The loyal Georgian., 1866-03-03

y
Six Months. s............."...1 rs
Always in advance.
EXTRACT FROM Fl. w. BEECH.
ER'S LECTURE On WORK AND
WORKMEN.
There are four principle avenues where
a man may become more than his work
would mark him to be; the household
the sphere of leisure, social ambition,
citizenship. The family is not ouly a
refuge but powerful incitement, The
man who, in the shop, Is hammering fl
ing and shaping the metal to build curl.
ons structure of steel, has our admiration
and we say: "TLis thought power, this
adjustment of parts and proportions to
uses, indicates mind and manhood in him,
and it does. But what if he, while he is
a smith, and works at sthe horseshoe or
at the heavy bar, is all the time working
there as the more remote means of builds
ing up mere curious thing, namely, his
own household, and be looks along the
cleaning bar ard takes aim at wife and
children, aud every stout blow that sends
out the sparks throws light into the
future for him, aid the strokes of his
hammer are Sc mary strokes at the door
Of the future which he will break opea
and carry up the wife of his youth and
his children with him, and put them at a
higher point than they could have been,
but for his fidelity, frugaiity aud love
loud applause There is nothing bets
ter shan this. Work bestowed for this
end ceases to be drudgery. No matter
how tedious or toilsomt, such an one rests
by forelooking. The workman that
skulks, that abandons to darkness his
household, that goes to the corner to
drown fatigue by ruinous excitement,
or who betakes himself to places of il
licit pleasure, is not only not to be re-
respected, but to be degraded, as un-
worthy the name of a man: while he
whose labor, no matter how low it is, is
lighted and cheered by the sun of love
ard hope, that forever draws him home
that man has vanquished the drudgery of
labor, and has made himself more than
workman; be has dropped the worker,
and is man. (Applause)
In America, leisure is always to be bad.
Population yet bears such dlsproportion
to natural resources, that few need to toll
excessively to earn a good livelihood
For the most part, it may be said in this
land, it is mems Incidence or their pas
sions that make them poor. The poor
house door has two keys-lazlneSs and
various lusts; and one or the other of
tOem almost always opens it to the great
brotherhood. There may be enough
leisure saved, in almost every laborer's
life, to carry on process of education
which shall not only furnish relaxation,
but which by increased Intelligence, shall
redeem work from its drudg ry. A
workman should be a reader, thinker
you sit in your smithy, smOOtcbed, and
Wlplng the sweat, and curse men because
you are blacksmith, and they are gentle
men riding by in their carriages-fo'l
that is envy, not wisdom. Why do you
not though you be smootched, when the
labor Of the day is over, betake your
selves to those tasks of the understand,
ing that shall bring out the man that is
IN you, if it be in you? Why do you
not give this glorious token of victory,
that you lift over the banner of your
black work the luminous rays of the
brain ? Then men will honor you, as
they honor others whom you envy and
curse. In this land books and pap.rs
are cheap, and good ones We have, if a
man choose to sift aud winnow; aud there
is leisure enough, in work for the pur~
poses of his education. A man does not
need academy or college. A man may
graduate in the shop; but be must be a
man 1t is in this aspect that | regard
Sah intense interest every movement for
ssure. don't pretend to enter into the
TTlttoversy about the eight hour system.
'lnk that will settle itself, aud settle
.SsN on great, immutabIe principles. But
.tTo0ardmg thls movement as one symptom
sua' The great body of wor1ingmen are
,upa'lent Of being nothing but working
bD tn'u and anxious tnat by work they shall
tsCOne men, and that they are seeking
~ ule as a means Of Improvement, regard
'Suoen0y as auspicious. If eight