Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-07

to poison it, mind, and to arouse Its preiu-
dices and resortiDg to every expedient to
lay the foundation for permanent hostility
between races and classes. But notWith-
standing the fattery of the demagogue, |
tell you laboring men, that labor even in
our free country is not dignifed, and is not
elevated. yield to no man in my respect
for labor and in nv interest in laboring
men. And it is because do respect labor
and laborers, that / speak to them 10 words
CT truth and soberness. / am not here to
hatter. On this sacred day / cannot lend
myself to such degradation. The birthday
Of liberty is certainly the day for indepen-
dence of thought and speech. But although
| labor in our own country is not dignifed
and elevated, its condition here is in strik.
ing contrast with its condition in other
countries and in all past time Look at il
| in what are called the free republics of
antiquity. Those republics are regarded
| by many as next 10 our own, the most per-
feet models Of free Institutions. There labor
surely must have been honored and re-
spected. But those democracies knew
nothing about the great principles Of
our Independence, consequently labor
among them was a degraded pursuit.
1t is true they dignifed some of the pur-
suits Of labor, such IS painting, sculpture
and architecture, making them the pride
and glory Of the State. They called these
pursuits the fine arts, but all other pursuits
Of labor they called serVile arts; that il, oc-
equations fit only for slaves The democ-
racies Of Greece and the free commonwealth
Of Rome gave no more dignity to labor
Than fhp daarapffpr,, 8 Aaso L.
arches of Europe. All nations in times
past, even down TO the birthday of our own,
have depressed and degraded human labor,
and even IN our own country, and at this
advanced age the badge of degradation is
still upon it. When the laborer comes
forth from the field, or the mechanic from
his workshop, or the daughter of toll from
her daily pursuits, is not the mere fact that
their hours have been passed ia daily labor,
no matter how useful that may be- a cause
of exclusion from the circles of the wealthy,
the intelligent and the refined? Is there
anything in the pursuit of labor to Justify
this? The farmer, by his labor upon the
soil, extracts from it our food, and all the
various materials for the fabrics that we
wear. Why should the idle consumer, he
who has no merit over the farmer but that
of putting the products of his labor in his
belly or upon his back, stand highest in the
| social scaleY
The mechanic rears our dwellings, maxi
ing them objects of beauty. lie furnishes
them with innumerable articles of taste and
| comfort; and yet the owner of all this, If
he lives life of idleness, is looked up to
with esteem and respect, and he whose in
dtrst-er nd r,y,Flt4onl - 81 10
graded.
Let us turn to the other sex. How is it
| with the daughter of toll Take her
whose life is stitch, stitch, stitch. She
takes the materials offered her and makes
them into forms of beauty The daughter
of wealth and fashion is clothed with them
| Why should this favored daughter be ex.
allied in the scale of social life and her sis
Ter depressed, when perhaps she may have
no other merit over her toiling sister than
that of wearing gracefully upon her person
the products of that sisters taste and skill
In this picture, my fair couItrywomen,
/ ! would not detract from your graces of
/ person and manner and the still more
! lovely graces of mind and heart that make
you dear TO your fathers and brothers. /
would not depress Won 70 elevate E1gE-sis-
9efs, whase. Me y a lie 81 fai4 hAt wouH
enlist your sympathies in their behalf l
would ask you 10 place by your side in
your social life, the daughters of toll, when
they may be your equals in cultivation of
mind and in the virtues Of the heart and
| ask this for your sakes, 50 that if reveJses
OF life should come to you, and we sadly
know how often these reyerses do come
you may feel that, in this change, YOU are
not stepping down in the ladder Of life,
! but rather that you are mounting to a
! higher and nobler state of being-a life of
usefulness. With you the fair daughters
of America, equally with its sons, rests the
high duty Of eleyatiag American labor.
This picture which have drawn Of some
of the pursuits of labor, is true of ALL Why
should this be SO [? What is there in human
labor that is degrading? know the com
mon impression with regard to labor is,
dirty hands, uncleanly persons and minds
| darkened with ignorance. But human labor
| viewed as it should be, and as it must be-
come in our country, is the work of human
hands guided by intelligent mind Why,
| then, shouldit not be digniied and elevated?
| For this depression, and | NAV say this
| degradation of American labor, there must
| be a cause. The cause is the preiudices of
| past ages, and the ignorance that surrounds
the laboring classes. 1t is your own fault,
laboring men, that yOu are degraded. Ex-
/ pei ignorance from your ranks, make il a
bar to the entrance of your pursuits, cult
/ vate your moral and intellectual natures,
| and degradation will no longer be the lot
| of labor. This is your high and exalted
duty, and in this duty you will have the
/ cordial support and aid of the wealth and
intelligence of the land. Many suppose that
there is a natural hostility between wealth
| aud labor, and often is that supposed hos
/ tility appealed TO- to accomplish wicked
and selfish ends. / tell you that there is no
such hostility in the highest duties Of
| American citizenship. The man of wealth
| is as deeply interested in your eleva-
ton as you are yourselves, and in
no cause does his money flow more freely
than in promoting your advancement.
| Look at your own city of Nashville.
/ You have schools that will fit you honor
ably for any pursuit of life. What sus-
tains them The money of the wealthy.
| Is it given grudgingly? No, my laboring
| friends, il is given freely and generously.
! And tell you that such is'the spirit of
| wealth and intelligence throughout the
! land Ii is your own fault, Iaboring men,
if labor does not become dignifed and
elevated by your mental cultivation for
you have the power Of numbers, and in
this great cause YOU will have the cordial
sympathy and aid of the good, the wise
and the wealthy of the land.
And what will be the great ends that you
will accomplish by your mental improve.
inert?
You own social elevation a higher de-
gree Of purity in the private and public
life Of the nation; more elevated states
manship and a rapid progress in those
noble arts that sre regarded as the glory
| and ornament Of a nation.
Your mental improvement will aid your
social elevation. You must not suppose
that you are debarred from admissions &c
the highest walks of social life solely by
the preiudices Of the past. You are de
barred from it principally by your igno.
rance as class You have no right, viii
minds tlouded with ignorance, TO expec
to be the companions OF the intelligent, Oh,
cultivated and the refined. But remov,
this barrier, aud the preiudices Of the past
will disappear, and the doors Of intelligent