The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-02-15

ment and bread. Crime is slited III all lts
loathsome details, and sounded to its darkest
depths of infamy. He sees human nature in
its worst phase. He sees the human heart de-
nuded of all the himsy disguises by which its
workings are hid from the world, backened
with crime, scorched with passion, and dwarfed
by selfishness, until he becomes to regard Vlr.
tue as an empty name to cozen fools with, and
friendship but the jargon of unprincipled
knaves. Such impressions however unjust to
mankind, utterly preclude him from the noble
enjoyments of reciprocal friendship The law
YER by pleading on all sides, is too apt to lose
sight of the great principle of truth, and to
multiply crimes by the facility of escape:
Let us undazzed by the glare of public life
and the trappings of the officer, take the gauge
and dimensions Of the happiness of the politls
clan.
The sword of Damocles hangs by him day
and night. Ills life is an oscillation between
hope and fear He is the object OF general
abuse and calumny. His motives are ran
corously assailed, his integrity called in ques-
ton, and his course however open, is misrepre.
sented and illuminated. To-day, thousands,
guided by, caprice, or tickled by his tinsel rhe-
toric, conspire TO make him demi-god, but
tomorrow rival, whom he had overlooked,
forces him into retirement. He may plant
his foot on the topmost round of the ladder OF
fame; vast assemblies may hang on his words
and newspapers vie with cumulative toadyism
in fulsome adulation, but the next gyration of
the political wheel hurls him to the dust amid
the jeers and expltings of his foes, and the
stimulated regrets of his party friends. The
evening of his days, instead of being enivened
by cheerfulness, is querulous, discontented, and
embittered by chagrin and party hatred.
These wayside reflections have allured me
sinto a slight detection from the subject matter
of this article, but flatter myself they will
facilitate the accomplishment of the object SO
much and so earnestly desired by all farmers,
viz: the removal of the absurd prejudlces.
against the vocation of the agriculturist.
Do not misconccive my meaning. lam not
attempting to show that farmers sons are une-
dual tothe, performance Of the duties of the
learned professions. Whence sprung the ora
tors, who have successfully contested the palm
of eloouence with the laureled sages of antIqdl-
ty; and the statesmen, who have guided the
vessel of State, and shed such lustre on our ma
tiona history They were not the pulling
scions of purse. proud arstocracy, nor the
sickly products of the feculent hot-bedS OF
fashion. They were not reared amid scenes
Of luxury and profusion, nor initiated into the
grog-shop and brothel, ere they. got rid OF
clouts. They were not'taught to prefer broad
cloth to the treasures of knowledge and the
corrusca,ions of art, and regard manual labor
as badge of servitude, and idleness as the
patent OF nobility. They were reared for the
most part in the seclusion Of the country; ex-
ercise saye.them robust health and strength;
remoteness from large cities rendered them
moral and upright, and their minds having
been self-taught are selfrelying and indepen'
dent. The city mannkin may bow with more
courtlness of manner, and stare at a lady with
more sunabashed impudence than plain farm
er, who hangs out no false signs of wealth.
but his highest achievement is to crack a watch
mans head, as his ambition is to copy the
dress of the cast off footnan Of some English
lordling.
At least two thirds of our most distinguished
orators, generals, and authors, were bred in the
country; and to the habits then formed, their
success in the battle of life wasmainly owing.
Washington appears more truly great when
reinquishng the trappings Of office, and seek
ing happiness on Mt. Vernon, than when
shadowed with the laures Of the warrior, or
invested with the Presidential purple. Andrew
jackson thought it no disgrace to be farmer,
and the American masses decided that it should
be no ground fol, his exclusion from the Chief
Magistracy.
Now, the question arises how is the farmer
to be elevated to his legitimate rank into
society, and the annual accessions to the pro-
fession ended ? AsI am farmer, shall make
no apology for addressing myself to this ques-
ton with earnestness.
In the first place it is Of primary Importance
that more attention should be devoted to such
sciences as aid us in the analysis of our soils,
and the application of manure. Chemistry
should form the study Of every person who
designs to become cultivator of the soil.
knowledge of agricultural chemistry is the
corner stone oil the farmer independently of
the pleasure to be derived from its study, it
will prove highly useful to one who tills the
ground. We all know that some manures
cause both corn and cotton to "fire'' and to
fail in seasons Of drought, yet how few can
give rational explanation Of this phenomenon,
not recommending people to grasp shadows,
or to adopt every untrlcd theory, but to &C:
qure practical knowledge of all that dimin-
shes labor, and prevents the exhaustion of the
soil; to increase the usefulness and respecta-
bity of their vocation BY mental improve
mcnt; and to lay aside the customs of past
times as things that have been superseded by
new Inventions.
Secondly, as matters now stand, every one
feels the evils resulting from the lack of the
esprit dcorps, which common habits, homo.
genious interests, and kindred pursuits should