The weekly Placer herald., 1852-12-04

now in a splendid Boston mansion fully
justifies the wisdom Of her husbands
choice, by being to him a most excellent
wife and superlative housekeeper.
The Periis Of Commercial Mem.
Most men regard the mercantile profess
sion as the path to wealth, yet statistics
reveal the fact that a large proportion of
those destined to mercantile pursuits are
and so uncertain in its results, must be at
tended with peculiar dangers. Few per-
sons can pass through the trials of failures
and bankruptcy, without injury to the
elements of moral being. The claims of
friends, the demands of dependant fam
lily, and the pronptlngs Of pride, present
strong temptations to appropriate some
part of the gains of former years, which
belong legally and morally to creditors.
The excitement of trade is not favor
able to the cultivation of the moral ma
ture, and the pressure Of a financial crisis,
often makes revelations of character, not
suspected by friends or enemies. Men
who prove to be defaulters, who burn
their houses for the insurance, who fail
tull-handed, and compromise with their
creditors, had long before, under the
guise of fair dealing, resorted to mea-
sures, which a pure conscience could not
approve.
The first lapse from the path of virtue
is seldom final fall. The heart of the
lis faii, gives evidence OF ut It's we Weakness.
In times of pressure men may become
morally bankrupt, whose regulations have
been fair. The character which falls in
adversely, had been undermined during
prosperity. From these perils there is
way of escape. A high estimate of mans
moral worth, may save him from self
destruction.
Intellectual cultivation, moral training,
literary pursuits, and social pleasures,
may restrain a man from an inordnate
desire for material gains. An enlarged
the good it may do, is in little danger of
sacrificing himself upon the altar of Nam
mon. Wealth gained by the loss of char
acter, self-respect and virtue is dearly
purchased. That cannot be good bar
gain, which costs us the manly sentiment
and virtuons principles of life. he
higher wants of the SOUL are of more I'M
portance than any material interests
Commerce and wealth are desirable only
AS they afford facilities, for mental and
social improvement.
When the energies of life are devoted
wholly to the accumulation ofmaterlal in
terests, il is only the earnest virtue that
can triumph over temptation, when early
presented, as the plausible means OF self
preservation. The haste of multitudes
to be rich, is said to be characteristic of
the people of this country.
An English writer represents the whole
American people as standing behind one
long counter, from Maine to Texas, ira
ding against the rest of the world, under
the auspices of the Guardian Spirit OF
MammOn. This may he carcature,
still there must be semblance Of truth
in the representation, or we would nol
perceive the likeness. 1t may be that il
other countries the devotion to materia
interests is nordinate, exhausting and
perilous, yet there is in this country I
spirit of daring enterprise, and habit o
innovation and speculation which con
trasts strongly with the timid adherence
to a prescribed mode of life, and the tiXeo
Iethargc character of the people of The
old world.
"Make haste slowly" is good maxim.
and if the spirit of speculation, could be
restrained among mercantile men, theI
moral welfare would be promoted without
any detriment to their material interests,
for it is a fact of striking significance that
failures occur, not so much III the prose
cuton of legitimate mercantile business,
as in the attempt to anticipate the profit
of regular trade, by embarking in some
promising but delusive speculation,-.Ma-
aUaukie Journal.