New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-11-18
LIFE INSURANCE.

One hundred years ago the idea of insuring
mans life offering on the annual payment
Of twenty dollars while he lived to pay over a
thousand when he died--Would have been deemed
not only foolish but actually impious The
manifold accidents and occurrences which may
take off suddenly the very strongest and health
lest would have caused people to look upon
the whole affair as a great gambling operation,
in which mems lives we're the checks and their
deaths tho winning cards. The Irishman, who
insured his life, confidently expecting longevity
equal to the Cumsen sibyls, and the old lady whose
hopes Of happier hereafter led her to reject
an eternity below, would have been no excep-
tional cases in seventeen hundred Time and ex-
perienoe have been more successful, however,
than common sense In convincing the Patricks
and Miss Betseys of the world that d simple
life insurance neither kept them here in accord
ancs with their own wishes, nor prevented their
going above in accordance with the will Of the
Lord and the natural order Of events.
But, although the promise of the policy re-
ceiyed from the company insuring, to the effect
that the bearer shall live for sixty, or ninety
or two hundred years, does not in any way tend
to secure that result--to ward off yellow fever,
railroad accidents, or the Inconvenience of the
galloWs- the two, ten, or fifty thousand dollars
which the company is bound to pay to the poll
cy-holder's heirs in case he should not reach the
age guaranteed, is like to be productive of much
good, and may send his spirit skyward with a
greater amount OF happiness than could be
gained in an existence as protracted as the w IAN.
dering Jews. IN point Of fact, the insurance
isnot Of the holders life. but Of the payment Of
a certain amount to his friends or family at the
time Of his death. It is promise, made by a
responsible party, that when he dies those who
are nearest and dearest to him shall be removed
from want, to the extent afforded by certain
liked amount, and that amount NAV be more or
less according to the insurers wishes and means
Those who are in such circumstances as render
q incompetence certain to their children or friends
whenever they depart, have no need of this adj
ditional assistance; but every one who feels
TINT in case Of his demise want and penury
would asHail those he loves should avail himself
Of this certain means of preventing the evil.
The cost is not so great as to place it beyond
any ones reach who has d moderate income.
and after having thus, for @ small sum, put into
bank large one, payable whenever he dies, the
insured may consider himself rich and live IN
as closely to his means as he sees fit, and feel no
fears
Aside. however, from this ultimate good, many
Of these corporations are Of mutual character
and divide among those insuring very hand
some amount annually, in some cases as high as
fifty per cent; thus making the investment i'm
mediately good as well az prospectively bensfi-
cial. There are other companies that insure an
individual support in case Of sickness--no mat
ter how long -upon the same principle, and
most Life Insurance Companies issue policies
upon the lives of slaves.
II is too late in the day, however, and people
now know altogether too much concerning the
advantages accruing from life insurance, to de-
mand from US full exposition of the principles
on which the plan 8 relation of the
good it is calculated to effect. We have merely
called attention to the matter as being an i'm
portant and useful one, and one which should
not be forgotten or overlooked. We advise
every man whose income is uncertain to lay
up annually, in the form of life premium, such
Q sum az will, at his death, at least protect his
family from want
70 that when thy summons comes to join
Ing innnmerahle caravan which moves
10 that mysterious realm where each shall take
lis chamber IN the silent halls Of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night
Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothsd
by an unialtefing ti7tsf, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him. and lies down to pleasant dreams.o