Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-05-18

, ney as a mere article Of traffic, standing on the
same principles every respect, with a barrel
4 OF flour or hogshead of tobacco. IL il not my
4 intention to discuss this question, hu. who thai
can reason at all, is unable 20 perceive the DIR
terence between articles ofuaccrtain * tiuctu-
ating value. and that which, to all practica!
purposes at least. is itself the standard of va
+ Tue ? A merchant who purchases a barrel ut
. Hour or II hogshead oftobacco, ruus the hazard
I OF profit or loss in snch Negotiations there is
/ room for the exercise OF Judgment and fore
sight Bur lie who leSds an hundred dollars
| To receive AN hundred and iorty at the end oi
year. cxertsno ingenuity, adds Doihing To
tile stock OF profitable Industry, and Is iaorali,
certain ofan unjust and oppressive profit. This,
however. is not the principal consideration.
| The ido as against az. and IL does not becomr
men OF high and honorable feelings thus 10
reason away their obligations 10 society. WHY
| is usnry forbidden hut because i, is "A public
evil? Letit be remembered that the Leg iSiRiure
OF the country, Ito whom even uSurerS ors
obediencel have twice within two years, eA-
pressed their opiuion upon the subJtct n The
mo 4 emphatic manner. When MT. HAN nitro
duced the bill tor the repeal OF tue uSury laws,
he gave full history OF those laws, and lis
cussed them with reference TO religion, Ia InI
rails ana To tt.eir eject upon society. Tie SUB
ject could not have bsen more ably calculated
~ yet with all this light. the legislature deter
mined to adhere To their old statutes. ]n>
celebrated discussion brought the subject iu
iy before the pubic. II was canvassed in the
coffee houses, orr court greens and in ihe
drawing rooms. AT the last session the same
bill was introduced again; il was inyeni-
ousiy pressed upon the legislature, and il was
rejected by an overwhelming majority UithOut
one argument being urged against IL. Ii is very
remarkable that the advocates for repeal ar
gued strongly aud chiefly on the ground that
II would be the best preventive of usury-
Yet such was the decided feeling OF the conn
try. That even the strong probability of this
result, conid not induce the legislature To
admit by the most distant implication. the pro
prlety OF this practice. They knew the danger
Oflsting loose the worst passions OF our nature
10 fiotin such bOundess latitude. a. they have
by these repealed votes, which were the mere
ethos OF the public sentiment. held mp the
usarcr TO the most unqualified reprobaiion
There are many who think or affect to think,
that there is no moral iurpitude in the nirac-
tion OF any law, which Imposes penalty on the
performance OF any act not forbidden by the
| moral law. They seem TO regard such laws
a mere contract between the culprit and his
country, BY which the former il permitted 10
| trausgreSs on conaitiop of paying stipulated
price. An inCauiiOus dictum OF justice Black
stone rs considered as warranting this strange
| opinion, but lie Is at best miserable caSuist,
who rests his notion OF moral right, upon the
reasonings of lawyers. BY this reasoning, the
| government Is made TO carry on traffic IN
| vice, aud 10 put M lransgression to sale. No
MUD not warped by Some strong aud predo-
miuant passion, could reconcile itself TO so
| monstrOus AN absuroity. Suppose thatin Hol.
land, fine ola Thousand dollars were imposed
on The breaking np of dixie. One of these
| reaSOners breaks Il dixie, oYPrwhelms the
| fortunes and population ola dozen villages,
and graVely excuses himself BY paying the
| fine. Is there an honorable mind which doe,
| not turn with disgust from such contemplate
| sOphstrv? And where is the difference be-
tween lhis and that Of the Insurer: Both
| are what the lawyers call mdid pr0hibha, both
| sanctioned by temporal penalties, and both
| disastrous in their consequences. There is
| nothing TO distinguish the guilt OF the one
|
| that man might break up ditch through
| thOugbiless and spOrtive humour, whereas the
motive of the nSureris never doubtful he acts
uniformly upon a sOidid impulse. An ingenuouS
mind could never be satisfied to tIansgress
upon the faith OF such reasoning. In such
| minds the sense of m oral ri ht is too strong to
| be overcome by s0phiSm And however in
geniO9sly he may endeavour to delude his own
| mind, every man must he satisfied that he owes
obedience TO the laws, and that when he
knowingly breaks them, he violates his duty as
| Il citizen and as man, ailil makes himself re-
spouslblc not only 10 his country, but To his
God, for all the consequences thar may follow.
IL Is true OF every age and every country f,
| that pTOhibitory laws are inadequate TO re-
tain the bad passions OF our nature. IL is par
ticulariy true of those vices which reach the
hi CHER orders of society, that they can he
| restrained only by strong expression OF pub
lie opinion against them. Pride Is oiicn d
! more powerful feeling than either patriotism
| or "A sense OF religion with most men, the
dread of public shame will do more 10 correct
an abuse than the love OF country the fear
of God. Certainly then, il becomes all those
who from their situations in society are re-
| garJtd examples, or who MAY IN any man
neI influence others, TO unite in the open re-
| probation of usury. 10 say the least OF il
such characters owe IL 10 society, not TO couu-
tenance by their own praciceS pursuit, 30
demOraiIZlBE IN its tendency aud So pernI-
cious in It's effects upon the public Interest,"
| The Insurer whatever prosperity may attend
him, Is al best. the slave of avdrlee and ava
| rice, III whatever bosom II abides, Is AT war
| with the he ~ principles OF our UatuIe. A lit
tie closer viewed and we shall find Ia the train
| of This degrading vice, effects which cannot
be contemplated without horror. Many Oiiy
| MUD han bent nndeTit IL, macy generous heart
has been broken by Il. The uSurer may NUM-
Der these among his trumphs, and lie may acid
| to them the Infamous crimes which men once
| pure and excellent, have been driven TO com
| mt by ruin and despair. There Is 40 enemy
| OF The tireside so terrible as the Insurer. Is il
possible that correct minu can reconcile IL
| self 10 such a practice And do those who Oil
other subjects, are sufficiently impressed with
a sense Ut moral dignity, give fair play to their
hearts aud their understandings. when they
yield themselves TO tue influence OF SO sOrdld
Il vice So far al the rrofessed usnrer is con
| ceTncd, il is perhaps, hopeless task to under
take his reformation. master passion gov
erus him. too strong TO be reasoned or persuad.
ed into subsection. am not mad enough TO
| undertake a crusade against such obstinate
iaiidels But II cannot be reflected oil without
the deepest regret, that the gentleman. the
scholar, tue man of refined feeling, OF gene
Ious ambition, of liberal and enlightened phi
lanthropy, should yield himself so unthlnk-
ingly, 10 vice which deg rades his ndjtire.-
Tile opinions OF good men, strongly expressed
aud consistently aCtcU on, are the best cor
receives of the wees of their Interiors Ii is
the duty OF all such men to look narrowly TO
themselves, 90 remember the influence which
| attaches To their characters, and to beware of
adding TO their responsibility, the guilt o. a
| peruicious example.
| These hasty remarks al. offered in the
hope that The attention of others will he drawn
20 Tie snbIecl. haye lnNNcii. TO nearer inIeI-