The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-05-30

Tuesday Morning, May 80, 1865.
What Sh,l, Do?

Mr.. Webster, many years ago, IN his
Patchogue speech, when there was gene
raj breaking up OF parties and supposed
equally general abandonment of princi-
Piles. Throwing up his hands pathetically,
he cried, "Where am to get What am
to do9" and this as .pitifully said as if
the whole sentence were uttered, as drawn
from the sacred writings, What shall l
do to be saved7''
Verify, this is the question with every
body whom we 'meet-the substantial
question; though none Of the quesioners
think Of the soul sa,ing which the last
qnes, ion involves. They are sufficiently
troubled about the needs and wants of the
b., ,-ahout the creature comforts and
creature necessities; for the women hunger.
ing at ho'"e-for the child crying for his
supper-for the bread and meat and raj
ment which shall be sufficient for the dav.
The necessity here is stern questioner-
II absolute f,t"-that must have answer
will rot he put off. Cannot wait till
"l,:r"a, Must he answered to day
Nv -ver--.ad will take you by the
throat if you are not prompt in your an.
swer. and as satisfactory as prompt.
The question is one which, however you
may address it to your neighbor, can only
be answere!by yourself What you shall
do DEFENDS upon the question what you
are good for. This is no day for the simu-
lacrum. Humbugs must disappear. That
you may eat bread, you must prove your
self useful, in some way. to somebody
besides yourself. 1t is not for your neigh
Dor to find out your particular uses. If
you have lived to the years of manhood,
and have not yet found them out for
yourself you are in bad way. The
sooner you set yourself 70 work, in some
way, in making some discovery of resource
in your own soul, mind and body, the
better for the salvation of the three Your
neighbor cannot assist you in this inquiry
AS general rule, ones properties lie too
deeply hidden in his own nature to be
readily guessed or known by spectator
Even friend is rarely capable to deter
mine upon your capabilities; and if you
are at loss yourself, it is unreasonabl
coll upon him to tell you what to do.
Nay, vAen reduced to this necessity it
may fairly be assumed that your uses in
this life are in6nitesimally small At all
events. you must find them for yourself,
and go to work as soon as you can.
But you exclaim pathetically, "I must
]ive!" Alas! poor citizen, the inexorable
fate sternly replies to You, 81 can see no
absolute necessity that you should!' And,
in good faith, t.. fate is right He who
has lived uselessly to manhood, and is
living uselessly in age and at middle lie
is calling upon his friends to find out Ills
uses for him. has literally no business in
life. The truth is a teri ble one, and needs
be told now, if ever. Such person has
always been an incubus upon the commu-
nifty Society has its laws, like those of a
beehive, and even as the working bees
expel the drones. so must society expel the
human drones that have no faculties which
society can use. yet still expect to feed
and fatten on the labors of the rest We
call these the fr'tges conSaaaere a,ati-the
corn crackers-the harpies that devour
the banquet which they do not prepare
the locusts. which, borne to US by the
caprice of evil winds from the East, eat
up the pastures of the.>land. It will prove,
in the sequel, blessing to every country
where these drones undergo expulsion.
The sensible old English fathers had law
against vagrancy and vagabondism, and
the man who could not exhibit actual
daily proofs of his labor, and of capa-
city to support himself and family. was
clapped to work. and made to obey Gods