Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-12-05
From the Providence Courier.
THE WAY TO DO BUSINESS.

The great revolution in American society
for the last fifty years seems to be connected
mainly with the business men OF the country.
In the good old Colony times, every thing was
done in a monncr totally unlike the present.
The age was ditferent--the people we're differ
ent-manners and customs were differentiated
every thing socially, morally, and almost eve.
ry other way different. Ten thousand dollars
was then handsome fortune-twenty thou.
sand and thirty thousand dollars were great
and immense fortunes and were content, hap.
Ply, satisfied with them. Now $4,000 is no
more than drop in the ocean, and man is
considered but little better if he is not worth
his forty and fifty thousand John Jacob As
tor is reported TO have said that man in the
possession OF half million of dollars is as we'll
off as though he were rich, and his sublime no.
tons of fortune, are but little more extrava.
giant than those Of the hundred thousand in al.
most every Union.
All this is wrong and the best way TO 60 for.
ward is to go back to the good old days OF com.
mon sense, common honesty, and common in.
dustry.
There is no royal road to wealth, and for.
tunes gained by any ofthe Legitimate means
Iof getting wealth nowadays, are oftener
curse than blessing to their possessors. Spec.
ulation, we need not say, is one Of the uncer.
tain and disastrous events which has done much
TO inJure states, cities, towns, and people. 1t
matters but little what kind Of speculationa
man engages in, whether It be in lands or in
houses-ln public or private works-upon the
ocean or upon terra frma. All business is I'm.
certain, and every result doubtful, in which
man wants either time and means to devote to
that business His head, heart, and conscience
must be engaged in it,
He must have his own eyes upon il, and with
ordinary sngacity and judgment he can hard.
ly fail in his undertaking. This we believe
was the way business was usually done in the
older times, and tho way we are sure in which
1t ought 10 be transacted. 1t was tho way with
many we could name, who grew rich gradually
but certalnIy-who acquired their fortunes not
by parsimony, but by economy--by attending
to the business Of thor neighbors--by indus.
try rather than direct idleness or halfway at.
tention--by personal supervision Of their al.
LARS rather by entrustlng their interests with
agents, who, however honest or however capa.
Bile, cannot in The nature Of things do as we'll
tor the employer as the employer can do for
himself
Your man who gets rich in hurry, in four
cases out of five, will grow poor in hurry
As his wealth costs him labor, he values it. As
II is easily obtained most generally he is indif:
!erent to it and the result of this indifference is
not merely an inattention to save his money,
but the worse result of making expenditures
which not only empty the purse, but what is
worse, provide the ways and means for bad
habits, idleness, intem perance, &c.
again, fortunes acquired in a hurry, are
not general spent III hurry, but they afford
Out little substantial happiness to their posses
sors. Money thus possessed is considered
Notwithstanding which costs nothing, and
which is not therefore valued. 1t gives 10 the
possessor none Of those enviabe feelings which
the poor man has who earns his bread bv the
sweat Of his face, or which the man in moder.
ate circumstances has, who has acquired com.
petence by patient toll and good habits. Our
advice is the prayer Of Agur,-'neither power.
ty nor riches'-enough to ensure the comforts
OF life, but not enough to tempt one to iare
sunptuousy, and spend their time in riotous
living. Reader, never make haste to got
rich, for If you do, ten to one you die beg
gar.