Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-01-27

Tas EDITOR OF the AUscATJNR JOURNAL:
y DEAR SIX II had mt the PLEASURE Of
hearing the leoture OF the Rev. NJ. Wood
house, synopsisof which sppsarsd in your
Journal Of yesterday. and have no doubt
lostanucll byny absence. There is one
passage, however, as It appears 10 your repof,
which for the honor Ut my country and+of
truth cannot allow 10 pass without com.
msnt. The reverend lecturer il stated to
have said that the condition of the English
laborer (Ineaning. l presume, the agricultu-
raj laborer) is such IS to render him q more
degraded being tlssa the Indian, the Negro,
the Chi sese, aud the Malay. Now this is
very strong assertion, and knowing somewhat
Of the thing whereof affirm, beg leave to
give the statement an unqualified and une-
quivocal denial. That the English laborer
has many and frequently insuperable dis.
advantages to contend with in the shape OF
taxation, limited opportunities Though not
limited means) Of education, excessive com.
petition from over-population, &C., / have
no wish to deny and that in some remote
districts OF the country he may even We
comparatively degraded being very freely
admit; but if the reverend gentleman had
lived for several years, as have done, 10
close communication with the English agri-
cultural laboring Glasses, it is impossible
that he could have made the very gross mis-
statement which dis6gures what in other
respects appears to have been q very: in
structive and impressive lecture. Allow me
to say that have met among the class so
illiberally branded by him rs being the
otfscouring of all things, men whose noble
mindedness, sterling good sense, and strict
ly religious principles, would render them IN
honor to any country under the sun, not
excepting the lecturers own. Fur industry,
and, IS q general thing, for thrift and good
management, when it is remembered
that the earnings Of the married English
laborsr seldom exceeds two aud q half dol
lars per week, and that except in case of
ill-health, he generally contrivss to bring up
bis family creditably and respectfully /
believe tho English laborsr with ali his
filings to be seldom surpassed. 1t il true
he does not reside in q wigwarn. il not
driven to his work by the whip of scoun-
del, (though that perhaps might tend to
elevate him) nor does he aspire to the lofty
social position. of those who eat rats and
dogs, and make practice Of infanticide and
and piracy. But notwithstanding the woful
Shortcomings in these matters the Door
English laborer is, perhaps, as much entitled
to hold up his head and walk erect az the
worthy and eloquent lecturer himself, and
if the reverend gentleman will only call to
mind the names Of Glare, Bloomfield, Goblet,
Crabbe and others, with which his general
reading may have made him acquainted as
identified with the (accort'ing to hin) more
than awfully degraded class in question,
u class, however, which inspired the
refined genius of Gray, and afforded no
mean subjects tor the exquisite literary
painting of a Milford he may perhaps
incline TO think that after all he NAV
possibly be mistaken. am, dear sir, yours
truly, .. ~. An ENeLIsHMAs,
Muscatine, Jan. Is, 1860.