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The Laboring Classes

The Laboring Classes image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
June
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Society can loóse nothing by elevating ihe condition of the laboring classes. - Wenlth itseíf becomes insecure - the balances of the social fabric - the pillars upon which law order and civiiization rest will be overlhrown and crumble to ruin, when the populace become wretched and degraded. What produced the convulsions that shooklhe Roman Commonwealth o its centre during the civil and servüe wars prior to Julius Ccesar? Was it not hat the iron heel of aristoeracy had crushs ed the spirit ot the Roman people, and by ho destruction of every thing like freo labor, reduced the Roman citizen to the con dition of a pauper fed from the public graneries? In vain that citizen was apealed to, in the hour of danger, todefend lis hearih and household gods! He had no hearth - no household gods lo defend! Who st.rewed flowers on the grave of Nero? We are told it was those who had een reduced by a mcrciless system of opircssion lo a condition so low that even lis dopravity could notafilict them, and who justly looked upon him as their nvengci'i ilistory is fruitful in examples af tl.o inevitable evils that result to society from oppressions visited under color of unjust aws upon the poor. The benefits of civ il liberty and ?ocial trnnquility can only e secured by throwing the protecting uegis ófthe livvv around the righls ad happiness of the lower classes, it is fpr (hem that legislaiion is mosr required. The rich and the powerful can ahvays find means lo protect themselves. Not so with the poor.