Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-09-23
For The Gazette.
Is money a positive EriI?

This great question which johnson ana Al
olson have answered in the affirmative, would
have made young writer, as take Lector to
be, pause, before he undertook either to speak
20 lightly of those great names, or to write up
on subject which he seems not to have suf.
fciently investigated or understood. 1t is now
become common to publish to the world crude
opinions, to shake off the wholesome restraints
of pru dence, and to ridcule the wisdom of men
who have labored to give US true notions Of
what was conducive to our happiness, and
formed the welfare of community Johnson
and Addison were men Of this description; but
ayoung man it appears has thought they could
have employed heir time much better than "to
decry the pursuit and blessings of wealth" 1t
this arrogance is not insutferable, surely the
difficulty of understanding this sentence: "money
the representatives of enjoyment physical and intel
fechsai-of property OF health" &c. is itsupe-
ra6ie. "Money the representative Of intellec
tual enjoyment" what knowledge in metaphy
sizes, "Money he representative Of healthy
xhat grand discovery this among the catalogue
of symptoms! Truly this wonderful genius
which discover connection between things 80
remote, may we'll sneer at Johnson and an
Addison.
Lector :onfounds money with wealth; where
as the one is a generic, the other a spec,hc
term. Weoi!h may be beneficial to society, but
that does not prove that money is. Animals are
useful to man, is proposition, no one viii de-
ny; but that tigers and crocodiles are rernci
Gus, is equally indisputabe. That species of
wealth which think is a positive evil, is gold
and silver, coined, or their representative, bank
paper. am willing however TO admit that e.
ven money, ike ardent spirits, may produce,
and have produced, benefits as we'll as evils:
then the question is, of which of these, has it
been the most fruitful causel In every age and
nation, what has tended more to enervate and
corrupt the mind, to induce idieDess, luxury,
avarice, &c. to cause thefts, ro6beries and muir
ders, than an abundance Of money! These
vices follow money as shadow, the sun. Is 1t
not then positive evil? When did Rome be.
gin to declinei After she had conquered the
rich provinces of Asia. Who corrupted Sparta.
and poisoned her body polite? Lysander, by
sending, contrary to law, immense Sums OF gold
and silver, the spoils of conquest. Facts and
experience prove that money is the root of e.
vii But have now trespassed too long Lee
tor will not think him his enemy, who corrects
bis errors. JOHNSON.
Mr.. Exams,
By giving the following piece a
place in your highly useful paper, you
will confer an obligation upon one, who
will ever make it his duty to patronize
the sources of religious propagation.
CoMMUNIcA TON.
"What multitude Of beings. noble creatures,
are here reduced to dust Isaac Watts
Last week took walk to refresh my
mind with the attractions of surrounding
nature; was listening with all the
pleasure of delightful sensation to the
gentle rilling streams that flowed through
the adjoining copse, to the sweet carols
of innocent little warblers--and looking
in delightful contemplation upon the
sublime works that enclosed me, when
the path along which wiuded led me
insensibly to sepulchral spot, overrun
with gloomy weeds, and interspersed
with brief records of the lives of those
immured within their dismal cells. The
solitary stiffness that embraced the place
seated me upon one of death. became
absorbed in profound meditation upon
the travel TO this final destination and
upon the being of future state. As
often as the uncommon ardor of my
thoughts traversed this probationary field
' and entered upon the yelled track of flu
turity, so often did they recoil upon
themselves dreading TO advance into the
hidden recesses of spiritual abode. In
the deficiency of their own reach they
turned to the revealed comfort of Holy
Writ, and there found rest, there a So
vereign balm to distracted imagination
and it was there they found pilot t.
those regions that are constantly famed
by The pleasing power Of divine presence:
where JOY, harmony, and peace are
externally diiiused, where the great Sa-
viour sits in his mediatorai seat, with en-
tclng smiles, offering peace aud calmness
OF soul TO all such as ask.
N place is SO well calculate d to over.