Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-26

means deprive succeeding generations.
81 hope, MIR Edior, that you will urge this meas
In no other way, am sure, can you more eenoh
cially exercise the influence Of your popular Jou..
nal" In haste yours
Stay laos: their morality and trY,iieHey.
We give above, according to promise, the COM
municaron on this subject, TO which we yesterday
alluded.
He who writes is one whom we know of high
abilities and Of fervd feelings; with a heart TOO
warm TO be safe company TO a much cooler head
and, in word, so dangerously impulsve, when
pari,uaE puOlic peril or wrong has seized upon his
imagination, tina, nothing can be unsafer Ghan the
opinions, however eloquent, which he then pour.
out.
| He gives US, with the first dash OF his nnimaiins
pencil, powerful picture Of the general and deep
distress Of the country. II ruin, the most absolute
and universal, yawned at the l.s, Of every man in
ali parts OF the community, We could scarcely have
a more appalling scene called up before our eyes.
Withou! stopping to argue las we safely mighty
that much Of his description is the mere coinage Of
a heated fancy, we will admit a, once any degree
of distress tina. people may, according their more
The country has certainly not yet suffered, how
ever, the shlrpss, callmtss through which nation
can pass No war, except thlt OF politics, has
swep. owe: our feds, 10 savs for years, where i,
has passed, its track of dssoliton. For rs years,
the harvests Of soil which Art is now rapidly fer
tiizing have been gathered, not by the sword, but
in peaee-not by the tgx-gaIherer, but by the veil
rewarded labOur Of the almost unsxcised husband.
man. Unmo!es,ed from without and free within
We have, in the miin, fourshed and il rot now
prosperous or happy, it would be difficult to cay
why, unless because we have no, chosen to bestow
upon ourselves, by good conduct as individuals
and patriotism cit zens the blessings which were
in our power. IF any man has 60, thrivsn, il is
either of MS own devisng, as privlte citizen, or
Of that ofthe GOyefnmen. which he himself in par,
directs.
There can be no question OF this. II We suffer,
il is Of our own doing alone.
Now, hating seless words we shall not enlarge
upon VIA. every man with one grain Of considera-
ton in him fseis-ihn, far the existing state Of
things has sprung from private causes, IL is the
penalty Of plunging into hazirjous attempts a, en-
richng ourselves suddenly and w.thou. labor o.
capiia or il IL the consequence Of living beyond
mans or, lastly, it is the elamor az the merely
worthless, and unprincip'eJ. Speculation, tie
growth Of Luxury, and declining morality ar, the
private causes Of what we see.
The public ones arc eqlilly undeniabe. We.
Chat IL, the psope a. llrgs) chOose be governed
by our passions, not our undenian iings,-by Au
,erers, not the sincere and wisely those who esd
Us father INTO errors, rather than those who woulJ
withstand tion.
For the consequences Of our private f,ul,s. vha,
remedy bu! resort 70 the opposite vinus,l II a mad
CUpio.,y has made US stake and lose ell We mus,
60 bacs,o rigid Caution. II VIC have been improy,-
dent, We must turn thrifty. live have been die
ladu'ify ia the remedy. II we have los, our Gre
d. lnleefi,y ~ TO all pas. transactions, and Pune
iunlfY as To oil future ones arc the appropriate
he only resource. In word, we want more, end
not less, Morality, Pfudencc Ey.non aud Self
asni1l.
In like manner Of tho Government and what
depend m Il: We van, m1rs s,n3e and Virtue. no.
less; more Of iha' Courage and Patriotism in those
n power which dires di'obsy the Glamour Of the
hours snl, in short, We mel bsi,sr wiser laus-ooi
wose and more foolish ones.
This, thsn, brings u, fairly to the questions Ar,
Jay "i-- W iv'N'Nf a'iNEAlJ W ltiNiNiput
Their advocates, IN admitting that on an ex
rcme ns-essIty can justify them, admit them 10 be
gross immoral and inexpsdieni except under very
extraordinary ereums,anoe5.
In practical Example, their adoption in time q
var, when the S,a'e and the citizen nfs struggling
for mere self pfessrva,ion-wllen the community
is driven often to seiz5 on private properly. ard
when the citizen is obliged to abandon tho care Of
his PERSONAL fortune, in order to defend the county,
has always been held exeusable: but nsUsr the
adoption in a state Of poses. There is no peaceful
necessity which has sUsr been held 10 render III,
lees than equally infamous AID foolish
Look back to the only regular instance which
re can recolIect IN this Countrywide Say laws o.
lKentueky-the work OF Amos Kendall and H.
exseribo crew; Il whose iniquitous career, thi,
hiss ever been held the fouest b Of. Are these III,
WORTHLESS to whose bright deeds distressed nation,
are To turn, when the f'vour Of heaven is 10 b,
called back, upon a suffering land1
In that instance. such laws drew after them
train Of public confusion and private loss, which 70
years sa.e'el even ne vigorou AMI thirty PIP,