Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-02-29

or curse most Of MS would MAKE
the question personal one. Fol
ourselves, We seek what we call ease
--relief from labor.
But is this a wise social and ma
tionnl view There may be, We
know there are, systems of labor Sc
oppressive that all manly aspirations
aud efforts for progress are destroy
ed. But such is not a necessary re-
suit of our New England system 80
Men may, # they choose, avail them
selves of opportunities for sell-lm-
provement. Our farmers, our mechan.
les, our laborers in every department
have leisure. But leisure is moth
ing without the habit of industry
first formed 1t IS important to the
industrial classes that they have lels'
ufe; but without the habit OF indus
Try, the love Of labor, leisure becomes
mere name for idleness. A lover
of idleness has not the first manly
quality in him. Variety in labor,
recreation, are necessary; but posi-
tive and systematic idleness, is de-
grading vice. Now ought any man
to flee from New England, that he
may be idle elsewhere ! Admit what
IS probably true, that the inhabitants
Of the West perform less labor than
the inhabitants Of the East, does it
by any means follow that we are
more burdeued Than they The
burden Of labor is not determined by
the amount Of work performed, but
10y the measure of strength Of body
buoyancy of spirit, and the ability
we have to make the task take the
place Of a servant, rather than allow
It to become our master.
There are but few days IN New
England, when abstinence from labor
Is physical necessity; and three
hundred days service would be no
more of burden here than two
hundred aud fifty would be IN some
paris Of the West, north even Of the
river Ohio. say, then, with great
confidence, that a man should not
leave New England to avoid the
JWrdeH Of labor. Idle men should
be where the necessity for labor pres
SEES che hardest But IT Is not to be
denied that a young man OF small
means in money, but Of fixed habits
OF industry, may wisely eml5ralc to
the West IN search ot h0ms Eve
~ man very properly desires To pos
scsS land and secure a home. Tin,
may done even in New England
but 1t often requires several years OF
laborand economical life. A man OF
energy need not despair; yet he can
advance to that position more readily
IN the West than here
But ought farmers 10 emigrale
who have lands, homes, fixed habit,
Of industry, aud the opportunity Ia
render their labor year by year more
intelligent and productive And
would ii not be well for many of our
young men OF moderate means t.
accept the position Of independent,
though small, proprietors IN the val
leys or on the hill sides of New Eng
land?
1t may well be doubted whether
for life OF labor, any part OF The
world offers better return than
Massachusetts. And there are few
States less likely to delcrorate II
character. The ocean The hills the
mountaiu-, the climate, the soil, al
contribute TO produce hardy rae,
of men. The presence and keeI
sagac!ty OF m extensive and con
slanlly increasing commerce, wall OPP
en- new aud perfect old channels %
trade, SO that no product OF our IN
doslry shall want a compromising
market. We have a civilization "A
solid and progressive, as free, a sys
ten of education as popular and per
feet, body of laborers in the mill
aud shops, on the land aud sea, u
Intelligent as can be found in an
State Of America OF Europe.
Aud To all the farmers Of Massa
chuseus II is malter of special 10
leresl that agriculture has been en-
uobled. Not, indeed, toy any con
descenslon or care of individual me-
or the State, but by the general IN
lelllgence and sprl of progress a
mOng the farmers themselves. Will
farmers failed TO respect their ow
| profession, the profession itself, what
ever It's intrinsic merits, must hav
been mental ; now, however, 1t
pursued with more of the spirit whcI
animales the student, the painter, tn
/ poet, and the astronomer.
But let US all, whether we be @
New England or the West, respec
/ labor, not as our master, whose la,
makes us slaves, but as al Iuslrumen
of civilization, an educator and be
neIaclor Of the whole family Of man
!