The southern press., 1851-03-29
Fbr ~ Southern Press
Eeiics of Scraps and Muaings. 25.
rusL,c AND ra,vArs MORALS.

PUBLIC AND rRvArR MoRALs.
1t tis sometimes customary TO make distiuc-
ton between mems public and private character,
and many people seem To believe that persons Ut
tery regardless Of their social and domestic du
ties, may still be relied on for the faithful dis
charge of their public functions. For my part,
do not believe in this theory, and recognize no
distinction, inasmuch the temptations and OPP
portunities for moral deIinquencies are much
greater in public than in private stations, and the
obligations and motives 10 resistance greater in
one than the other. There is, therefore, no good
reason to believe that a man, who disregards his
the performance of his public ones. lfhe is in
the constant habit Of living beyond his MEANS
perpetually running in debt. and depending on his
friends, or bank Accommodations for temporary
relief from his difficulties, l see reason to be-
Iieve that he will take any greater care of the pub
lie money or the public interests. than of his own
or that he will pay greater regard to his moral
obligations in one case than the other
On the contrary, his responsibilities in the ad
ministraton Of public affairs, being less direct
and personal than in his private capacity, and
his opportunities far greater, there is every
son TO believe that he will make the same or even
greater sacrifices, in order to crafty his wants.
his vanity, or his appetites. If gifted with ex-
tensive patronage, nothing is more probable than
that, instead of looking to the interests Of his
country, he will consult his own, and either pay
his debts, or obtain new supplies by bestowng
Office upon those who are most liberal in their
loans or subscriptions to relieve him from the
consequences of his prodigaity. The is
still more dangerous when a man, croum-
eign policy of nation, and the care Of the inter-
esis of a whole people. In that case, his tempta-
tons and opportunities increased to a tremen-
dous extent. A single concession, or the ren-
quishment of single point which may be in con-
troversy, is worth millions, and the parties con-
-cerned being both equally interested in keeping
the secret, there is little danger OF discovery in
case of bribery. And what security have we
that man who, private life, cannot restrain his
extravaganza, resist the temptations Of his pas
slons and his appetiLes, will, when placed in sit
uation where they operate in wider sphere and
under much stronger excitement, be able, even if
he were inclined, to rein in the seed on the race
course, he could not bride in the stable? An
honest man is the nobIes, work of God and he
who does not practice integrity in private life,
will never adopt it in public stations. The reck-
less, extravagant farmer or lawyer, who is always
in debt at home, Isnot likely to become Cato in
the cabinet at Washington
THE FREE WHITE WOMAN AND THE BLACK SLAVE.
In New England and in all the States where
slavery does not exist, white women, married and
single, wait at table, and perform all domestic and
menia offices, not only at home, but in taverns
and public places They are also separated from
their homes by thousands, associated with ignor-
ant, immoral, and often brutal strangers and for
eigners, in manufactures, where they lose all
the habits, if not the very sense of female deica-
ey become unfit for domestic life, and totally in
capaciated to sustain the relation of wives and
mothers. Talk of the immortality of savery--it
is nothing to that ofsuch state of freedom.
TOUCH AND co.
remember to have seen it stated, some years
ago in the British Parliament without coniradic-
ton, that England was saved from bankruptcy by
the accidental discovery of huge box of one
pound notes, accidentally discovered in one of the
vaults of the bank. There was panic and run
on the bank at the time, and these small notes be-
ing legal tender, enabled the teller by pracs-
ing proper degree of deliberation, and counting
the notes two or three times over, to pay de-
mands, until the business hours expired for that
day. Rather narrow escape for the richest ma
ton in the world. But such are the certain re-
suits Of great system of credit. England is al
ways either surfeted with money, or starving for
want of it; always in a fever Of prosperity
ague Of adversely. The pendulum is perpetually
swngng from one extreme to the other, but
er stops in the middle. II seems. however, tina,
our experienced political economist the new Sec
re,ory of the Treasury, contemplates that old,
worn-out, ricketty decayed structure, the govern
ment of England, with all the awe and veneraiion
ofa young sparrow, fer the first time struck with
the appsrition of patched, stuffed scare crow in
corn flld. He opens his eyes, and for aught
know his mouth too, when he reads Of the wealth
and spendor Of that country, its 10000, 600 Of
export, and its great "Paace Of Concord" a,
"Vanity FAIR" created for all the world-excepi
the accommodated slave holders of the United
States-to come and shake hands and celebrate
the long expected millennium. Oh Mr.. Secre.
tary do you know that Of this f7O 900 900 of
exports, which constitutes the surplus product of
oil the labor of England, some Csc, 900 900 goes
TO the payment of the public expenses, and the in
terest on the public debt' Oh! Mr. Secretary
do you know that in that splendid emporium Of
commerce and manufactures, which in the vision
you have before you, present phantom of bloat-
ed prosperity, you may, if you look sharp see
millions Of your fellow creatures perishing with
want, emoculated by labor, unnccompanied by It's
due rewards, and cursing that wealth which has
rotbed them Of every comfort in life OH Mr..
Secretary, Mr.. Secretary beseech thee to put
on thy spectacles and take nearer view Of Eng
land, before thou again holdest her up an exam
pie to the United States. Do Mr. Secretary in
stead OF pratpg such enormous hackneyed, COM
mon place, bumbuggery.