Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-06-28
The Cultured and the Industrial Glasses.


mental and moral discipline always loves
the common people, and finds their society
racy and instructive. lie or she knows how
to win the respect and love Of the unframed,
and never feels the need Of any artificial bar
riers to keep them at a distance" and
make them know their place
As matter of fact, such is the imperiec
ton Of that discipline called culture among
MS, that there is great gulf fixed between
the literate and the illiterate not a mere
gulf of distance, but gulf OF feeling. As
DIR. Holland says in late number Of ScrN
asrs Monthly, speaking Of what he calls the
literary class " There is feeling that this
class is Connected, supercious. selfish, and,
to very great extent, useless. There is a
feeling that it is exclusive; that it arrogatcs
to itself the possession of tastes and powers
above the rest Of the world, upon which it
looks down with contemptuous superiority"
This is a very fair statement Of the opinion
which exist, in the popular mind. There is
little or no ill-feeling, for the people care
hardly anything about the literary class-not
enough TO excite unkindness, except momen-
tarily, at some passing display of supercli-
BUSINESS in the bearing or speech of the liter
ate snob, There is even a disposition to re
spect learning in the persons of those sup
posed to possess it, and it would require but
very moderate show of willingness 10 com
municate fraternally Of their mental wealth,
to develop warm reciprocation of good will.
II is as much the duty of the scholar 10
make the results Of his labor profitable to
his fellow-citizens as it is the duty of the
farmer, mechanic or merchant They are
held by precisely the same law Of use, in the
body polite and social, as every other mem
Der thereof. They cannot ignore this duty
without sacrificing the regard Of the com
munity in which they dwell. They show
only how little they have benefited by their
requirements, when they value them only,
or chiefly, as badge of distinction, and hold
knowledge as the miser holds his hoard of
coin, as a sign Of power not to be exercised
for the common good.
1t is, however, for the pity of it, as we be
gan by saying, that we here refer to this
subject-for the pity of it, in that, by sacri-
ficing their legitimate influence in the world
TO their pride Of culture, our educated men
have failed of their great and proper use in
directing public sentiment, influencing pub
lie action and presenting the reign of coarse
self-seeking that has so depraved our trade
and corrupted our politics. That this cen
tennial year sees us struggling in frothing
sea of scandal, affecting alike the com
than any other single cause, TO the want of
that very influence which learning and cul-
ture ought to be able TO exercise in a society
and government like ours. Dr. Holland, in
the article above referred to, frames a true
and powerful indictment, when he says of
the educated class: at has almost uni
formly failed TO recognize its relations and
its duties to the world at large. 1t has been
bound up in itself It has read for itself,
thought for itself, written for itself. It
has had respect mainly 10 its own criti-
cal judgments. II has been a kind Of
close corporation-a mutual admiration so
cety. 1t has looked for its inspirations
mainly within its own circle. 1t has, in ten
thousand ways, nourshed the idea that it is
not interested in the outside world that il
does not care for the outside world and its
opinions"
The Doctor goes on to say +" 1t seems to
us that If the literary class has any apology
for existence, it must come from its uses 70
the world" and he adds, In the best Book
we have, there are certain rules of life laid
down that are just as good for the literary
as for the moral and religious world. The
Son of Man came not to be ministered unto
but to minister lie that would be great
must be a servant. If any man has special
gifts, aud achieves special culture of these
gifts, his greatness is brought by ireysrs
ible law and the divine policy into immed
ate relation with the want of the world
lie is to be a servant and thus to prove his
title 10 lordship."
This is hard saying in the ears of tn,
selfshly cultured scholar, aud he is yer,
averse to hearing it. But because of thai
aversion he not only misses the use for which
he does not care, but the reward for which
he does care The one is inseparably at
tached to the other.
Take the case of the farmers, to-day, and
indeed of the whole body Of working-men
They are generally illiterate yet this doe
not prevent them from feeling that the,
are pressed upon and suffering great wrong
wrongs that prevent them not only from
enjoying their fair share Of the product
Of their own industry, but which are tend
ing to make the future state of their chil
dren worse than their own. Trying I,
remedy, in a rude way because they ar
rude folks, the evils they feel in the YER
bones Of them, they struggle blunderingi
along, achieving little Of what they seek
DO the men Of culture, recognizing thei
need and the justice of their cause com,
forward to lend helping hand, 10 eau
ton, counsel and direct with the wisdom
of accumulated knowledge and careful
thought 4 few of them do so, and We ar,
proud and grateful to acknowledge the grea
value Of their assistance But the grea
body of them pass by on the other side o
they stand and openly jeer at the low-breC
"Grangers," and Sovereigns," rejoice il
their blunders, if they make any, clap the
hands when perchanoe they suffer los
though ill-conceiyed or illconducted meas
ures, and are not above misrepresentin,
them in order TO create prejudice, or tryinJ
to divide them by stimulating jealousy be
tween the different bodies.
Now this may seem TO be good fun, an'
those engaged in il may comfort their selGsl
souls by thinking and saying that Tia
struggles Of the poor will avail them nothing
But pious though they may think then
selves, they reckon without the thought tina
God has always been the ayenger Of the pool
and that our Lord was always and is nov
their champion. The feeble things of thi
world have many time COMPOUNDED tn
mighty. II is not less for the sake of hl
manity than for their own sakes that "
counsel the men Of culture 10 take heed, an
not 10 forpet that they are men mud tha