Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-08-13
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
DETERIORATION OF MORALS
LUXURY AND POVERTY.

1t must be confessed that the present
conditions of morals, in the United States
is not calculated to crafty our national
vanity, and much less to justify the unlim-
tied selfpraise 10 which we have long
been accustomed. AS people, we have
undoubtedly receded from the purity, in
tsgrity, honest independence and virtuous
self-denial of our ancestor; and il behooves
US to consider the cause of this recession.
to ascertain where the fault lies, and me-
vel to rest satisfied until we have regained
our former position, Why, let it be ask
ed, is the American nation less moral than
it was fifty years ago? The problem will
admit of various solutions; but, there is
one explanation which, in our view, car
ries peculiar weight, and, on examination,
will be found amply sufficient to account
for the results we have witnessed. AS
preliminary remark, we will say that
where the institutions of country afford
unequal advantages to the inhabitants, so
that some may acquire vast possessions
with little toll or effort, while others, by
the most laborious exertions, can scarce
| ly gam subsistence, the natural conse-
quence of this state ofthings is a declen-
sion Of morals. On the contrary, where
the same advantages are extended 10 all,
the elements of prosperity, happiness and
good morals are secured and made perma-
nent. In the last case, instances of over
grown wealth will be more rare, and in
stances of extreme poverty will be COM
paratively unknown. But when, (by
means Of partial institutions; which OK:
tend one arm to elevate some men to un-
RENTED good fortune, and stretch forth
the other hand 10 crush other men into
the dust Of indigence, )-when, by such
means, a community is divided chiefly
into two classes, the very rich and the
very poor, vice and immortality must pre-
vail; for men are equally tempted to crime
by excessive poverty and excessive in
fiuence. What are called the middle
classes of society are always found
to be the most virtuous and moral The
immoral tendency Of excessive wealth is
nearly the same, whether the wealth be
real or ideal, substantial or merely nomi-
nal. If il affords its possessors the
means of unbounded enjoyment, il will
lead him TO habits of luxury and excess,
which are commonly destructive to the
moral principle. On the other hand it
is almost unnecessary TO assert that eT-
treme poverty and crime are frequent as
sociates. No fact is more painfully ur-
ged on our daily observation. 1t is the
pressure of rant which chiefly contributes
to fill the dungeon and the brOthel, and
every other receptacle where the vicious
are found collected.
These circumstances understood,- -
when we wish to account for the moral
degradation Of people,-it is merely
necessary 10 inquire into the origin of
their luxury and their poverty. On the
present occasion, let us ask What has
brought these two evils to theiF present
extent in the United Statcs9 We attrib-
ute them TO the same origin--a perni-
cious moneyed system, This it is which
has enabled some to revel in the most
luxurious, expensive and demoralizing en-
Ijoyments; and this it is which has sunk
others TO the most abiect penury. That
the former have conducted their riotings
on insUbstGntial grounds is circumstance
that rather enhances than 'mitigates the
evil result. They who have gained for
tunes by sudden speculations, and not by
life of industry and care, are the very
persons who are the most apt to run into
extravagant and immoral coursers which
often effect their own ruin and involve
that of many others. How many instan-
ces of this kind have come under our own
observation within the short period Of
four or FIVE years! People have be-
come suddenly rich, Or, (what answers
nearly the same purposeO they have been
thought so; they have become infatuated;
they launched out in q sea of expense;
luxurious living becamea necessary part
Of their existence, and, to sustain them
selves in that mode oflife, they have re-
sorted to crimes which are contributing,
in no small degree, tp tarnish the purity
Of our national character.
In the mean while, the operations Of the
same accurssd system has been feltt
an equal extent in ihe opposite quarter
Industry has been defrauded with the
mOckery Of recOmpense the products of