4319. LABORERS, American.—
The great
mass of our population is of laborers; our
rich, who can live without labor, either manual
or professional, being few, and of moderate
wealth. Most of the laboring class
possess property, cultivate their own lands,
have families, and from the demand for their
labor are enabled to exact from the rich
and the competent such prices as enable them
to be fed abundantly, clothed above mere
decency, to labor moderately and raise their
families. They are not driven to the ultimate
resources of dexterity and skill, because their
wares will sell although not quite so nice as
those of England. The wealthy, on the other
hand, and those at their ease, know nothing
of what the Europeans call luxury. They
have only somewhat more of the comforts
and decencies of life than those who furnish
them. Can any condition of life be more desirable
than this?—
To Thomas Cooper. Washington ed. vi, 377.
(M.
1814)
