Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-07
"REMINISCENCES OF THE LIFE OF MERCHANT.
VINCENT xeIrr, or EUROPE AND Ammo.

Trieste, and Venice in Nantes Paris Amsterdam Lon
don, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. How many times
he has crossed the Atlantic afraid say. As he
left his birthplace in his ninth year. his wanderngs have
lasted for some sixty years. during which the longest
period Of abode in any place have been his
residence at New Orleans Mr.. Vincente Nolte Bo-
naparte at Leghorn, after Arcoe in 1885, and he saw
Wellington and the allies at Paris in 1916. He fought
under Jackson at New Orleans in 1914, and with
Lafayette in Paris during the revolution Of 1880 He
sailed down the Ohio and Mississippi in fatbosts in the
winter of 1871 and he sailed down the Danube through
the Turkish Principates, to Odessa, in 184l.
At the invitation Of Fulton he present at the start
ing Of the Clermon its trial trip to Albany; saw it
move straight out into the middle of the river hover
round in circle twice, and move the stream. He
shpwrecked the Carysfort Reef off the coast Of Flo
rida imprisoned in the Queens Bench in London
and had the yellow fever in New Orleans,
Mr. Nolte has been merchant; the :" giant Of cotton
speculation ut New Orleans contractor for supplying
muskets for the French army; the mercantile agent in
Cuba and the United States Of the house Of Hope Co.,
Of Amsterdam an agent Of the Barings operator in
stocks translator Of manuscripts at Venice o member
of the company Of the Tesor de Nu,nismatgue de Gy
que; writer finances an editor. He stood in bust
relations with he enjoyed the acquaintance of most
of the great men Of high finance" of the last half
turywth the Earrings, Labouchere Hottisguer Latte
and the great fnancer Of the Empire, Ouvrard.
In his wanderings everywhere Mr. Nots seems always
to have had the luck to get there in the nick Of time
see somebody something Of interest. 1t sometimes
happens with persons of vivid imagination that in old
age what they have becomes mixed up with what
they have heard described and which they picture to
themselves in such lively coors that they think Of it and
describe 1t as actually Witnessed by themselves We do
not know that this has boen the with Mr.. Nolte
Certain is that crowded with great events and move
ments military, civil financial, and industrial have the
last fifty years been that the man who spent his time In
wandering up and down the face Of the earth as it
was Mr. Noltes fortune do, could not fail to see much
If he had seeing eye. This qualification he was far
from lacking Versatile and viyacious, quick to think
and quick to act, ready reader of mems faces and
thoughts Note the very man to seek such adyen-
lures and to describe them.
He says there is Italian blood in his veins and those
who read his life will agree with him in thinking likely
His memoirs remind constantly of that other Italian
Benvenuto Ceni and may take their place by the side
OF his IN that most interesting and instructive branch Of
literature that most peculiar and in respects
valuable class of books autobiography The very fact
OF mans writing his life indicates character out
OF the ordinary line, and prepares for something
terestng because unique; it implies simplicity of GER
tain kind, and an open frankness.
We have few English autobiographies II this fact in
dictates national trait it does not necessarily imply
national defect of character. It is always the quail
ties we most admire in the which make him interest
us in his autobiography The simplicity of egotism To-
quacious vanity make very pleasant reading but not
often pleasant companion friend. What fund of
entertainment there is in Madame DArblays Diary and
Letters Yet how full of the vvacious vanity Of the au
thor Of Evelina Who would strike out page Of Bos-
wells Johnson? Yet what page Of the whole book is not
marked with the Doctors imperousness and Bozzys OBJ
sequiousness?
his experiences and adventures in the muifarous ca
paces he has filed and the countries he has lived in
The English translation Of his memoirs f translation
Is well done, and is an excellent specimen Of easy col
oqual English AS Mr. Nolte is equally at home in the
languages well as among the people Of Germany,
France, and England and America, do not see why
he could not furnish with the English original as well
the German.
What it that sent this man thus wandering over
the earth The spirit Of mercantile speculation specu
laon we say not the spirit OF the tradesman
who contents himself with being the mere channel the
conduit pipe through which supplies pass from producer
to consumer On such small spirits Mr.. Vincent Note
quite looks down. What is usually understood" says
he the word merchant is simply the factor of sales
and purchases This man, matter how extended his
trade remains what in the mercantile categories Of
south Germany, particularly in Austria, is called
wholesale tradesman; he is but tradesnan and not
merchant in the true spirit Of that word 1t is the
speculative spirit alone which marks the real merchant
And the use of this spirit when kept subordinate to his
actual clearly known means, which requires from him
provision and observation of all possible results that
may occur is what procures for him character for
prudence"
Mr. Noe seems to have felt no doubt Of his possess
ing this true mercantile spirit in large degree what
ever doubts his narrative may leave the reader mind
on this point Accordingly his life has been one series
OF ceaseless specuations his chief most successful but
ultimately DISASTROUS operations being in the cotton
market of New Orleans There can be no doubt that Mr.
Noe had some talent and real intense love for
cantile speculatons 1t is think great mistake to
attribute the devotion to business of many merchants
who even after acquiring fortune kind
OF ascnaton to their counting houses, to the love Of
money The force of old habit in part but chiefly real
love- natural or acquired taste for the combinations and
the calculations the wdereachng views the uncertain
ties, and the trumphs of mercantile e is what takes
many an aged merchant from what call the enjoyment
OF his money, and keeps him busy in making more
There u.s. no doubt genius for mercantile speculation
just as there is for the combination and of
forces in the field for art for authorship The merchant
erects fortune as the builder builds ship and takes
the same pride in seeing gradually RISE in noble pro-
PORTIONS the work Of patient industry of wise foresight
Of knowledge and Of study To set down the sordd love
money as the leading motive of life like that Of Astor
or Girard, or even such nomade Vincent Nolte is
utterly to mistake the character of such We would
not be understood usfyng inordinae devotion to
business That it cramps and dstorts the character
that units for many other and higher enoyments
and employments Of life and the society of families and
friends is no less true Of this than Of any
other disproportonatey developed faculty And
yet If any thing very great is be looked for EARTH
It must be at the expense Of very great effort SO said
the ancients; and do know that modern wisdom
has found out the contrary Mr. Vincent Nolte thinks
ne would have made painter because he had he says
powerful imagination diligence and perseverance; but
he began life as clerk in the house Of Otto Franck Co.,
at Leghorn in 1885, while drawing caricatures the thea
tres Dress and Irritation formed his real occupation His
tailors bill at the end of year presented the not in
considerable sum total twelve coats Of all coors and
twenty-five pairs of hose and panaloons which just
then coming into fashion, The expenses of this rather
fast life for youth Of sixteen betrayed in a manner
which Mr.. Nolte relates with delicious navete commu-
NEGATIVE simplicity which marks the whole book, and
which paints the author for you wildly he paints
others. He says:
sauntered about made sketches Of the French soldery
and the street groups invented kinds foes to pass