Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-12-23

From HcknsiH6 KepostST.
r,sr .rEncHANTS YINDlCArEO-THE Rich
AM TIE POOR

From Bieknsi!'s Re2osssr
TIE uEBcHANT5 yIHQlCATED-TAE kacH
AND TIE POOR.
We observe with pleasure that better tono IS
.,n,rcn, throughout the public Journals Of the
End in relation to m. rchatis AMI busincss men
oeucr,llv Indeed it has always been matter
or surprise to Us that any set Of men having the
welfare Of the human family at heart, Should
cndcavor to excite a feeling Of hostility between
tho rich and tho poor. ANY aacn pe!J.;",on.s
,,,,tur,l and should be scoun'ed out o: existence
nv all who lovo their kin5--1nd are anxious ior
,ho greatest good fthc greatest numLer MOST
Of the rich men Of tho present day nave risen
from, poy crty and obscursfy aud th'ousa year, o.
patient perseverance, and toll. rms 10 espcciaiiy
tho case with our merchants. Look Tor example
=, IN. important instances afforded by Stephen
f;;rard.-,hc richest American merchant OF the
last half century! He was origin My poo. boy;
a nero common day lthorcr. Yet no died pos
.esscd Of milIions-lnI bequcathei a large P'r
ton OF his i!nncnsc property Tor ITO o'ac"' %
orphans.
Lock also at Jacob Rdgw,y, WAC may now DO
.,;I 70 nc tho richest IN IN in Philadelphia. lie Is
now a merch1n, in the usual accePiat'on o! u,e
,orm--,iut he is millionaire and as extensively
rnoo0oi in business any member oil our con-
,,,,,'1v Ho was also originally poor boy,-N
=, this moment has hundreds OF honest, InustfI-
ou,. h,rIwo,k!ny mechanics employed La his
service. -, -
T.,oa also al John Jacob Astoss--.hc Gerard Of
How York, and one CT the USJst ct'SSfP'i''-iS ".
OF the nc. He likewise roso from comparative
ooycr,y ans olscurity, although now possessed OF
millions. -. e a..
s., ina naiority Of cases. The rich OF the
,oo were poor ut the commencement OF ii'e--ahn
&c. tr.,st and believe that may oil our young o't
;y.,r;,rs and ambitious readers, who are poor
rov will be among the wca.thicst III tho ianh ~
or 30 wears hence. With this view Oh inc
Csc. and these facts before us, wo reJo'cc !hr,
IN, immature! cry of "Down with the In:rchants:
r. n
SHOWN with tho men OF business: s III
way before the Influence of common sense ana
zo,nd n,ornli.y There must be distinction I'D So
cic,y: Men who labor night and day, nFe TEN
poratc and ing;will certainly ana nccessaf
~ improve moro in worldly substance ina" INC
;1c nni dissipaicd This IL especially tho case
t.; hi. coun,ry. whore from the nature OF our an
s,i,u;i ons tho highest Offices arc open ana win,
in tho grasp Of tho poor and rich a,'Kc'-'''u
Heaven forbid that wo should ever Dcco"o 80
DEGRADED as to consider Industry u cr,.nc' or mo
nos.e.sion Of the fruits Of industry d'scrcdt OF
Decentralization. With these hasty preliminary
remarks Of our own, VIC proceed to gvo INC opc
ond cioouent defence of the merchants made by
Mr. Talm indigo of the New York Senators 0"
tho Anor Of Congress. II - nobic trion'o !"
,hc merits Of those who in tho spirit OF enter
priso and commercial daring venture their all Of
worldly subsist 3nco upon the great waters.
Sir. said Mr. Tam,dge addressing tho CHAIR
an aware Of tho pref idiccs which honcsly OK
ie. with portion of the community against any
thing like "associa.ed wealth." ] am aware
how easily si,oso pref riiccs may be wrought on
h. doma1ocucs ami designing politicians. Bat
those who nrc sent here 10 cgslnto Tor tho grea'
iutorost Of tho country, should DO oS!e'neiy
careful how they minister 10 sucn PreJao|o
Whilst il il admitted that tho banking svstc" "aS
ite evils its superior benefits, novcrthelcss' re-
ccn,mcnd Il 10 Tho candid consideration OF every
c,,t.,m,n and patriot. II sboid be his object
10 c,rrcct tho evils md retain the dement's;
"rrcscryc and regulate, but not Destroy sno"'u
fc his MOTTO. II has existed and been recognized
f-,n tho earliest foundation oil tho government
down TO the present time. 1t has been 'nden'''-
al with tho interest Of tho government. lhcso
ins titutions in some shape or other, have oven c'
ployod by the government during the wno'c per-
od IL is through thcis agency ana lnstrumc"'a'''
8; that these much abused nnd dcsP'scd ,rcr-
chants have been enabled sopay into your GOLFERS
tbs rastamoant Of revenue which has sustained
vor in poaco and in war. Yes, these very mer-
chants who hnvo been represented rs ho' 20 oo
relied on in tho timo Of pcri'-whosc Plfr'o''sn'
is in their ledger, and whose heo .. 10y -
their counting room-who arc the most forward
in tho pursuit Of gain when all - peace anu GUT
81. but who shrink from, responsibility whcn ai",
o. prcs,cs Sir, have for n long time looked
With horror upon tho ruthless warfare that mas
bscn carried on against tho morcantuc interes'' :
l,7vu socn with alarm the attempt which nave
b. on m lido to set up other portions OF the conma
c;,v ,g,inst ,hsm have heard them brantcd as
swindIcrs for Collecting their honcssduc al no"c'
AMI ns traitors for paying thci: honest oco's u
hr,,d. Sir. tho interests Of MI clus=cs III this
co,u,ry arc reciprocal. Neither tho farmer tho
moch,nic, can got on simultaneously tho ono
,,i,ho,t tho other. But il is TO the merchant cs-
pccialIy, that tho government mist look for 'ho
tumediaso means Of support. II is the merchant
that stands between tho government and the con- |
sumner. IL il tho merchant thntshouldcrs the
responsibility nnl pay into the Treasury the en-
or,,n,s amount Of revenue which keeps the
whole machinery Of government in notion lis
tho merchant that maintains the credit OF tho
country abro1d, by the scrupuous fiiclity win
which he cuicavors 10 meet all his engagements.
Ia short, tho character Of an American mcr-
chant is n passport through any country IN the
world. And still this class Of citizens that com.
mind universal respect abroad. cannot be rei.cd
m ~ :; - f S .y = i.
Of our history nave the merchants been obnoxious
q, this charyc2 None wcro moro patriotic du.
ring tho revolutionary was; mono contributed
thssr means moro largely OF moro freely: And
xho. let mo ask, occupied psoudcr position Gu
Emo tho late war? When the credit Of tho gov
ernmcn. was at its lowest cbb. who furnished the
rncnus to carry tho wari The merchants;
w.. Al. .,~c.ryr,cnt vnutud money and could |