Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-10-30
Despising Ones Self and Business.

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The bird that "fouls its own nest" has
never borne high character for neatness,
however excellent its song, or beautiful its
pInmage. The man who so despises his
own business, and so fails in selfreSpect in
consequence, as to feel that he is degraded,
md that many people must necessarily and
10 actually, look down upon him, should
,e cassed with the bird in any scientific
,ystem of ornithology. We are panied to
believe that there is among mechanics and
farmers, and men who labor with their
lands generally, feeling that they really
10 belong to an inferior class in society.
,nd that those whose calling contemplates
| mental labor alone, and those who live upon
wealth acquired by the toll of their fathers
really are, or feel themselves to be, above
them.
We are ready to admit that there are
| fools in all classes of society. There are
men, doubtless, who pride themselves upon
wealth which they had no agency in ac-
quiring; who take to themselves mighty
airs and do marvellously silly and unmanly
things There are men too, who think the
calling which they follow necessarily conferS
honor upon them, whether they honor their
calling or not. But these ore the men, of
all Others in the world, whose opinions are
worthleSS-men to be despised, if one thinks
them worth the trouble, or to be ignored,
if one does not. But all the wise and good
men of wealth and talent, however situated,
moving in whatever profession or calling,
regard these people as unworthy specimens
of men and women, and honestly honor
every legitimate calling under heaven
They treat every man who stands before
them with honest self-respect as q gentle |
man. They do this in all places, among all
people; and the mean jealousy which would
convict them of pride aud superciouSness
is as unjust as it is foolish. Throughout |
America the distinction between classes is |
kept up more by those who suppose them
selves TO be low, than by those whom they |
suppose to be above them. We know ma
ny men and many women who are approach |
ed in such way by those who wrongfully |
regard them as proud and exclusive, that
they are Infinitely panied by it, and strive
by special aud scrupulous painstaking, to
make their interviews pleasant, and to
demonstrate the honest friendship which !
moves them. The sensitive jealousy of |
some who do not feel themselves assured of
their respectable position, gives to many
excellent people some of their most disa-
greeable trials. .-..
We hold to The position that one legiti-
mate trade, profession or calling is just as
respectable in itself as another; that no
Legitimate calling degrades man; that no
calling denOminated respectable or high,
exalts man; aud that true manhood is
the test that tries all If those who labor
really believed this; it, in their heart Of
hearts, they recognized this as true, they |
would, armed with conscious self-Iespect |
stand before all men as equals, so far as |
responsibility is concerned, and take with |
franknesS and confidence the hands that |
would be extended to them. A really wor-
thy man usually goes, in all society at his |
own estimate. If he stands aloOf as if |
he were ashamed or afraid to come forward;
if he rejects suspiciousiy the attention and
politenesSes extended to him, and questions |
their sincerity; if he voluntarily places
himself in what he considers the lower
clssses-lower because they Happen to earn
their bread with their hands, be will be al
lowed to do it. Materials for good soeie-
ty are not so scarce that, after throwing
open It's doors aud inviting all to enter, it
is deemed necessary TO go ont among the
eavillng mass who voluntarily take to the
highways and hedges, and compel them to
come ill.,"
We are utterly ashamed of the misera-
BILE, pitlful jealousy exercised by those who
suppose they occupy an inferior position in
the social scale, towards those whom wealth |
has favored, or who, by their own personal
syertiOns, have won positions of influence. |