Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-01-15
Mechanics

Every village has its society Of mechanics,
| reprcsenting the various useful trades ~practised
in this country, and that town is fortunate in
which those useful citizens entertain for them
selves a high tone of dignity and self-respect.
Without any desire to fatter, we believe the
assertion will be verified by close observers,
that P~Iaquemine can boast of being blessed in
this respect-in numbering as large an array of
industrious, moral, intelligent and gentleman
" Mechanics as can be found in few towns
of its size. 1t is but too often and too true a
remark, that the poor and hard working jour-
neylnan appropriates his leisure moments to
pursuits and indu'gerccs, which not only bring
upon himself much disrespcct and obloquy, but
also causes it TO be Swallowed upon others Of
the same or other trades whose purity and firm
ness of character should shield them from such
odium. 1t is owing in n great measure to the
want of education which causes much of the
recklessness among the working classes; but
not to this cause alone is the evil attributable.
They keenIy feel the poignancy of that erclu>
Sireness shown them b7 those who can only
exhibit that superiority which is claimed and
demanded through the inheritage of wealth,
however lacking they may be of real manly
worth and dignity, and thus a stimuIant is add
ed to the natural cause of degradation.
But from our own observation, and from
what we have casually read upon the subject,
we feel confident that a bright day is d~awning
for the NJ echanics of this country-when their
social position will be the highest social posi-
ton known in this country--a time when pa
rents, in selecting 4 career for their sons, will
shrink from the professions as from leprosy it.
self. We have seen several instances related
a, having occurred lately in New York, where
young graduates, sons of wealthy parents,
retired with their College honors to the labors
of the work bench, the chisel and the aucer:
thus with greater certainty uniting with their
literary at'ainments high standard of useful
ness and moral excellence, without which edu-
eaten is of no value, and securing for them-
selves that which is of more VI lue than gold,
and which secures through life a competency
and independence which fears no change-a
trade.
Surely no human being deserves a loftier
social standing than he who, in conjunction
with a high order of mental cultivation, earns
his daily bread by the sweat of his brow. Let
Mechanics then attend to the improvement of
their minds if they desire success in life and
responsibility among men.
Upon this subject the Scientific american
says:
"Mechanics should read good and useful PEE
riodicaIs and books--works that try the mind
and exercise its reflective powers; and they
should endeavor to cultivate a purity of speech
and conduct equal to that of the most refined
and educated. The composition and reading
of short papers on useful subjects is a most
excellent plan for mental Improvement"
From the same paper we also make the fol-
lowing extract, being a review of a lecture de-
livered by James T. Brady, Esq. The truth
of his remarks cannot be contradicted:
at was a curious fact that, although civil H.
berty was first recognized in Great Britain. yet
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 Iiber>
al institutions in the world, the mechanic has
not his proper position among US. The lawyer,
the merchant, and the other professions, all as
sumo to place themselves above him. The lee
turer then referred to certain classes of society
in this country who assumed the airs and at
tempted to tread in the footsteps of the aris-
locraey of Great Britain: and ridiculed their pre-
tensions. When we look, said he, to the aris>
~tocracy of Great Britain, their antiquity. and
the structure of their government, W. cannot
help acknowledging that they have at least a
tolerable claim; but when a class of persons in
this country, without either antiquity, rank, lin
cage, or any other distinction to ennobfe them,
assumed a position in the social scale above
their tellow-cltlzens, it. was an arrogant assnmp-
ton on their part, that merited the utmost con-
tempt. The lecturer then passed u high eulo-
GUM on the mechanics of this country, and in
sisted that from their usefulness, they were en-
titled to the highest position among us-they
built our houses, our ships, our railroads., and
try, were the largest contributors to our great
ness"
Lucky Number and Lucky Folks. Al the
drawing of the lottery in Havana ON the 4th
inst, ticket No. 36,l3l drew the prize of $780,
600. Mr.. Even, 4 compositor in this office, he'd
one-half of the ticket, and is entitled to $lO,-
0O0 Mr. Perry another eomnOsitor IN the