Western courier. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-07-27


for never was the call for labor of all
kinds greater, or more promptly or liber-
ally rewarded. From the lowest grade
of day laborers, to the highest in the me-
chanical or professional departments all
can find employment; all do, or should
earn their living; none need be idle, none
need be beggars or paupers; none need
bread, or fear starvation; for while
man has health and hands, he can labor,
and labor will ensure bread Of not com
petence. The man who has a. spark Of
the genuine feeling Of independence
which should be the characteristic of
Americans, while he can honestly and
honorably support himself by labor, will
be the last to complain of hard times.
Is it the partial failure of the crops for
the past year which has brought about
such revulsion in the state Of afiairs!-
BY no means. There is abundance of
food, both bread and meat in the country,
and all fears 10 the contrary may be Civ
en- 10 the winds. The prices are rather
higher than usual it is true, but has not
labor risen in an equal or even greater
ratio? and will rot the avails Of days
work purchase as much food or clothing
or any of the nacessariesof life as it
would last year? There was time
when a few alarmists took advantage OF
circumstances, and obtained in some in
stances eXtravagant prices; but this may
be traced to other causes rather than the
actual scarcity food. Is the fallof one
cent per pound Of cotton sufficlnt to pro-
duco the effects complained of at the south!
No, in healthy state Of the community
it would not have the weight of a feather;
and all the deficiency in our northern
crops, or fall of prices in southern ones,
would not in other times have brought
starvation to any community, or prostra-
ted single respectable merchant.
TO what then is the present distresses
Of the country owing, since it cannot be
justly attributed to want OF labor. want
Of food, or want of money for all safe and
reasonable purposes. Simply 10 what has
been pronounced the root Of all evil, the
zovs Of money" Fostered by success
this haste to be rich,' has become
mania infesting all classes; and all the
ordinary business of the community, all
rational and prudent means Of securing
competence, have been swallowed up in
the vortex of speculation. Labor has in
great measure become dishonorable;
the man who honestly pays his debts
punctualIy is looked upon with surprise
bordering on contempt, and he is consid-
cred as belonging to another age; men
are so accustomed to be shaved, that the
very men who suffer from this irregular
source of profit, look upon man who is
content with less than 2 per cent per
month, as an incorrlgible fat; and every
thing indicates deep and general break
ing up Of honorable principle, an aban-
dopment of former usages, a deprivation
of individual morality and rectitude, and
the happiness and prosperity of life are
recklessly placed in hazard, and at the
mercy of a single cast of fortunes dice.
All this generalization, and the whole
train Of ruinous consequences, may be
directly or indirectly traced TO system
built on promises TO pay. The credit sys-
tenn, 50 long as it was kept within pro-
per limits. was advantageous to the COM
munity, but so soon as it transcended
these boundaries, it became Pandoras
box to disseminate evil, and ultimately
ruin. Some few promised to pay, made
fortunes, and did actually pay; it was
thence inferred that all might do so, and
the consequence is, all legitimate business
and industry is dispensed with; capital
for the transaction Of affairs has been
considered unnecessary, AMI present ap-
pearances indicate that the bubble which
under such circumstances, and the natur-
al inherent vigor Of the country, has
reached such magnitude, is about to
burst aud leave the credit men with ruined
fortunes, and in most cases with ruined
characters.
The commercial relations of the coun-
try and The world may require banks ,or
the purpose of deposit and exchange ;
their notes may be valuable as part OF the
currency SO long as they are able to pay;
but when a state Of things arrives, wheth-
er by the over issues of paper, or by
commercial or political revuIsions of the
age, in which payment is impossible, IT IS
evident distress and failures must lnevlta-
ply ensue. This time in our country has
arrived. The paper promising TO pdy,.
greatly exceeds any possible means OF
redeeming it; two thirds of the paper IN
the country must remain unpaid on any
emergency which should call for gen
eral redemption of the promises they con-
tain. 1t is these promises without the
ability to meet them, that has deranged
o.,. ..hoIo count ru and substituted gamb-