Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-02-02
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
N. c.. MONDAY, JAN. 49, 1855.
Want of Confidence.

prevailing characteristic, giving tone to lis opln-
ions and supplying motives for its actions, and this
characteristic is not by any means confined to par
ticuar departments but pervades the whole organl-
cation Of society.
Want of confidence in commercial, political, and
even religious circles, has most assuredy been the
prevailing characteristic of the past few months At
the great centres of trade one man could not trust
another, nor fairly turn round before he was on;
and to gthe greater defalcatons that is the
term. We beIeve-followed the lesser and the
whole fabric seemed tumblng to the ground amid the
sufFering4and endorsements of the entire mercan
tile community, the innocent victims of the state OF
things produced by the extravaganza or dishonesty
of the fancy operators But even that shock to
business and credit is beginning o.be less felt The
great monetary centres, the first to feel the shock,
are also the first TO feel the revival, which IS already
unite appreciabe Now that the worst Of the battle
is over the list of killed and wounded can be more
accurately made out, and examination shows that
after all, few have totally gone by the board who
had not been in shaky condition for some time, OF
whose means have not been locked up in speculative
affairs entered into with the hope of immense profits
Western Railroad Bonds-Wild Cat Banks, and
other deIectable affairs. The great failures are
nearly all Straceabe, directly or indirectly, to some
such causes.
In politics, the same or nearly the has been
the state Of the case-the former bearings of political
partizans can hardly be relied upon. You " don't
know" where to find half of them; and this conduct
on the part Of those who aspire 10 the position OF
leaders, naturally destroys public confidence for the
time heing in all political movements, even the most
sincere and disinterested. But now, the clouds
begin TO break away and sufficient light is let in to
enable us to estimate pretty nearly the amount of
the damage which has been done, and we find that
among those Democrats who have succumbed before
the pressure of Known ohngism, nine tenths at
least are restless and disappointed men-~unsuccess-
full aspirants, or something of that kind, or men
who have been for considerable time more or less
shaky Few, if any of the rising men of the party OF
any prominence have anything to do with 1t few
who enjoy the confidence Of the party sufficiently TO
anticipate promotion in its rankswho, in fact have
a democratic future have been carried off; and the
loss arising from the few defecons that have occurred
amounts to nothing beyond the temporary panic
which il may have occasioned, which will soon sub
side, when its nature and causes more fully un-
derstood The resulting advantages will. we trust be
publication of the political atmosphere by the re-
moval Of its disturbing elements In this alluson to
political parties we have merely referred TO the de-
mocrats the wings seem, in many OF the States to
have gwen up the ship-gone into liquidation, and
appGGed the K. Ms their executors and residuary
legaEsSS-
Eyp. b. religion there seems to have been STAN
pede-oFew rational men can deliberately acknowl-
edge the political parsons common North, and
not unknown South, proper opponents Of a sys-
tenn, Whose founder declares that His Kingdom is
not oflhis world, recognise in the fierce polem
les Of the present day, any of that spirit of brotherly
love and charity without which all else is void
What wonder is it that the great of mankind,
seeing this state of things, should even lose conf
dencelto extent, at least, in religion, and for
time attribute to the system of Christianity that spirit
of bigory and intolerance characteristic of
of those who assume to be its peculiar exponens.
After while, however, ali this will come right and
confidence be restored, when men find that brawling
politicians not the best representatives of the spirit
Of themeek and lowly Redeemer, a spirit of big
oy and prescription towards any classes of the
munity the most infalIbe test of the possession of
the christian virtues by the persons indulgng such
spirit