The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-08-09
The Dignity Of Labor.

In 9 nation of workers labor
ought certainly to command re
spect. And among right thinking
people everywhere 10 this coun.
! try it does so. Supercilious dan.
dies of cities and towns North
and South may form an excep-
itch to the rule which accords
| respect to the la6orer, ou; their
number, greater in the North
than in the South, is not sufficient
to give either weight or respect
ability 10 their opinions. Certain
! leaders Of Northern opinion have
in times pact arrogated the cham
pion=E,ip of labor, and have TO-
| mcnted the rrejudices Of their
section and directed them against
the people of the South as con-
temners Of labor and laborers.-
This was done upon pure grounds
Of tcnagogism for political pur-
poses, and WAS without founda-
ton, as we know BY observation
and experience. In the moral
code Of d certain class Of men, 80
lie well stucE>to is as good as the
TRUTH" and this prejudice against
US has been propagatcd with an
industry which can only bo &C
counted for by reference to the
axiom quoted.
Lobor has never Gccn deemed
disgraceful at the South. 1t is
true that the people have, as ev-
erywherc else in the world, the
Northern States of the Union not
excepted, always tried TO get
along with the smallest amount Of
labor, and thus to live IS easily as
practicable. Before the late rev.
! olution, the circumstances Of q
large class Of our people were
easy, and the necessity tor labor
WAS not urgent on them as upon
the people OF less favored sections;
such, for instance, as the dwellers
among the granite hills Of New
England. Moreover, field work
under the warm sun during a
| long summer is TO the white man
somewhat harder TO endure, than
the same kind Of labor during the
short summers in Vermont or
New York. And this fact may
have developed an apparently
greater repugnancc to labor on
the par: Of the Southern people.
All these concessions We are ready
to make. But when it is said that
we are despisers of labor and la-
| borers per Sc, We deny the charge.
All over the South in times of
slavery was scattered a large
class Of small farmers, each of
whom owned q few slaves with
whom he worked, personally su-
perintcrding their labor. This
was a highly respected class o.
moug lis, and constituted what
onr politica! orstorsr we're accus-
toned to cali, in the language of
culogy, "tho bone and sinew of
the country" Among our wealth
sh!est people there were besides q
great many who had amassed
property by personal industry:
These men, as a class, took real
pleasure in rccounting to the ris.
ing generation, the story Of their
early tolls and successes. We
have known many young men in
good circumstance sent to college
after having served q few years at
tie plow-handles for the purpose
Of acquiring physical vigor, and a
practical knowledge Of the pur-
! suits they were expected 10 fol-
low. The idea that labor was de-
| grading ncvc:' occurred to these
men. Not ely are we accused
Of dishonoriny labor but are rep
resented as being in a state bor-
! dering on anarchy. Yet the peo-
pie of this lawlcss region produced
3,S00,000 bales Of cotton last year:
and an increased corn crop over
the production Of the year pre-
vious-al! this in spite Of the de-
crease and deterioration Of our
black labor. How are such results
rcconciIable with the hypothesis
that we are despisers CT labor :?
Away with such perricious false
hood. The surcst passport to the
respect OF Southern society is q
course of honest industry. 4: de-
Spiscr Of labor here would be re-
! garded as nearly akin to an idiot.
THE DIVISION OF TESAs.-In
Texas, this tall, the people will be
| called upon to vote upon the pro-
position TO divide the State into
three parts. The Legislature, at
; its last session, passed al Act
submitting the question to q vote,
in which the names of the three