Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-12-17
From the Marion Star.
IlZineSS.

We regard laZneSs as one OF the most crying
evils Of the present day, and we believe that we
could not do society greater service than to
take up our parable against it. "Six days shalt
thou labor and do all thy work." is part of the
commandment; and we hold that he who spends
these six days in ideness is just as great an Of
fender against the law as he who does not re-
member tie seventh, ":be Sabbath day, to keep
it holy" And why should he not be- What
other fountain is more prolific of evil than azi-
! ! hess? "An idle mans brain is the devils work
shcp," and it always has been. Rape, robbery,
murder, swindling, ;ntemperance and its concom-
itant sins, are, nine times out of ten, traceable
directly to this vice, and therefore there is no
reason why idIcness should not be placed in the
same category with the other Offences cnumera-
ted in the dccalogue.
But suppose all individual is not under the ne
cessity of laboring with his own hands or head
for livelihood, shall he still be compelled 10
work Yes, or not cat for it is contrary to the
laws of nature for man to consume the fruits
OF earth, without doing something to restore to
the common stock so much at least as he takes
from it. But the necessity here spoken ef Is on
| " physical one; for the divine economy I'M
presses upon all men the necessity of labor
And when the death of one relative or the industry
Of another, places it within the power of an in
diridual to pass off his time without employment,
should this exempt him from the obligation of
the commandment! Shall money, or lands, or
goods, annul the laws of God, and render them
Of non effect in the case of ther possessor? Then
why not allow him to kill to commit adultery {?
to steal? to bear false witness against his neigh
Dor? These crimes are forbidden by the very
same code that enjoins labor on every man; and
if the possession Of property be allowed to fur
nish exemption from the one, why shall it not
provide impunity for the Others? These offences
differ only i'll degrees of atrocity; and hence the
Apostle lays it down that, whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and vet offend in one point, he is
guilty Of al!!."
The ider then, whether rich or poor, ought to
be arraigned at the bar of public opinion as a
criminal of the most atrocious class, and should
be dealt with accordingly. He who steals six
pence worth Of bread from his ncighbors shelf to
satisfy his hungry soul, is deemed felon, and
loses his Eberam legeni How much better IS
he who swiudles the State that protects him and
the society which surrounds him, out of all the
accessions that might be made to their aggre-
SdLe idOol iH thC Soui"0 Va
his life9 Not a whit, say we ; therefore he ought
to rank according to his dement's. But the prev
aence of idleness seems to sanctity it in the pub
lie estimation We scarAy ever hear discourse
from the sacred desk-no matter what the text
may be-which is not garnished with an elegant
episode or two against the offence of Sabbath
breaking; but whoever preaehcs against the
| more bcSctting sin of laziness throughout the
other six days of the week, when all ar" COM
mandcd to "work?" The good old John Wesley
thought it his duty to beard this vice, as well as
others. "know ye not, says he, in one Of his
sermons, that there is no grosser dishonesty
than sIoth that every voluntary block-head is a
knave? lie defiauds his benefactors, his parents
and all the world and robs both God and his
own soul Yet how many of these are among
u.s. How many lazy Grones, as if only fueges,
consun,ere natl. Born to eat up the produce OF
the soil. Mental idlencss, more particularly, WIS
the species on which this great man was dlscours-
ing; but his remarks were equally applicable to
lazness of every kind. CIvIs.