The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-15
THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.
NEW YORK, 18th July, 1874
DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH-EFFECTS OF
LUXURY AND AVARlCE.

DIS IRlBUIlON Of NEALlH-EFFEClSO VI
LUXURY AND AVARlCE.
II s,ems TO be lad down by maxim that
whatever will produce grea, influx of wealth into
our country, although that wealth should flow almost
exclusively into particular section Of ii, is
great national good and that nothing is neces-
sary TO prove the proprieiy Of lis adoption but to
prove that it will be productive of this effect Such
idea proceeds upon the fallacy that legislation
which favors part must necessarily be propitous
another. This fsllacy overooks the obvious fact,
that in every erensrs country there inevitably exists
much con.rariety of interest, and that Of the
great tasks Of patfiotism-a task which has been
bsffied, yet, in three-fourhs of the globe, and
than threefourihs OF the duration Of mans his
| tory--s, by mutual voluntary concession and Impair
tia adjustment, to prevent these interests from fatal
collisions. The division of the world into nations
has arisen for the most part from the imprac,cabili
~ Of such voluntary arrangements and their faithful
execution when made. Among the incentives to
strife and injustice by which such oompacts pre-
vented infracted the nordinate thirst of wealth
has ever been Of prominent character. The
evils Of unjust gain, the hatred which it is sure to
bring, The luxury which il introduces the undermin-
is stshss rsd aeSSs With WHICH il nfsess and q
him Who has given himself up to its guidance And
just as heedlessy proceeds whole section of couL-
try, when il surrenders itself to this thirst When
Rome had stated herself with this appetite Of unlaw-
full possession, and by her arms subdued PROSTATE
world, the consequence Of her enormous wealth was
the yoke Of despotism A race Of tyrants ruled her
whose aggregate guilt illei up the sombre pyramids
of their renown almost beyond competition.
The boon Of peace hath Lstium dearly paid
And she that ia ced the battle undismayed
Now mourns OF luxury the flag unfurled
Exaotng vengeance for a cong uer'd world,
To the seven hills foul Sybarls drew near,
Mileius, Rhodes, all found disciples here
Hitler, with all her tIain corruption flows,
Here petulsnt Tarentum lwines the rose :.
Wealth like leprosy the land hath cursed
And all the snews of our strength are burst :"
Wealth unjuaiy gotten; the wealth Of e1iortion;
the wealth of tyranny and oppression In such state
oil things, In any nation section which surrendes
itself 10 this spirit; many yerres will arise many
Cras'us' and although the greater publicity Of modern
times, IN which the press expose and arragn such
characters, may compel them to assume subtler
DISCUSSES than when the grosser morality Of heathen-
ism was the chief moral restraint and publicity was
on the diminished scale Of manuscript publica tion
yet they exist neither few in numbers nor feeble in
power; and, as We have already intimaied, consum-
mate in art. They have many disgules as an oni-
on has coats many pretences as a young man for
visiting the beloved Of his soul 10 the noon of court
ship. For they have God Of their idolstry more
ardently beloved than the fair one of his ewes when
the youth first
" OEr-d with rapture smitten frame
The power Of grace, the magic OF a name"
Gold s their God oovetousness, which is idol.
airy hath insinusted itself every fibre Of their
fame, and they 90 forth to blast and desolate with
its sroooo breath Fraud is upon their fingers dou-
be-faced knavey in their eyes, the oil OF deceit
upon their tongues.
"Of all the fierce desires that fire the soul
None oitener draws the blade, or drugs the
bowl,
I han that Of wealth, Of which the impiou.
O'erleaps all bounds, and hears not Of delay
What law rest aims, what scrutles shall prevent
The desperate man on swirl possessions bent :"
Yet enormous accumulation, in comparatively
small number Of hands, not The means OF greatest
permanent opulence. Wealth won by chance, or
gained by fraud or extorted by force of unjust war
easily sdes from The fingers Of the nation thus at
tanning it. It's first effect is psrslysc industry by
rearing class extremely indoIent degenerate in bo-
dy and in intellect Thus the decadency Of spain. in
modern Tunes, dates from the overflow Of riches into
her Golfers from Der American dependencies. When
Mexico and Peru bad empted the afauence Of their
mines into her lap, agriculture became too aborious
a. occupation or too slow method OF gain in the
eyes Of vast numbers and on swift possessions
bent" they engaged in a pursuit, often hazardous
because so contrasted in the results which procured
only P'lsnoe for some while it beaped up sple ndd
piles for others. The habits of the miner untitled
him for the soberer habits, the slower but surer &C
QUESTIONS and the less dazzling occupation of the
sgriouturist Spain sunk into state OF indulgence
and inactivity, as at the epooha in which the Sara
cenic sword CLEANED on Tariffs plains and Roderick.
the Goth and his host expiated the crimes Of luxury
on one decisive field of overthrow. Then, again, she
gasped for breath, when her little band unsafe IN
the plain the hardy remnant Of mighty armies, head
ed by the unerri6ed and energetic Pel,gio were no.