The southern press., 1851-08-13
Luxury.


the decline and fall" of empires.
If we found that luxury was universal among
people--that there was no poor-that there
was no misery or distress beyond the common
ills Of life--that, in short the whole nation was
sunk in sloth, and Incidence, and idleness, sur
rounded by abundance, then we might say, with
some regret and despair, that man was unfit fol
ease and prosperity, and that he was only ener,
getc and moral when harassed by difficulties
and threatened with want.
But historians write not the history of nations
so much as the history Of class or classes to
which they belong, or on which they depend
They have scarcely deigned to consider the peo-
pie as having any weight in the scale of pros
perity. Whether well or i'll of, has been to
them a matter Of little importance. They only
viewed the surface--the upper class of society,
they set down nation for rich or poor, in pro-
portion as that class lived .honorably, or disor-
derby. Hence the excellent RoLLN, who wrote
so sensibly on the state of nations, says, speak
ing Of the Romans: Those whom neither labor,
nor dangers, nor so many adversities could ever
conquer, pere subdued By the sofiness Of repose,
and The allurements Of plenty and prosperity"
We are told by Ivy that PYRRHUs, king of
Epirus, could not bribe that Senate, which, in
the time Of JuauarHA the Numidian, only .oaght
to sell its decisions to the highest bidder!
We find that at later time, every province
groaned under exactions-every free commu-
nifty was in desolation-every kingdom, once
contented in its union with liberal Rome, now
complained Of oppression, and. was ready for
secession.
But was all this caused by the introduction
of luxury? What Is luxury? Did all these
Romans who had become demoralized revel in
luxury? Did one hundredth part of them, in
any part of their lives enjoy one-half the luxury
which the virtuous Roman patrician enjoyed in
the earlier days of the republic! If not, what
demoralized him? Could it have been luxury?
It is quite certain that if demoralzation is
caused by luxury, it is equally caused by mis-
cry. And which, in these luxurious times really
predominated? Wealth or poverty? Luxury
or misery!
1t is no proof that the Roman people were
rich and luxurious, because one man, an extor-
toner, or the heir of extortioner, spent for
tune on single dinner, or in the confection of
a single dish?
1t is no proof that people is luxurious, be-
cause, by long habit and study, men have become
skillfu as artists and architects, and have built
magnificent palaces and temples for extravagant,
ambitious, and greedy men? These artists
would not have been less able, nor would they
have distinguished themselves the less, had they
worked in the interest of the whole community,
instead of that of one or several individuals.
But in these deplorable times of aluxury,"
about which historians here and there venture to
we have the real facts sufficiently d.
gulged, occasionally, to, be able to form some
conclusion as to the true state of things We
read Of revots, rebellions, rotings, distress, as
-assiasti0ns, directed against the rich for mo-
nopolik Lg the produce Of the earth, and starv-
ing whole provinces and kingdoms. We find
pestience, and famine, and misery, and wretch
edness, side by side with accumulated wealth
and colossal fortunes; and these fortunes dwin-
ding away through extravagance and folly, and
through the inability of a people to reproduce
rishss, or 10 consume the usual amount Of food
or manufactures; till at last the fortune-maker,
when he can no longer squeeze money from the
people, (who hardly consuming, no longer pro-
duce as in former days,) has no means of re-
making his wealth, but by extortion, swindling,
or crime
Thus we might say, that the true cause Of the
decline and fall" Of nations, Is the imperfection
Of the laws, which, permitting to every man full
freedom OF action, epen 10 The deiriment Of his
fellov- man, lead, by an inevitable course Of
things, TO the impoverishment and destruction
Of the great mass Of humanity. The lucker
portion accumulate wealth by greater skill,
more favorable chances, rash adventures, daring
robberies, and even by higher moral qualities
until the sum Of all this higher adventure, accu-
mulating and amassing, by contrivances, and by
changes and notifications in the laws and
usages, eats up the unskillfu, the weak, the
powerless, the ignorant and the industrious
Manners AND CUsroNs oV THE LosposERs.
The London correspondent OF the Philadelphia IN
qiiirr thus alludes TO some Of the customs Of the
people of that city, which would be far more
honored in the breach than the observance
"The customs Of some Of the people Of the men
Of England as Goblet called it, are not such as
we would desire to initiate. Itis not unusual to
see men walking in the streets with ladies'. and