Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-04-07
The Class Oppressed.

Whilst as nation, struggling heroic
ally and successfully against one Of the
most powerful and malicious nations on
the earth, we are exciting the admira-
ton of foreign nations, many of our peo-
pie, and, we fear, majority, present a
spectacle as disgraceful as it is remarka-
bic. We had supposed, at the begin
ming of this gigantic struggle for free
dom and independence, that all would
feel like band of brothers that the
whole people constituted but one family
that as all were equally interested in
the success Of the struggle, SO all would
be equally willing to perform their share
of patriotic duty-either to aid in driv
ing the ruthless invaders from our soil,
or do all that was within their power to
relieve the necessities, or palliate the
sufferings of those at home.
We still think that this was the gene
raj, if not universal feeling at the begin.
ming Of the war but alas! it is too evil
dent that such is not the case now
Our people seem to have forgotten Lib
erty-to have ignored Humanity-to
have discarded Charity, ay, to have
wandered from the sacred altar of Chris
tianity to offer their oblations upon the
polluted altar of Mammon. Instead of
doing all they can to assist each other,
and all they can to repel the invaders OF
our soil, they are preying upon each
other like the fishes Of the sea-they
have become cannibals, and prey upon
their own kindred and friends. They
seem to have become as deaf as adders
to the voice Of distress-they heed not
the wall of the widow, nor the cries OF
the orphan. Their ears seem to be stuff
fed with shinplasters and their hearts
turned to stone. They forget patriotism,
and, instead Of supporting, engage in
discrediting the currency of the country,
and then imperil their souls in their eff
forts to clutch a handful of the very
money which they have appreciated
The aphorism that zone half of the
world does not know how the other hal
lives" was never more forcibly illustra
ted than at the present time Those
who live by sales, either of produce OF
merchandise, do not know the trials, a
the present time, of those who have ev
erything to buy. Those who sell car
accommodate themselves to the changed
circumstances. They can increase The
price of what they have to sell, but those
who have nothing to sell cannot do SO
and every increase Of price serves thu
more to Cypress them. The farmer wht
has his produce to sell, can increase hi
prices p0ri passu with he merchan
who sells to him, and Usce vers0. Blu
whilst the farmer is increasing his prices
to become even with the merchant, an,
the merchant increasing his to keep lii
tie ahead of the farmer, those who hav
nothing to sell become oppressed witt
this system of pihng "Pelion upon Ossa.
The farmer and merchant may becom
wealthy; but it will be at the expens
of that unfortunate class who have CIV
erything to buy and nothing to SELL
They are between the upper and nethe
millstones, and many become ground t
poverty, and some even to restitution
Those who are making money and a
massing fortunes should remember thi
class. 1t too frequently happens tina
the more rapidly people make money
the less disposed they become to con
slider the condition, and to relieve tn,
wants of those who do not make it.
They fix their intent gaze upon til,
filthy lucre, devises plans to obtain it
and lose sight Of those who need thu
necessaries of life. We would remino
them that 'he that giyeth to the poor
Seaadeth to the Lord," and, with Dear
Swift, would ask eff they desire 6ettei
security"