Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1842-05-10
From the Washington Globe.
THE "WAR OF ENTERPRISE AND
PUBLIC SPIRIF.n

"A cOmpetont acquaintance WIN tue
history Of mankind will pretty clearly
show that nations, and more especially
communities, are quite as prone TO run
mad as individuals. The disease is catch
log, and nothing is more cOm0on than
for it 10 become spidemic. A single per-
son is Infected; the malady spreads and
at length so completely, that the few
whs escape are insufficient 10 keep each
other in csuntenance. They are ashamed
to keep sober while every body else is
ravng, and either Join the crowd OF mad
men, or shrug their shoulders aud submit
in silence.
The United States, young vigorous ,and
aFIent;full Of hope and confidence; having
few rscolSctions ofthe past TO form tund
Of practical experience, and living princi-
pals on future anticipation, have exhibit.
ed, in their brief career, several exam
rles of this epidemic madness. Visions
of anticipated wealth constitute the at
mosphere in which we live, move and
have our being; and in Oxpatating on the
boundless future, we are prone TO forget
the sober matter oG-fact present aspect Of
things. Every bSdy remembers the me
rino mania, when an old rusty wethsr
was worth thousand or fifteen hundted.
and RaambouilSt ran Ave thousand dol
lars The moIus mullicalis was another
Of thsse epidemics; and at the present
monent, according to all indications, We
are menaced with an Indian. .corn-sugar
mania, which, should it spread pretty ex.
tensively, threatens to produce something
like famine, by destroying our corps OF
corn, and substituting sugar in their room.
But these we're mere heabites, only ex.
tracing little blood from the skin, and
producing = temporary local itchngr--
The most universal, exhaustng and fatal
mania which has ever yet oVerspread the
land, was that Of internal imprSVement.--
This was no 1eabte. 1t bed whole com
munties and States exhausted the veins
Of the body polite; and has left it little
else than bloodlSss skeleton--a thing
Of skin and bonSs--a spectre pointing lis
finger end grinntng at its Victlmes.-
Those whs have auentiveIy studied the
pathology Of such excitements, or epi.
demical madness, will have discovered
that there are always two parties necessa
~ to its generation, namely, the cheatSrt
aud the cheated; those who produce anC
administer to the diseases for their owl
interested purposes, and those whe cen
stitutG, as it were, the fund OF capital fo
the Others 10 trade upon. The former are
fol the most part, wilful decsivers; th,
latter, willing dupes. II is for one to be
csme rich, but is certain the others viii
be ruined
The bait invaribly thrown out, is the
prospect Of ali immense rise in the value
Of property, within reach Of the Contem'
plated improvement. This is the cocu,
lus IBdicus, cast upon the popular waves
to set all the FISK mad. Individuals, com
munitiSs,a and States are 10 be enriched on
the faith Of estimates and calculationsl lbas.
ed on the bottomless abyss Of the future
while present, certain, and unavoidable
sacrifices, are kept out Of sight Unneigh-
Sorly contests are genevatsd, and malig.
pant, pitifu jSalously takes the place of
that social feeling which looks at least
with complacency, if not satisfaction, on
the prosperity of others. Thus commn-
mites and States, confedSraied together
for mutual aid and defence are converted
into iuveteratS rivals for the whole of what
Ordis,ributed among them by the natural
course Of things, would mutually benefit
all.
It may be fafsly asserted, because it is
Ihe result Of practical experience, that
when two or more individuals, Communi.
ties, or States, mutually shurir" in Ger.
tain advantages, enter into GpRtest who
shall take all, they are on the high, ,,gallop
ing road full tilt to bankruptcy and ruin
We once knew two shop-keepers in a
country village who tried their hands at
a game oil this kind. The custom in
trade ofthe country peops was pretty e.
qually divided between them, and they
gradually becoming rich, or at least they
saved money every year. But in an evil
hour, oAe Of them was seized with vehe.
ment desire to grow rich little laster,by
stripping his neighbor Sf that portion Of
trade he had hitherto enjoyed. 10 ap-
preaching his store, there was steep lit
Ito bill, which our hero took it for granted
prevented people from coming to trade
with him. Under this happy illusion, he
set himself vigorously to work and dug
down the hill al his own expense, and
the consequence was, he could not pay
his debts that year.
His neighbOr and rival became alarmed
at this attempt TO direct the course Of
trade, aup posted himself to the Legisla,
uFe,where he got an act passed 10 make
turnpike road back in the country,which
came out right in front Of his store, and
Of course would bring all the fish to bis
net. To do this, he was obliged to sub
scribe for acOnsiderable portion Of the
stock, which he was enabled TO do by
ks.H sssv.as s.E 4 - a