Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-04-27
TUESDAY MORNING, April 27, 1869
MECHANICAL PURSUITS AND
WORKINGMEN OF THE
SOUTH.
N U NJ Err FIVE.

y
thing We have said that we are "agin"
lawyers or colleges. We are not. We
know that lawyers are quite as essen
tlai 10 society as the followers of any
other profession or calling; but we think
the South has broken down and failed
utterly failed-from having too much
Of good thing" among its railing ele.
ments. This depending Oh one branch
OF trade or profess III foa all of our rep
| resentative men heretofore has swamped
our ship; and if we'd avoid a like ca
lanity il futurs wo must take our rep
resentative men frog all interests in the
community, not onlfting the mechani-
Cal interest, nor yet taking even too
many from that or any other interest.
Even allowing the mechanic juss aiken
from his bench, like the Mayor we told
of few days ago, hasn't got the fine
polish en- his person, or the high educa-
ton Of his mind that the lawyer or the
| college-bred man has, what is that to
the purpose? Suppose be never made
a speech in his life }; still, if he is a man
OF ordinary common sense, and has felt
what is wanting to add to the interest
OF the people among whom he resides
10 his branch of business, he is much
better man than either Of the other
two as d representative man, because
he has al enthusiasm on those matters
which he knows to be essential to the
prosperity of the people, which the law
Yer or the colleg!an can never feel or
realize, and he will labor doggedly to
have that interest promoted.
And Is, For Colleges, we can hardly
imagine greater calamity to our peo-
pie than to be deprived of them; and
II we had our way we would have their
advantages more extensively diffused
among ali classes OF our community,
and in order to effect this, we would in
corporate them into State system of
general education and make the PEOPLES
wealth pay the expense. We would do
this, because we believe the interest of
the State would be greatly benefited by
1t; Tor we believe talent is not alone
confined to one class or condition of So
clety. and talent is what we sadly need
nov in the rulers. Of the South aud if
we found it in the meanest hut or howell
10 the land we should want it cdltiva-
ted for the benefit Of the State, at the
expense of the State It would be
paying Investment to the people. No
people ever suffered as we of the South
have suffered for want O. wise and sa-
gaciots rulers and Statesmen, and the
war has clearly demonstrate this fact.
The former wars and important epochs
in the history Of our country brought out
men for the occAsion- These men proved
giants in the cause they espoused, and
Virginia produced an extra share OF
them ; but they were not all college,
bred men-though we of the present
day look back on them as men who
could never have accomplished tkair
wonders without q collegs education.
1t was only when these men passed from
the stage of action that our defect was
made manifest tc US, and we found VIC
had been educating men from a special
class alone for statesmen, which class
had beeu almost exclusives from the
people, and when the crisis came they
were like broken reeds TO US.
Providence docs cot distribute all of
Its blessings 30 any one special class,
and therefore we find frequently among
the children of the poor manifestations
of decided talent; 5 we shouiu cult
vate. And as the poor of community
are much the largest proportion, may ..
not be that proportionate decree of
talent may be fouod among them, and
If found should it not be encouraged
This would do no injustice to the talent
found among the wealthy classes, as that
equally would belong to the State and
should be equally cultivated
Education is powerful lever to the
prosperity OF a State, and when it is
confined to classes and not disseminated
its tendency for general good is Destroy
ed. 1t Is better that all should have
an opportunity to avail of it, SO that
the wheat may be gathered from the
chaff, than few only should have it,
and when the trying time comes we
find we are deficient in so great an es.
sential as we'll educated, talented and
ruling minds.
Now look at this feature of the SUBJ
ject: The rich mans son is raised in
luxury; he has his every whim and Ca
price gratifed while growing up, and