Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-22
FROM THE PORT FOLIO.

FRoM THE PORT FOLIO.
THERE. are great many wise sayings
current on the worthIessness OF wealth and
mower: or rather on their positive and uni
sersal tendency to injure the Possessor, to
depraye his morals and subveri his haPpl-
ness. Judging from the invec,lvss OF the
teachers of mankind, one would THINK taae
,ank, Office and riches would be as sedu-
lousy avoided, by those who desire to be
happy, as any other road to rum. Yet no
enc seems TO be the better for these adno-
nitions. People tug at the oar as strenuous
w, thcy manage the helm as vigilanty as
ever, of that bark, by which they expect to
gain the haven of riches and power.
This would be less remarkable il wealth
and power had any advocates. 1t the IN
vectives of their enemies were counterfeit
ed, in any manner, by the eulogles or viz
dicat;on OF their friends. Every one en-
deavors to make himself rich, but is con-
tented to do so in silence. He does not
attempt 70 vindicate the wisdom Of his
choice. or to recommend his own pursuit as
an example to others, do not recollect, in
all my reading, single eulogy on riches !:
a single descs.r. On the Happiness OF wearing
a crown.
Its true, indeed, that if moraiists rail,
in general, against riches and greatness
they have an equal or greater, and, doubt
less, q much more sincere abhorrence ct
poverty. Perhaps we may find an explana-
ton Of their conduct in both respects, IN
their actua! circumstances. those who
have leisure or inclination to read or write,
are generally unqualified to get rich. Those
professions for which fancy, wit, tradition,
and powers of general reasoning, qualify a
man. are. generally, far from being lucra-
tive. Though not infamous, they are TAR
fron being honorable or dign'fsd Ia the Or
binary apprehensiops OF mankind. those
therefore, who are distinguished by the
shining, box Improbable qualities, a;e &C.
nera.ly liable to the pinchIngs OF poverty,
are seldom pernit,ed, either by the caprice
of fortune, or by their own labors, 70 be
rich. Experience, therefore, makes them
too well acquainted with The evils OF power
". while they arr naturally prompted to
denreciate what is u,aattainable. Their in
eenuity is ommeadably exerted IN recon
Cling themselves TO wants which they can
not remove, they mediate on all the dark
shades Of the picture: they consider the
vices or foibles, of The .rich or powerful.
and as wealth and power n'ake these defects
ronenicuo,1s. thty are Esnd Of descriti ing
them as ne cessarily p,odueedhy power and
wealth. They invsigh againss them not as
casual appendages, but as lnseFarabtr conse-
ouences. We are proud, ogerbearing, l1so.
lent, idle, sensual, ,mferling because we are
powerful or rich. These are bat the sha-
dows OF opulence and grandeur; money and
office are seeds which inevitably sprout up
into these baneful weeds, and virtue can 10
more be expected to grow from them, than
a harvest of wheat hom plantation OF net
ties.
While these moralists disclaim any reve'
renee for riches and power, however they set
a high value on health, peace andcompetence.
They are very eloquent in praise OF golden
mediocrity. There is middle line between
poverty and riches, With they are annbl-
rious OF attaining. This middle point indeed,
having mere relative existence, cannot be
defined, and no two persons would agree in
their definitions of. an elegant suB1c1enng,
though they cordially concur, provided they
have not, in their own opinion, attained it,
in declaring that an elegant suf6ciency
would satisfy them. None but idiots, they
imagine, would aspire to be very rich, to be
noble, royal, or imperial
1t is strange that while nothing is more
common than an interchangeable pursuit of
riches and power, nothing would strike US
with more uoyelty,t then regular encomium