The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-29
SHORT SERMON By A LAYMAN.

How many able-bodied men do you suppose
there are just at this moment sitting down in the
cities, villages and couatry "stores," whiting
and specializing about what the Yankees are going
to do next, and telling each other what Sherman
stole from them And what amount of time on
a moderate calculation is thus consumed every
month, and how much whiskey! 1t is absolute
ly fearful to contemplate.
Did the discussion Of politics ever do us any
particular good that you are aware of? Can poor
folks make any money by it, or ligious people
improve their piety by it9 When spunky little
fellow has fought himself fat on bis back with
big fellow sitting on5his abdomen, and both arms
pinned to the ground, is it good for HE health to
spit at the big fellow and tell him about the sheep
bis father stole! That's our political fix exactly.
Hadn't we better lie still awhile Materially
speaking, the big fellow has Knocked the little
fellow down and injured him severely, but does
not sit on him.. Hadn't he better get up and 60
to the Doctor! Z. -, .....- .... .t~..sr... =:
How many of your acquaintance who were
farmers before and during the war, are driving
their business with their own brains and hands
now What proportion of them are seeking
other business, renting out their farms, putting
up little "stores," and trying to do anything else
except that for which they are best fitted aud
most needed! The answer which you are bound
"
The productive resources of our country consti
tute cur only hope of recuperation., The only
chance left to us is to dig independence out of
the round, and those who own the land have
the largest share of the responsibility. 1t is true
that all are cramped for money, aud cannot con-
duct matters on the former large scale; but are
not our ideas on the subject too grand, and are
they not leading our farmers and planters into the
error Of declining to undertake the business en-
tirely because they cannot conduct it just as they
would wish We cannot all be mere consumers.
AS to labor, bad as that is, money will centrol it,
but promises will not. Therefore it is idle where
the purse is short, to expect to employ many
hands. If you can only pay five hands, or only
two, 60 to work with them and don't sit down
because you can't employ twenty. .-... ..-.
The prospect is, certainly, not very brilliant
now but every man who owns a few acres Of land
can make enough bread and meat on them to
support his family, if he will work, and that is
as much if not more than he can do in any other
way. AS to 'overseers, agents and other incidents
to the former life of the landowner, they are
gone for many years to come. He must bid
temporary farewell at least, to all bis greatness,
and be satisfied with the humber position to
which God has reduced him, although that is
| much more com Portable than the situation of
most of his neighbors. Now what will MANY
farmers say to all this They will say it is very
easy to write such things for the newspapers, but
the writer doesn't understand the subject and
doesn't know the trials and difficulties in the wav,
&c, &c. Good friends, is anything stated here
but the truth !? You deceive yourselves. The
simple story is this you lived in ease and com
fort before the war with slaves to do your bidding
you contracted the habits which naturally
sprung ont your circumstances and, the cir
cumstances being entirely changed, the habits re-
main as they were, and you find it almost i'm
possible to change and adapt them to the chan
ged circumstances. That's all. But the change
has to be made, and the sooner the better. Some
have realized it and are, (al honor to them) hard
at work in small way. Go and do likewise
! Wilninqton Journal