Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-05-05

ed, That we nave more lawyers
than clients, more doctors than
patients. Since the war, the
lawyers, have found some more
ways of using their shrewdness,
in the way of fixing up "Bank-
rupts" and arranging Home
steads'' and the management
of that class, who thought
when they obtained their liber-
ty from owners, they were set
free from the law of tho land as
we'll as man. We hear men
complain of hard times !; me-
chanics cannot find situations !;
yet the country is actually suf-
fering, and very severely too,
for a want Of proper attention
to farming +; and why is it ?
Because many a man who
should have followed the plough
has become too proud for that,
and in his aspirations to be q
gentleman, has undertaken to
WELD a pen, or to administer
cataplasms and boluses. To
this state of things, too, is to
be attributed, to some extent,
the present scarcity and high
price Of provisions. The pro-
duction has been allowed to
fall below the consumption,
and this great producing coun-
try with its comparative sparse
population, has presented the
strange anomaly Of importing
breadstufs, and more recently
g immigration to till our soil
is much spoken about, and yet
we have so many poor and idle
people, and some who would
work willingly if suitable en-
ployment could be obtained. It
is all wrong.
The farmer sons should be
taught to regard the employ
ment of their father as one Of
the most honorable in the world.
Your father is the independent
man. What cares he for hard
times, or high prices? Banks
may fail--merchants notes may
be protested, and their drafts
dishonored, but seed time and
harvest that old stable firm
shall never fail--drafts upon
them are answered at sight,
and the bank of nature, where
the farmer makes his deposits,
is good as gold,' and always
discounts literally; he laughs
at. and pities more likely those
who are left at the mercy of
the times and compelled to eat
the bread of carefulness. Beef
and ham at twenty-five cents a
pound, and other eatables in
proportion, does not worry the
farmer. He takes the favors
Providence so bountifully be-
slows upon him, and asks but
few of his fellows. While
want aflicts the rest of the
world, he may snap his fingers
in his face, as much as to say,
who cares for you?' Now
young men, be farmers, and
prove to mankind, and yourself
yes most particularly, the har-
monizing influence of home in
dustry. The war has made
many a person homeless, but
by the proper exertions they
may yet again obtain a quiet
retreat, with plenty to eat.
Nothing more replete with
wisdom, than that the sons
should undertake to assist in
retaining, or again establish
ing peaceful and plentiful home
steads. No girl with a right
view, and discernment of ma
lures best gifts, will ever
again, as in former times, think
degradingly Of a farmer. Not
that the professional character,
or the business men are to fall
into entire disrepute; they are
themselves, dependent in many
respects upon the farmer. In
fact, we trace to his door the
first root of what is termed
money! from him, shoot off
the other branches, which dis
tinguish the world of wealth
in all races of mankind. The
farmer sows the seed, and the
production enriches the various
trades.
Hnvrv