The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-15
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error. Powerful me0 arc unwilling " ADMIT
that their existence is AL evil, burden,
curse, and thSt their expense is a. useless az
their persons On the contrary. they endeavor
10 impose by pomp aud II is not their iaui' IL
we do not believe that they render great service
to the State, by swallowing up great pofnon
of the means of existence, and that thefe Is
much merit in knowing how 10 dissipate great
riches. And those who live upon this prodigai-
ity firmly believe thar ifit should diminish, they
would be without resources; they desire II
should continue, and thar il should be as great
as possible. Thus are we led aslray; and even
those who suffer are ignorant Of the cause OF
their evils. Nevertheless it is certain that the
vicious consumption called lurury, and IN gen
eral all the consumption OF idle capitalists, so
far from being useful, destroys the greater part
OF nations prosperity and this is so true, that
from the moment in which country which
has industry and knowledge, is by any means
delivered from this seourge, we see there imme-
diatply an increase of riches and OF strength
truly prodigious. What reason demonstrates,
capable Of effects truly incredible2 When her
admirals lived as her sailors did-when the arms
Of her citizens were employed in enriching or de-
iendlng the State; aud none in cultivating tu-
lips or paying for pictures. Make Amsterdam
the residence Of magnificent court-translorm
lis vessels into embroidered clothes, mag azines
into ball rooms-and you will see in few years
that they will not have The means remaining OF
defending themselves against the iIruptions oil
the sea. Why have the citizens Of the United
States doubled every twenty-five years their
culture, their commerce, their riches, their pop
uaion7 1t is because they have had so few
iders among them, and the rich formerly went
TO so little supertuous expense. Let this be
changed, Gas it is beginning 10 be alreadyi) let
there be numerous idlers, banks, luxury-and
how melancholy would be the result Their
neighbors, the Canadians, do they make the
same progress7 They are gentlemen living
nobly and doing nothing.
Look at France for an instant in coHoboration
of the foregoing Her revolution takes place
she suffers all imaginable evils she has been
torn by atrocous wars, civil and foreign; her
provinces laid waste, her cities reduced TO ashes,
pllaged by brigands, and by tue furnshers Of
troops; her exterior commerce annihllated; her
fleets totally destroyed, though often renewed
her colonies, believed so necessary to her pros
perity, have been Frustrated; the men and money
layished TO subjugale them all lost; her specie
nearly all exported, by paper money and em-
grafton supporting fourteen armies during
season of famine and yet augmenting herPop-
ula,ion and agriculture-supporting enormous
taxes, and yet making immense expenditures in
public works-and all this effected without
single loan What produced such inconceiva-
BILE effects
There was scarce citizen who was idle, or
one unoccupied in useless labors. Instead OF
producing riches to form the immens revenues
of the Court and of the rich class of society,
which revenues were expended to contribute TO
the enjoyment of few. their labor was applied
to useful and necessary things; those who be-
fore made coaches, made carriages for cannon
those who formerly made laces now made
coarse linens and woolens; those who orna-
menled boudoirs, built forts and cleared land
Those who had rioted in the inutilities of life
were compelled to gain subsistence 10y the per-
Torrance of services which were wanting
They discharged their army of useless domes.
tics, and left them TO be employed by the labor-
Gus class, while the nabob himself perhaps be-
came a clerk in an office. This is the whole
secret Of those prodigious resources in crisis
so great they are ever to be found in all coun-
tries where the revenues are in the hands of the
producers, the creators of riches. Let Germany,
for example, leave entirely in the hands of the
industrious class the revenues which serve for
the pageantry of its small Courts and rich alb
beys, and you would see her invncible. When
ever and wherever the great mass of property
is in the hands of the idle men, wherever gov
eminent enriches its favorites and makes great
expenditures in useless things, you will see Ian
gour in the midst of resources, misery in the
midst of riches, and weakness in the midst Of
all the means of strength.
The taste for supertiuous expenses, the prin-
cipal source of which is vanity, nourishes and
exasperates it. 1t renders the understanding
frivolous, and Injuries its strength. 1t produces
irregularity of conduct which engenders many
vices, disorders and disturbances in families. 1t
leads readily to depravty and avidity--to the
Joss Of delicacy and probiy, and to the abandon
ment of all generous and tender sentiments. In
a word, it enervates the soul, by weakening the
understanding and produces these sad effects
not only on those who enjoy it, but likewise on
all those who serve it, or admire it,who imi-
tate or envy it. We cannot now discuss the
question, whether luxury being acknowledged
hur,ful, we ought to combat it by laws or by
and also how we can favor produc-
ton, and give useful direction to consumption.
Those who devote themselves to this great