The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-08-29
Labor is Honorable.
from the New Orleans Republican,

Labor is honorable because it is use
full and elevating to nandkind, and for |
this reason it should also be considered
genteel. Idleness is neither useful nor
genteel. This is demonstrated best, |
perhaps, in savage life. The Indians OF |
our own country continued to live in
comparative idleness and the cOnse-
quence is, in the midst of civilization,
they continue to know little of polished
life.
The principal cause of the rapid pro-
gress that people have been enabled to
make in this country can be traced to
the fact that our ancestors made work
acknowledgements it genteel. They
took pains to teach the youth of their
day that idleness was dishonorable and
destructive of the best interests OF So
ciety. Many Of our ancestors had felt
| the blighting effects Of a contrary teach
| ing i'll the most civilized portions of the
| Old World, where it had been made
| fashionable and honorable for the few
to lrlxuriate i'll idleness, that the toiling
many were compelled to support. This
was the result reached by European
civilization and government for the
ameliOration OF man when our ances-
! tors determined to sever themselves
| from its effects and build up govern
|
place members of society on an equal
footing, not only before the law, but
in the battle Of life, where they were
disposed to make industry their chief
means of success. Our ancestors de-
clared for the nobility of labor and es-
tablished u government controlled by
the people. Wherever the people have
most adhered to the feeling that labor
is honorable, there our greatest pros
Derity has been achieved. The great
prosperity of the Eastern, Northern and
| Western States in the past can be attri-
buted to this fact, that their people,
recognizing the Importance Of labor,
have thus far worked to make it homo
rable, to make it fashionable. When
they cease to work i'll this direction and
attempt to create an aristocracy$s of
idlers, then decline may be looked FOR
in their prosperity and greatness. But
under our system of government and
}, laws, neither the accumulation of wealth
nor the disposition of the selfish few to
make government the means of cypress
= ing the many, can be looked upon as
causes that can suddenly bring about
: such disastrous results, not only to the
| States where such deplOrable cOndi-
ton has been reached, but to the nation
I at large Therefore, while the accu-
+ mutation of wealth may. have the
5 tendency to make idleness fashionable
to a certain eXtentin some OF our States
l it is not at all probable that the wealthy
: few can succeed in making labor dis
$ honorable. When they can do this
| they can do more. They will thel
change the form of our government in
t to that of an aristocracy, and instead o.
2 being ruled by the true noblemen of thu
| | land-its labOring men-the country
!, will be ruled by the wealthy idlers WhC
t have learnd to despise labor and make
: government the means of expressing it
But, as we have before said, we do no
: think it probable that the wealthy mel
/. Of this country, admitting that the,
n could be united for SO ignOble a pur
: pose, can succeed in this generation o
t. the next in making labor dishonorablE
e The influence OF wealth will be felt a
e it accumulates and concentrates in th
e country. This is but natural. Yet wit
e the government in the hands OF til
d people, the great body OF whom com
e pose the working men OF the country,
II cannot be Wrested from them unit
! wealth has organized an army of idlel
Il sufficient to overcome and degrad
g them to the level Of slaves. This ma
p be said to be the condition of Europea
. society in the nineteenth century, aftt
e STRUGGLING for ages to achieve a civilizt
d tion that would rob one class of citiZeI
OF. men of the fruits Of their labor to eI
tablish another class i'll idleness, d.
p. bauchery and supremacy. What tt
: neOple of Europe are now eXperienclT
al cannot fail to act as q useful lesson
70 the people of this country at the presel
~ time, who are earnestly striving to pc
i petuate republican government al
r. complete the usefulness OF Americ&
), civilization commenced by the men
l. 1776. They taught their children TIL
bn labor was honorable. This lesson mll
er not be forgotten, Fathers and mothe
- OF the present day should plant til
y lesson deeplv in the minds Of our risil
s1m youtb, They should be taught th
8 idleness is a crime and disgrace to t
ho wealthy as we'll as the poor. No m;
~ ~ who is q good citizen and true Repub
~. can will suffer his sons and daughte
% tO grow up in Incidence. The so
,Io should be instructed to follow sOI
~ ,to nsef1ll occupation, and as the proft
wv -. sions have been oyerdone in the SOu1
n, as we'll as other occupations that ha
1a 1ae been regarded as light and genteel, o
80 Southern youth would find it far me
~ to their advantage to learn q trat
40 The South is more in want OF mecf1an
70 ~ and farmers than doctors and lawye
~ and as there can be but little gentll!
n about any calling that does not furni
nj nj a comfortable living, we would sugg'
ne ~ that true gentility can be best sustain
~ ~ by following calling. that will be ST
IL ~ to give us the means to live gente
EeS Eee And while we would have the inter
nd nd of our boys attended to, we certain
lck nave suiclenS ~ "a tto tn 4b
ith o9r falr " @staS ssafinoSs IN ri
~ 4. should be. made acquainted with all
~, raa duties of 1ousewifery; and in orr
~ ~, that they may become good mOthe
! tia = we would have them also taught to +
i that labor is honorable.
lay - - - 4.