesty if by such juggery she endeavored to ap-
pear otherwise than as God made her. European
laOles DeOaQO their faces WltO req huu WulLe. "
Heaven the obliquity Of character that, If we will
rightly consider it, such an act involves AS ifshe
should say, You, bystander, or acquaintance, are
to consider me handsome though my glass tells
me that | am otherwise Lady, | think that
though your face were even palmer, your heart
would be less beautiful. No American lady OF
respectt bIity uses these adyentisious aids 70
beauty. What a lesson for the aristocracy OF
England
1t is the same with jewelry. Ruskin, in bis
"Seven Lamps rightly says that fslse jewelry is
lot so much sin against good taste as crime
against God, or words 70 that elect, Tor quote
from memory. You pretend that this Is gold and
diamond, whereas il is psltry brass and paste.
You would sdorn your person with he. The
middle classes emong the English DO this thing
sometimes-false inery without and the rotten
ness Of the sepulchre within. The Americans
never.
Novalis said, 81 touch Heaven when lay my
hand on human body" This fine recognition
OF the dignity Of nan is part Of the education
Of the yourg American. Ia the United States,
man isworih himself; in old feudal Europe be 10
worth scmething which is not himsell-lands,
money, titles, pictures, horses, plate, &c. With
out these, the naR-the thinking, feeling, acting
individual, would frequently be ostracised. la
America, on the contrary, what man has is not
the question with bis contem poraries, but what
he T. What soul has be Would he do a mean
action Would he, for party sake, defame a
rivali Or, would he lie ike coward in the hope
of golden ganl No charlatan, no intriguer, no
spy, DO hypocIite, no bankrupt IN heart and prin.
ciple has q chance 10 that society but from Maine
20 Florida one shout ofreprobation would pursue
him. though he were counted the richett man in
the Union. Astres hsbreturned to the Z arth-her
abode is IN New York.
The dignity Of man is the Great F act Of Amer.
lea. Here for the first time IN the world hiEto
~ be grows to bis complete stature The OPP
pressed Of al nEtions-the d0wncast, the suffer
ing aud tnslaved-tnd home in the land of
W abingdon There each puts forth bis strength
tLd obtains what he merits. There man like the