The Delaware herald., 1854-05-17


eulation, fourteen hours. We will be liberal, |
and allow you seuen of that fourteen, for recre-
alton and repose And now, in my candid
opinion, we are getting you in " a close place"
And we are going to put to you few simple
questions,--and / sincerely wish that | could
hear every readers answer ;-how / would
| 60 probe " some of you in the next Herald.-
What do you do with those other seven hours
How do you contrive to spend them! Don't
eyude the answers, but " come up to the mark"
and give US an impartial and truthful answer.
And if you fail to do so, when touch on this
subject again, l shall tell the readers of the
Herald, just how you do it; for / knOso. BY
what means, came by this information, it is
no matter to you.
To save you the trouble of calculation, (for
many of you would never find time q to do it
yourselves,) We will do it for you; that you
may see, at glance, how much leisure time
| you really have, and which the wise would turn
to good account: Seven hours, multiplied by
three hundred and thirteen, the number of
work-days in year, produces the respectable
sum of 2,19l hours, which is equivalent to Oil
days; to this, add fifty-two, the number of Sun
days in year, and you have 1434 days-equva-
| lent TO four months and tI0enty-threC days =
And, yet you have no time to improve your
minds and increase your stock of information, by
entering upon, and pursuing q course Of judi
| cious reading Poor creatures you are really
to be- pitied. Gentlemen, move that we draft
and present memorial to the next Legislature
that shall convene in this State, for your par
ticular benefit; praying, in your behalf that a
little more leisure time be allowed you, as you
scarcely have time to read the news of the day!
And, as the nert Legislature will, doubtless, be
a Maine-Law one, we doubt not but that they
would attend to the perspective memorial in a
particular, as we'll as satisfactory manner.
Your next objection is the scarcity and def
cheney of books. We readily admit that you
have not books enough, and, what you have,
are not read enough. But that we conceive
to be your own fault, as books are cheap-level
to the pecuniary capacity of the poorest,-and,
were you to visit some of the publishing depots
in Philadelphia, New York, or Boston. you
would think that there was no deficiency in
their numbers. And you can appropriate them
to your particular benefit by giving some OF
your change" in return. And if you do not,
the fault is yours, and not that of the entcrpris-
ing gentlemen by whom they are prepared for
general use. Your lack OF interest in their
perusal, and, consequently, want of apprc cia-
tlon, your part, of their intrinsic value, arises
from the fact that you have never put forth any
manly, praise worthy efforts, to redeem your
selves from the thraldom of injurious mental
and moral habits, contracted in the school,
room, while under the control aud guardianship
Of njudicous and inefficient teachers; or, II
correct habits of mental culture were ever form
ed, you have allowed them to be destroyed, and
rendered inert by improper indulgence and as
sociatlon. To one or the other, or both, OF
these causes, your present lack of interest in
the perusal of good and well-written books,
and properly conducted newspapers, and through
lfINn IL.
knowledge, is mainly, if not altogether attribu-
table.
This is no triAing matter. 1t affects, mate
rally, the social position and intellectual capa-
city Of the classes thus chained and trammel-
ed. And never, while they think and act thus
can they measure up to the full statue of men,
in this age Ofprogress and reform. lmproperaS-
soclation and lnjudcious habits, modes OF thought
and reflection, are the great primal causes
c which dcbar progression III the quick and RAPID
s attainment Of knowledge, through the medium
i Of books; and which, as natural consequence
II chains the laboring classes to their lowly lot
IS while it rivets upon them the bondage OF men
), tai slavery more ntolerable than civil structures
: which regulate the physical and moral conduc
Il of the individual.
j; A distinguished poet, in speaking of this sub
G Ijeet, has well remarked:
"If true unto thyself thou vast,
- What were the proud ones scorn to thee
a feather, which thou mightest cast
Aside, as idly as the blast
:. The light leaf from the tree!
: Thou art thyself thine enemy!
e The great.-what better they than thou
:. As theirs, is not thy will as free!
: Has God with equal favors thee
. Neglected to GndOw!"
Is But the great body Of the laboring classe
d are not true to themselvcs-and by neglectins
II to be interested in those measures which woult
4 secure their own advancement and promotion
ID and by emitting or refusing to take the first, o
, primary step, in the chain of philanthropc ant
/, general improvement, which is--Le true q
thyself; for, undoubtedly, upon the basis Of in
al dividualmerit, moral and intellectual, the who'll
le superstructure of the general and permanen
d. progress and Improvement of society principal
n ly depends. And. we repeat, by neglectin,
,e this, they become false to all the establishes
c. and regulated institutions of society; and, il
al consequence, are amenable, at the bar of publ
Of sentiment, for the unwhoiesome and deleteriou
influence which they exert upon public morals
b, thereby checking general and popular improve
tn ment. s.,
of But how are they ODE brought to think an
cy reason correctly, and to be inspired with SUI
ar ficiency of moral courage to act accordingly
in The general opinion is, that while the food
gates of intemperance and moral corruptio
Is- are ted,-until the avenues that lead I
ch these are closed--until the diffusion Of useft
be and practical knowledge becomes universal.
n until the masses can be induced to liste
,e- to the teachings of religious truth, and
se be influenced and controlled in their conversl
sst ton and conduct by it, they will continue in
he great measure, to succumb to the evil and in
fe, moral influences engendered by the thousar
raj groggeries of the land; and to be swayed an
ire biased by the false views, sophistsy and polite
chicanery of soulless demagogues.
pal Public interest and public improvement, d
elr mands that these auisances shall be removed
us that the law should, with "whip of sma
'hf Chords drive out these groggery-dealers-
- these defamers and desecraters of the publ
pw temple, making IL as it We're, " den .
ny thieves.'' The moral, the religious and Il
an arc firmly handed tfasether FIR lib