The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-04-20
a MoItAL CONVEYED IN A FEW
WORDS.

o. tae remarks Of new Oftehus pePeA
the lives of three Of lis richest citizens. we
know M, what paper II is, from which me ~.
stract has been made, but the lesson which ~
teaches is instructive to all nankind, OF snouio
be. II mankind would listen to the teachings o.
exper;suce. But it has not done so-n will
never do 90. No man ever learnt wisdom from
the experience Of others. He must De taught
bv his own sufferings. We did not intend,
however. 10 moralize when we commenced
this paragraph We meant simply to call att
,en,ion. 10 the lives of the three richest men
whom New ofleans has produced in our day,
and 10 let the reader draw bis own inference
from the result,
THREE MH.LioHAaREs.-A New Orleans
paper Outstanding has some curious commen-
iaries onthe lives Of several rich men, recently
deceased in that city. Of John bicDonough
Il thus speaks: 81
.he had hat two passions--noforiety and
accumulate. These he pursued through
long and nigsarily and sinful life, and these
be exhibited ia his will. He clutched at his
bonds, aad titles, and money bags, in his dy-
ing moments. and BY viii both silly and in
tricate, and fruitful Of fraud and controversy, a
mirror of his characterize sought to control
and administer them after death. He cut his
neglected relations of with shilling, and be
queathed the enormous aggregate OF seventy
years Of avarice aud cunning, to communities
that will never plant flower ON his grave, or
moisien il with tear"
Here is sketch Of another 80
"Joseph Fowler was cold, selfish, cynical,
vulgar man, without sclntilla OF soul, VINO
lived for himself alone, thinking neither Of his
suffering kindred in this world, nor of God and
eternity. He was the slave of the almighty
doliar all his life, and died, at last, without
having the courage to make will, or the grace
to make. by public charities, some PREPARATION
who yainIy, in bis life time, implored the
crumbs that 'ftll from the rich mans table,
will now, il is hoped, receive and enjoy the
magnificent estate which he accumulated by
exeriion, aud coined out Of tears and desttu-
ton
The third is referred to as follows:
"Corneius Paulding WAS better man than
either Of these. He was frigid, penurious and
exacting; but he sometimes gave, and gave
freely. For many years he had been MEM
Der OF the Baptist Church and, at various
periods, after he removed TO New Orleans. he
provided place of worship for his brethren,
and rendered his house as O residence for the
minister. Several Clergymen came TO reside
with him, but, notwithstanding their habits of
selEdenial, he starved them all out. Nor did
the church thrive any better under his auspi-
ces. The church government of the Baptists
is apure democracy. All the power resides
in the members, and even the old prejudices
that exclude women from participation in gov
ernmenf,is not Recognized. ALI are equals,
and the minister in that church, outOf the pull
pit, has no more power than one of his flock.
This form of government was not adapted TO
the disposition of Mr. Pauldng. He was GAR
bitraFy and dctatorial, and the result was,
that the Baptists in this city. though few in
number, and poor, preferred to worship in OBJ
scure places, rather than to occupy the spien-
did church which he sometimes proposed to
erect for them. Mr.. Paulding had lived long
enough TO learn useful lesson from the death
Of John McD0nough. He read the common
taries of the press upon bis unnatural, selfish
and liiigious will. He has wisely bequeathed
the bulk OF his cstate to his impoverished re-
lations; has made generous donations to the
Orphan Asylum and public schools-and We
rejoice to learn appropriated $4,000 for the
Bapiists Of this city"
Comment.--Money, as the medium Of pro 4
curing US what we needs the means of ena-
bling US to assist those who are in want--as
the only appliance by which thousand hon
orable and honest objects can be effected-is
for it-none Of us would refuse it. Buito set
in npou life with the sole object of "making
money''-to sacrifice every other considera-
tion to that--to seu your soul, literally, to
Mammon-is, in the striking words Of Tom
Marshall, employed, on very different occa-
sion, TO Eight the FIRE in the heart here, that
must burn on through all eternity" Mammon
was the "least erect" ofall the spirits that fell
from Heaven. SO Milton says. and the mighty
bard meant thereby to signify his utter scorn
of those who think that man was put into
this world for no other purpose than to make
money. The great objection which we have
always had 10 the works Of DIR. Franklin, is
based upon feelings of the same character
Heregards human life as little more than pc
riod Of time allowed TO man, in the course of
which he may coin a certain number of dollaru
he looks upon man, himself, as a machine
attached to = mint, and estimates him in the
exactratio Of his capacity to strike OF the coin
with the greater or the less rspidity--in one
word, man is an animal, according to him, who
I 10 born to make money and to die.
Wedo not underestimate the great qualities
ofFranklin, nor are we disposed to underyalue
his immense services to the cause of humanity
and Of bis country. Butwe think we may be
excused for saying, that in this respect he has
done an injury to, rather than conferred BEN
eat ens his counirymen. His maxims have
made deep impression upon the public mind
and tlat impression has been lasting. II they
did not create thew went vavv "a. .. ..e