The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-06-23
GOLD VS.. IRON AND COAL.

Before mines of gold and silver, or dePosl's
Of pearls and rubies, give us, as n high ana
lasting source of wealth, plentiful IRON anu
coal. These are the mineral treasures lha'
corrupt not that enter into all The raiilliica-
tons of useful art; that embiazon the shleld
of NIL our houses. our workshops and our
m.felds with comfort and independence;
that lie at the basis Of our manufactures ana
c,mmerce, and all our great enterprises; and
which. when summed up in their broadcast
triumph, crown the nation with simple, mex
baustible wealth and strength. They are not
bone of contention between nations. Borne
upon the great deep, they excite no piratica
cupidity. Robbery and murder stalk not in
their path.
Look over the world, and observe what ma
tons acquire and hold power; what nations
are the richest and strongest, and what people
are least enervaied and dependent. Are they
the East Indies, glowing with gold and gems!
Are they Spain and Portugal, whose laps for
centuries were strewn with the golden fruits
of their West Indian conquests Are they
the States of Central and South America, or
Mexico, to-day rotten with the excess OF past
wealth in gold and silver, and tottering on the
verge of total decay! No; the history of all
these is warning that superabundancc Of
what are called the "precious metals" and
gems, is the greatest bane of the human race.
These have called for little labor beyond that
of serfs and slaves; these have made serfs and
slaves, and these, placing every sensuous
luxury within the grasp of man, debauch him
and unfit him for whatever is most noble in
the life and history of nations.
The glory of the strength, intellect, and
freedom of the Old World, abide with the
nations that have no mines of gold, and no
gems in their soil. Even Russian despotism
gives healthier promise TO humanity, in the
future, than those of Spain or a Brazil, be-
cause of the rugged national elements of her
wealth, the development of which preserves
to the serf, at least, physical interruption.
Compare Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
Switzerland, Germany and France, with the
South of Europe and with Asia. Compare
the United States with Mexico and South
America. On the one hand, Nature has fur
nished what are deemed tie precious and
luxurious things; on the other, are only the
coarser, ruder sources of comfort and wealth.
But where is the most comfort, the most real
luxury, the most wealth, the most intelligence
and enterprise exhibited Not in the gold
regions, nor among the nations that have been
debauched by gold.
No country on earth is so blest as ours in
the true elements of wealth and strength, and
to no two Of these elements are we so much
indebted MS to our inexhaustble Iron and
Coal. Buried in all our mountains and val
leys, they invite and reward the largest enter
prise, and exercise the largest invention
They are common and perpetual necessity,
and common blessing and wealth. We can
scarcelypursue trade, an art, or profession,
without them. They enter Familiarity into all
our dwellings, Our foundries, our FORCES,
our artizan-shops, our factories, our steamers,
our railroads and telegraphs, are their menu-
ments quite as much as they are our trophies.
We figh. the battles of peaceful progress
with these two weapons, and no power can
withstand them. Without them, could gold
create the "lightning press"-build the tenn
pie or the piIlar-or say to the steam engine,
abe thou n"and herewith command the hills
TO bow down, and the hollows to be exalted
Let us not be over-captivated with gold and
gems. National strength, virtue, and great
ness never came permanently from these
Providence directed the Pilgrim Fathers Alright
They touched on the true gold coast, and
their children have spread over and settled a
land, thousand fold richer than California
or Ind. A land, rich in all that conserves M
tonal growth, and pure individual comfort
and independence. Let us feel and know, by
NIL precedent in history, thatin our iron, coal,
copper, and lead, we have the choicest of ma
lures mineral store Within the bosom of
our fair, free soil-the glorious bosom of old
mother Earh-we have exceeding treasure;
while on the surface, we can have all that
man may wish, if he wishes well for himself
and his kind.
NJ.