Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-05-26
From the Geneva Gazette.
LABOR.
BY T. o. PERKINS.

LABOR.
BY T. O. PERKINS.
Much has been written and said upon the dig
nifty of labor. The sentiments expressed are
truly noble, but like too many of those of the
phanthropist, are theoretical, consisting only
of the ideal The dignity of labor, as treated
by them, is rot derived from society as it is, but
from society as it should be; and here arises a
discrepancy in the utility of their efforts. If
labor in society were the same as labor is de-
scribed by them, then wonld what they have said
been a noble instigation to youth. The digni-
ty of labor as it is is far different from the dign-
ty of labor as it should be and view of it ex-
cites an emotion Of wonder after viewing the
latter.
Relatively everything may be right, but posi-
lively there is much evil in the world. Glanc-
ing at society around us we find every man in
business, and thousand and one different kinds
of business. From the ruler of nation to the
hod carrier, mankind rush on laboring from morn
till night, until they stumble into the grave
The legal profession is entered by great share
of intellectual men. Men of profound intellects
and the most splendid abilities are found among
its members. Let us look for moment at the
field of labor entered by them -Crime-dis-
honesty.
The business of the lawyer depends upon the
proportion in which these abound. Do away
with them and he starves When crime is
lawyers instantly obtain employ
ment-on for the prosecution, one for the de-
fence. The whole energy of each is bent TO OBJ
tain the victory. If the crime is a cold booded
murder, all the same, every effort is made to
evade justice and clear the accused The most
eminent lawyers in the United States have OBJ
tanned their laurels by pleading for guilty men,
William H. Stewards plea of insanity for Free
man, the murderer Of the Vannest family, con-
tributed no small amount toward raising him to
his present eminent position. His late plea for
the Michigan Conspirators, men guilty of da-
boical crime, was mastery effort. Henry
Clay, the idol of one of the great political parties
of the United States-Rufus Choate, Daniel
Webster, John Van Buren,, Daniel S. Dickinson,
or any other Of the first class lawyers would
not hesitate moment to defend criminal if
from one to ten thousand dollars were offered
as fee.
An ideal path can be traced out for a lawyer
to tread, in which the voice of an undeadened
conscience would never reprove, but the whole
fraternity, one and all, have wandered, and tho
they are instrumental in enforcing the laws Of
the land and in meeting out justice, yet when
we bring them to the bar Of justice where men
are judged not from what they have done but
why they have acted, the whole fraternity are
condemned.
The medical profession includes another por-
tion of the intelligent part of community
Their field of labor is disease and pestilence.-
In the same proportion that these increase or
diminish are they enriched or impoverished
The motives that induce young man to be-
come physician can be none other than those
arising from a knowledge that the dimes ac-
crue rapidly to those successful in falling into
practice.
Society in its present disordered condition
presents such fields of labor and they must be
entered; but those entering them should they
reflect upon their responsibility to God, and the
destiny they might arrive at, must feel as a
northern fanalical abolitionist pretends to feel,
when forced to assist in the capture of fugitive
slave.
The third great profession is the ministry
The field of labor entered by them is sin; a
very broad field indeed and one in which labor
will be found for some time to come unless
man changes his nature. Poor wandering man I;
he needs an infinite exertion to raise him to that
position from which ministers tell us Adam fell.
Though the field of labor entered by the minis
ter at once indicates the fallen condition of man,
and those entering it spend their lives different
ly from what they might, should they listen to
the whisperings of another of their spirits, still
if their motives be to lend helping hand to the
wheels of improvement and the giant arm of re-
form, their actions and example are praise-wor-
thy and they stand among the noblest of men.
But taking the clergy as mass and examining
why they are ccrgymen, we find that when they
chose the ministry as profession, the tbo't of
reclaiming mankind and aboishing sin had sew
era companions.
First-The ministry is a very honorable pro-
fession, and great respect is elected by the cer-