The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-06-07
.sfor tbe e9:arnlers....
Wives.

1 q sl ! ~
I'VE gladly give room to the following extract,
and doubt not bat that the sentiments therein
expressed will perfectly agree with those ofour
readers - 49, 80 - ssssss
The farmers. of tbs country oceupy position
of honor and usefnlnes They are the source of
.anation's wealth and prosperity, and by their
] vote and influence can, at any moment, decide
!. its destiny. Farmers wives occupy "a position
ofeorfespo importanc m our own eoun-
try's history; they are and have been the moth
ses. of the men whom olr mai ION delights tohonor
:. whose voice Of wisdom and warning is heard
in oursnations. couaeils.s Lebanon, shon Of its
stately cedars, would be her sad emblem, were
,oursIand bereavcd of OH, patriotic and heroic
men whose early youth was associated with rural
scenes; with woods and streams, and the bird
voices that fill the air withelnelody But the
sweet voice that stiled the cry of infancy; the
kind hand that led them to the altar of prayer;
tho counsels that conducted them in the paths
ofswsdom. the influence. that developed their
moral pature- -taese were the pledges and pres
: sage ftheir future greatness. Thewiyes of our
farmers, whose Thrift and industry have secured
for1their husbandsa competency, whose intelli-
gence is the light of the. social circle, and dwhose
: piety is the guardian of domestic peace, are en-
phatically ssthc mothers of our men, A-f,ilure
in the country, with all the opportunities Of sue.
cess, away from all the emoral contalninatons Of
ascrowded city, amid the free, refreshing winds,
among all that is pure and poetic, in nature,
amid all that is suggestive Of truth and beauty,
and all that is bountiful and beautiful in agricu.-
tural pursuits and success-rghtly to train up
children, should awaken the voice of instructive
warning. There NAV have been no failure in ac-
cumulating wealth, none in making home beau
tifll and tasteful to the eye; but the failure has
been where i, is most fatal-in training the heart
ana directing the footsteps of childhood. There
may have been lavish expenditure to crafty
fashion ard perverted taste, but little care to de-
velope the intellect and train the heart. There
may have tecn great expense to teach children
to sing, to play and dance well, but none to
make them useful, virtuous and happy. Hence
the failure, aad the need Of warning There is a
tendency in these days of wealth and luxury
among our farmers, to initiate the ostentation Of
fashionable city life. We wage no war against
refinement. We are not averse to the elegal-
ces of life; but to train up our daughters only to
shine in the parlor, to play the guitar and speak
correctly the French accent, and our sons to de-
spise the honest toll of the husbandman, to feel
that they must aspire TO a profession, if they
would become men; this is a sin not to pass un.
,eebuked. Our fathers, who la;d the foundation
of our nations greatness, were the humble ters
of the soil; and many who have plowed the field
and sowed the seed, have risen to guide the af-
fairs of state, to hold converse with the muse or
to sweep with Milton's hand the harp strings.
E Our mothers, whose names and heroic deeds are
immortal, cultivated the domestic virtues, piled
the loom and the needle, and made the garments
Of the men whose names are associated with the
beroism Of the past We must look still to far
,ner's wives, who are blessed with children, for
the men of strong frames, of iron nerves and he
ro;c hearts, to accomplish our nations destiny.
Tot them not be recreant to their high trust
Ifthey fall, to whom shall We look for the men
and the women, thu. shall b" worthy to steady