The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-03-01
Mechanics respect Yourselves.


Tn OAR last number We had few words to
say about Intelligent Mechanics, and we pro.
nose now to address i few words to young
mechanics 1t is fact that 10 class OF our
citizens arc more useful, yet for all this, USE
fiIlncss does not confer upon any man what is
now called re&pectoJihy. There can be no
doubt bu: wealth is popular false standard OF
respcltaDiity, anI it is just Is aristocratic an
element here as elsewhere Listen to what
Jas. L. Brady. Esq, said in lecture deliver
cd before the Mechanics Institute, in this city,
on Tuesday evening last week. He said -
alt was curious fact that although civil
liberty was first recognized in Great Britain,
vet even there, from the system of classifying
the people, the mechanical classes are subject
to great hardships and disadvantages and even
in our own country, that boasts OF the most
liberal institutions in the world, the mechanic
has not his proper position among US. The
lawyer, the merchant, and the other profes-
sions, all assume to place themselves above
him. The lecturer then referred to certain
classes of society in this country who assumed
the airs and attempted to tread i'll the footsteps
of the aristocracy of Great Britain, and rd-
culel their pretensions.-When We look, said
he, To- the ari>tocracy of Great Britain, their
antiquity, aud The structure Of their govern
ment, we cannot help acknowledging that they
have at least toIcrable claim but when
class Of persons in this country, without either
antiquity, rank, lineage, or any ol"er Justine
ti,n To- ennoblc them, assumed position IN
the social scale above their fclowcltizens, it
was an arrogant assumption on their part, that
,nericd the utmost contempt. The lecturer
then passed high eulogium on the mechanics
of this country, and insisted that from their
usefulness they were entitled to the highest
position among us--they built our houses, our
ships, our railroads, and by their genius, their
energy, and their industry, were the largest
contributors to our greatness"
What Mr.. Brady here stated is true IN re-
spect to usefulness, but why DO the mechanics
not command the same respect in community
as the LAWYERS. Mr.. Brady isa lawyer would
an association of lawyers engage Tor have t."
engage) mechanic to lecture to them about
their duties worth, and influence. These are
important questions, and sound away down to
the very core of the cause, "why our me-
chancs do not exercise influence, or command
RESPECT according to their usefulness. ln
lookiur over the names of lecturers engaged
to sneak before the said Institute, we do nol
So, the name of >nge mechanic. Why Is
th,s9 The reason is obvious, they are not dis,
tinruished for literature as they are for useful
ness, and it is the civil quality which com
mauds rrsprct Another thing is, they do not
in general respect themselves 1--WE mean true
rcspect.) as the y should do. We have received
= very mrcat number of letters from mechanics
-mcn of the right stamp--tr"m different parts
Of our country, all amenting the general apa-
thy in respect to useful learning manifested
among our young mechanics. One says,
sunday is spent by the most Of them i'll rea'
dino E,lschnods in the shape of exciting stories,
destitute of pIot, purity, or literary taste"
Another says, "thry read'everyth'ng but what
they should read" Another says, they talk
ab,u, everything but that which they should
talk about such as impure stories, bandying
tests &c.. instead of conversing about relig zion,
philosophy, history, law, science, and practical
mechanics"
There is much truth in these statements, and
we sincerely desire to arouse our mechanics to
, tru. sense of their faults and feelings. In
every village and city in our country they
sboul id associate together for mutual improve
,ront ard such societies should not be exclu