Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-05-15


Sustained and does sustain with increasing
nrosperIty, il is obvious that missionary taxa
lion cannot distress US, unless ii shall have rls
on 70 some hundreds Of millions annually Tor
;mnoverishment never begins until superiority
ceases. The great and good men OF the pres
ent generation, therefore, who have tel: pltri-
otto soleiude on this subject, may sleep UNI
troubled by dreams. unlerri6ed by visions; LOT
The entire annual amount expended upon MIS-
sions. compared with the expenses when We
do sustain unimpoverished, is only a. me wa'ei
in the mercst riyulet, compared win lha'
which our rivers pour into the ocean. II we
look at the sum which is actually expended ior
missions annually, it cannot but appear ."a''
for The present, we are at great remove from
national poverty from this source. The wno'e
annual expense bestowed upon the une'ange-
Used al home and abroad, by all denominations
of Christians united, does not exceed one nun,
dred thousand dollars; and this sum is receNeu
from the hands of about 100000 persons, OUT
of 1000 600, amounting 20 about 50 ee"''
piece These must of course become bankrupts.
But wha, if they should? What ii they, ahc
their houses, and flocks, and wives and childreh,
should all; like korah, sink down TO The cenlfe
Of the earth. 1t would not check moment The
course OF national business; II would scarcely
make a ripple in the wave OF our prosPer'tyi
and soon the page OF history would be the only
memorial that such an event had happened.
But of this 900 dollars, not more man
so 900 arc exported from the territories OF the
U. Sra,es,-about ten cents piece upon Inc
100000 contributors AS for the remaining
10000 dollars expended at home, we might as
we'll tremble a, the enormous sums expended
upon agriculture, manufactures and commerce,
or upon internal Improvements, as at mission
ary expenditures laid out in our own land.
OF The 500 900 persons, who contribute ,or
the support Of missions, three-tourths are
children, and females, and persons IN moder-
ale circumstances, few of whom give more
! than from six ~ fifty cents. Two-thirds OF the
other quarter give not exceeding one dollar
annually, which would leave about 5000 per-
sons who give from 10 10 100 dollars; and a
few, 500 dollars. Now the money given 10y
! children is, generally, only what they save from
| money which would otherwise be expended Tor
toys, or sensual qualification, and cannot effect
| materially the prosperity of the nation. re-
m ales, and the poor generally, give ohiy Tue
results of extra efforts 10 earn, or OF extra econ
omy to save, without touching, commonly,
either their little capital, or their regular IN
| come, without rclrenc hing their supertiuiues
even, and much less without encroachment
upon their effovls. Mvlti,udes of these are
! Christian s, redeemed by the blood OF Christ
upon whom TIE obligations OF Christian char
irv are as binding, according 10 what they pos
sess, as upon the rich; and who often, accord>
ing TO the extent OF their plans and expenses,
are as able 10 give as the rich are, and would
esteem It a CALAMITY and persecution TO be
denied the privilege.
| With respect to those who give from live to
100 dollars, il has been generally supposed
that men who are able to do this, have so &C
CURED the art of taking care OF their property
as not tn need couservators to prevent their
becoming bankrup by charitable inprovl'
dence, and il is not perceived how commu-
nifty can be Impoverished by charity, when
none of those who bestow it arc in any degree
suaiteued by their donations Facts, howeve,
are better than speculation The business o
missionary enterprise is Of considerable stand
ing; sufficient TO pi oduce some OF the calaml'
ties which are feared, if they are ever to come
II is time, at least, To find some families OF
some individuals begging bread, who CAST Aaa
bread upon The waters, confding in the pro
mise OF heaven that it should return, and lind
t ing that the promise had failed. | have no
t vet been able TO 6nd family, or on individual
, Impoverished by charity, and cannot but be
5 lieve, if such event, had happened, our ear
would have been assailed oy facts, iDsteod o
/, ominous predictions.
| have word of consolation for those VIII
are alarmed at our miss, Jnary income and tx
= penditurrs, derived from The manifest fallac
J., Of the theory, that national impo' erishment
o likely to be the result Of the expectation q
r money. have Known one nation (Spain) i'm
i poveIished bv the importation of money; bu
i the event is yet to come to pass of natio
y impoverished by lis expectation. M"rey /
: the repre- sentative Of property And thong
e the art OF man cannot make il abundant, wher
/, there is no property to be exchanged for il,
is equally impossible to impo,ers" natio
e by It's expectation, where industry and enter
j. prise crea'e an abundant surplus Tor commel
J.. cIal purposes. For as the air will rush in
,r fill up vacuum in the atmosphere, So will al
IS ticles OF commerce cause money IT. flow
n; from one quarter, as fast as it nnws out fror
l. another, or the expectation viii SO enhane
IS The value of what remains, that sum, nom
4 Ill Ices will we'll tbe 1