The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-10-28

who attend upon her. she delights III Sc
renity and calmness; and in the quiet joys
ofinnocence, contentment, and benevolence.
This is the golden medium Of happiness!
Wealth, when honestly acquired and
properly used, is not at all objectionable.
1t indeed may be, but often is not, honestly
acquired, and properly to use it, requires
degree of dsinterestedness, philosophy
and virtue, which few men possess.
1t is insatiate avarice, and the arbitrary,
extraordinary estimate placed upon wealth,
which are TO be deplored as proliice source
of evils.
They cause us to neglect the duties we
owe to our families, to the world, and to
God. TO ourselves-they divert our at
tention from those things which would Sc
cure real happiness. TO our famiIies--oc-
cupied by the all-absorbing love ofmoney,
we neglect their moral, mental, and religi-
Gus culture and improvement. To the
/ word--the selfshness always attendant
upon avarice renders us totally regardless
and insensible of the rights, interests and
\ welfare of our fellow men. To God-in
the ardent pursuit of wealth, we have nei-
ther time, opportunity nor inclination TO
perform the sacred duties we owe to
him.
They destroy the peace oGindividuals and
families; are productive of discomfort, dis
quietude and msery-of injustice, vice and
crime. They mar the pleasures of social
intercourse; and above all, produce that
state of feeling, that course of conduct,
which, when generally prevalent through
out republic, are dangerous to liberty, and
the sure precursors of the downfall of free
institutions.
The love of money has been said by TO-
reigners, and not without cause, to be pro-
minent feature in the character of Ameri-
cans. We pay to wealth servile homage
and alteration. Mammon is the God we
worship. 1t would be well for us if we O.
beyed the scripture commandment, and
worshipped no other Gods but one. Bu
we have multitude of Gods. We not on
ly worship Mammon, but we worship also
the priests of Mammon--these holy person.
ages who enjoy his peculiar favor, and are
distinguished by the golden decorations
which adorn them. We worship men
we extend our veneration for wealth to the
men who possess it. We are gross idola
tors, e. like the ancient Egyptians, worship
calves, and asses, and apes. The natural
dignity of man the noble independence o.
of lreemen, are sacrificed npon the altar o.
idols.
We remember not,
"That rank is but the gunea's stamp,
The MANS the gold for a that"
t We remember not, that riches do not con
fer honesty, or worth, or virtue. Vice ant
corruption may build golden places, and
revel in oriental splendour and magnif-
} cence; yet they are vice and corruption still
} they retain the same odious features as be-
fore.-Gildedvice and folly are even moro
dangerous because more powerful, thar
when clothed in the humble habiliaments o
poverty.
The splendor of wealth dazzles the mind
and exerts upon it magical influence
Like the silver veil of the Prophet of Kho
rassan, it inspires the beholder with respec
and awe, and conceals the most hideous de
iormites of mind and body. We are apt
to think that if man be rich, he is at once
endowed with all the attributes of supe-
rior being. We forget that man ough
to be respected only in so far as he is deser
wing of respect, that he can deserve it only
by good principles, good conduct, wisdom
and virtue, and that riches do not, neces
sarily. render him either yirtuous or wise
This undue estimate of wealth would no
be so injurious to society, if we did not in
overrating it, at the same time undervaluC
merit. But as our veneration for wealth in.
creases in the same degree does our regard
for intrinsic merit decrease-in the same
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