Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-21
THE DIGNITY OF LABOR.

TOO creatures Is Struggling day and night to escape
from the dignity, IT seems knocking man efforts
To be pratng about that which every man is STRIVING
to avoid. The millionaire works to accumulate
wCaItbbo ofii q at ne may ENJOY the agn!y Of
That is the dignity that every man is striving for
and not one for the dignity of labor Il i the wurl;
Of man lie to escape this conlUundcd dignity"
1t is rather difficult to discntangle from these
crudities the leading idea which the writer
would convey. Does he mean to have us infer
that there Is dignity in not laboring, and con-
sequent in-dignityin laboring? Does he mean
to argue that because the millionaire works
to accumulate wealth for the "dignity'' "
it brings, that therefore this ambition is to be
commended as the most noble and elevating
chat could actuate an immortal soul?
But the Enquirer is wrong in its premises
1t is not true that 'every man. is striving to
attain the dignity ''of avoiding labor" SO
far is this from being true. that we believe we
keep strictly within the bounds of accuracy in
asserting that a large majority of our most
energetic and prosperous business men labor
on in their vocations simply because they
dread the vacuity and liStlcssness and moral
degeneracy of a life without labor. Mr..
Stewart the New York millionaire. who pays
an income tax of million, still works as hard
as any of his clerks
The otinm cam dignjioie, to which the Latin
poet aspired was simply that exemption from
the cares of business, which would allow a
person to choose the employment that was
most agreeable to him, without reference to
what it might yield in money. The man
whose thoughts have been cngrosscd solely in
adding to his dividends is very apt to find his
happiness in continuing in that OCCUPATION rs
long as his faculties will permit. The man
who aspires to enlarge his store Of knowledge
or 10 cultivate his esthetic tastes, halls the
opportunity Of such culture. not as the ic,'u,i
nation OF labor, but rs the bcyiDHjRg of Il
labor the fruits Of which will be delight to
him through all luturity.
The invalid as to body or mind, the old and
lnhrm, are of course exempt by the laws of
nature from labor that may be unsuied to
their states. But to say that any man blessed
WIN Drains, prizes the dignity OF mere idle
ness or OF mere wealth. is to utter pIatitudc.
10 say that any man. Old or young, having a
sound mlnd III a sound body, IS mor0tiy iusti-
Hed IN escaping from labor because he may
happen To be rich, Is to utter sentiment at
war win the hrSt principles OF Christianity.
Inc more man means and opportunities
are enlarged, the more do his responsibilities
'o""roS MS fellow men increase; the more
o"sn' III u oeeome II man OF labor.
j " * l4 Stntp
VI oeins "or'h5' anu |" say that there IS dig
n''y III ""o'; - Sl"'P'S 10 say 'here Is dignity
/" 'oi"S '''' '"H' " III me E"P""" can
~ '''"iS' ." ''''9 N''lu VI o's-
ii'y' we tn'nN NOT unless 1t would contest
d mural Lu'SI'l' anu say WIN MoIlere char-
ia'ah' N0"S "to"S c"oR9e to"h cc'". We
mo" '"eIe was some wilo tax Oh TINS klnd III
llcllnono curing the reoeiiioh' Inc Scrip
',ral injuhcuoh' IN inc sweat OF thy face
'""'' '"ou eat bread was interpreted as
meaning TOR caNailefSj' IN the sweat OF
SD"c0o"g c'Sc ) J"cc Shalt thou cat bread.
we nau hoped we should hear no more OF this
Si'ni Pnlio'oPhy' 1t Is lihle iof the youth OF
'llsinia 10 o"'9Io" inc influence OF these dead
Inc arrogant contempt o' humanity winch they
encountered
INC Pooi man must laPoF III order TO pro
'loe lor HIS iaLnly' OF 10 secure himself 'the
slorlous privilege Oh peih& independent =
l ,' ii'N iii'S' i"'ol Ill oruer 10 proVlue ior
o'nerH VI ~ ADVANCE 'he general interests OF
mankind. lnere IS dignity or ''worthlness
III 'ne ia'or Vi each Inc man VINO mas not
learnt that 1--WE live not Tor ourselves alone,
Is still IN his moral rudlments. The man who
thinks there Is more dignity in leaning upon
others, or IN running in debt, than in putting
his hand to the pillow, the spade, or the black
ing brush, in order to earn the means Of his
support, simply contoundS transient external
SHOW with enduring inward dignity of spirit.
The poor sewing girl, "dressed in unwomany
rags plying her needle and thread, may be
cheered and upheld by a conscious dignity.
which the idle and bedizened woman of
fashion, rolling by IN her carriage, would give
worlds TO ENJOY
Inc dignity OF labor was well illustrated in
lne lie OF the late Edward Everett. Long
after he was exempt, not only by large wealth,
Out oy the lnhrmltes OF age, and by the
nonoi"'ie ,, ac''Ni'ie$ Oh ms past career IRON
'i-oi WI III '0n'i'ueu 10 iapor as uiiigenty
q: any ou, 1t was all or tne good OF
mo ooul'i9 anu ''''iiA',,u LOOK at his laoorS
~ ~ i"''ins inoney ioi inc purchase OF mount
a., 81 "l.' ''e"',!, ''r uhe re''ei Oh
o. 81 Pcp'''''0A =, East ie'',ieSSec
otbors r. 1noai ~; go" WIN c VI uons lp'
ern countrvmo, in Savannah Loa,,.aaa ILL.,, H.,
self in Faueil Hall nm ~, ;nolon,adt A.. ,,a
oortrootad tho oold ,,L;ol III
conli ''0'ou 'llc col" WHICH speedily put an END
to his mortal eXertions
IT, b;,tr, 81 A. ,r
20 l..'' e " ''io ,"'e 'en' "auS"orlh OF
~, - '-c ''. ~. iioloi'''ie example
in0 pp''e''oi l,'''io.i9' anu arrived at an
aye ",'e" u. '"'sn, i"'i'S nave ielt younger
riun t.I az ,.c me tvn'e'. helu' ne man,
III J en- aaso,aJ ..:'h ~ ~ I'' wal, anu
-" 90 - a. wn5S lD0''" ", "ou'.''' ~
, ,l0 a. do mo rno
NM - "'g"ag 49, ,'0eoiuls 70 me VI, we Wv
r na +b;nl, not "
The late Mr. Buckle is another instance Of
that d;v;no ;nnrlso IN mon which loads tbom