The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-07-28
Southern Labor.
TIT LATE ADDRESS OF DIR. HOLLAND TO THE
LITERARY SOCIETIES OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE,
From the New York World l

The Rev. Mr.. Holland, whose oratory
has gained for him from his admirers the
very lofty title of "The Cicero of the
South" has been delivering an address be-
fore the literary societies of the Virginian
college over which General Lee presides
The rhetoric of this address is very like the
rhetoric of other similar addresses, but its
sentiments are so strange as to deserve not
only PRONUNCIATION but comment. And it
derives an Importance not altogether its
own from the fact that it was delivered
before one of The most representative Of
the Southern colleges, that it elected an
extraordinary enthusiasm from the South
ern audience to whom it was Immediately
addressed, and that it seems to embody-
or that, at any rate, it aims to embody-
the distinctive notion which, from the War
of the Revolution to the War of the Re-
bellion, dominated alike the politics and
the society OF the South.
The idea is that "work is badge OF
degradation, q thing to be got rid of, if it
can be without being shirked but in any
case not digni6ed thing, and in any case
a punishment to be borne patiently, and
not at all privilege to be priced. There
are thralls," to use tho orators cpithet,
good for nothing better; but cultivated
men are good for something better, and to
these labor is at best but sad necessity.
The object Of education is not to fit man
for doing work of any kind, but to fit him
for becoming perfect human being. The
human being thus fitted and perfected is to
do nothing, SO far as appears, but to devote
himselfto theadmiring contemplation of bis
umblicus, after the manner of Brahimns,
and to get at "Truth, so far as Truth can be
got at without work.
This is the ideal that unquestionably
possessed The allegiance Of great number
of the Southern men of past political
generation. Their aim was to cultivate
themselves by the literary methods then in
vogue in the Southern States and almost
obsolete elsewhere to cultivate them
selves not with any notion of bearing tan
| gible fruit, but for the mere satisfaction
which the process gave them. Accordingly
the cultivated classes of the South being
men of means and leisure, their character
partook Of the dilettanteism which is iusep
cradle from any pursuit not adopted as &
serious and necessary trade in life. Mos
of them took to politics; and their politics
accordingly were purer than those Of tn,
North from pecunary corruption by reason
that the wealth of the Southern politicians
dispensed them from the necessity, which
most of their Northern brethren were un
der, Of being place hunters for the sake o
subsistence, and by consequence dema
gogucs. But their literature and their art
the latter of which consisted mainly of poe
try, lacked carnestness, and has gone int,
the limbo Of merited oblivion and thei
knowledge, which should have been appli
ed, in the words of Lord Bacon, g to tn
glory of the Creator and the relief of man
estate" being sought merely as a diversion
confined to the barren field of polite let
tiers. Much of it showed possibility Q
being good, but it was all tainted with tri
Vitality. Upon the best of it the same CON
inent might be made with which Turne
dismissed the picture that noble amateu
, had submitted to him =" My lord, 20
; want nothing but poverty to make grea
f painter"
TO be sure, there is different danger t
he apprchemled from the works of writer
and artists who are dependent upon tn
wages Of their work for livelihood th
danger, That they may be tempted to tr
those wares arc taken. For rescue froi
this danger, we must look to the conscier
> ces VI the artists themselves. And an al
peal to conscience is much liklier to reac
man who regards his art as the bushes
(. Of his life than one who looks upon it Q
the recreation of his leisure. From me
in this latter condition. nothing great. hs
f come, nor can anything great ever be e.
pected.
In the mechanical and commercial d
partments of thirgs it is easy to see no
G the Southern contempt for labor, iDculc
0 ted be such addresses as this of Mr.. Hc
land, has worked against the material pro
perity Of the South, just as it is easy
see how the honor for labor, sometimes r
0 ally felt and always assumed, by the pop
. lar Northern orators, has enhanced the N
o terial prosperity Of the North. Inventit
has been encouraged here by IGNORING u
= inventor, and discouraged there by disbo
oring him; and, although the applau
k lavished here upon men Of mere mechal
cal ingenuity has been sometimes indiscrin
: nate and always overdone, we feel The be
eft OF it in conveniences and cOnfol
which a lofty contempt for mechanical CO
iriyance would have deprived US of.
? II is absurd to 60 into the theologit
version OF the origin Of labor, whether
was imposed as curse, or mott and it
equally absurd to argue at this day for
III. - A =