Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-03-30
The Duty of the Rich Business Man.

The following is from recent money Ar
ticle' in the y. Y Independent. That arti-
Gle is understood to he furnished by Mr..
BowEN, of the great silk firm of Bowen, Nc
Nance & Co., a rich business man himself;
In such a great city as New York there are
thousands who have retired from active bust
ness, and live from year to year upon the in
tercst Of their money or the income of their
property. They have gathered and safely in
vested the fruits Of many wears Of hard toll,
and now they mean to be independent and
free. While accommodating their fortune they
We're good nrlghhors and useful citizens -
They would often respond to the call Of the
poor and needy, and If they were christians
would add now and then their contribution to
aid in spreading light and truth abroad IN Il
dark and sinful world The day Of their
''retrement' has at length come, and what
has come with it-happiness We shall see
Their money is, perhaps. invested in stocks,
bonds. or real estate. Having nothing else
to do. they must now watch the market, day
hy day. If "Erie" goes up one per cent, 4,
they say, "Wlat fool was that | didn't
buy a few shares yesterday!' Ii "ilarlem"
falls, what fall their spirits have, Nothing
goes right, all day. If their "rents" are not
promptly paid. as they "have nothing else to
do" they will run alter their unfortunate
tenants, and perhaps resolve to turn them all
out of doors. All for while may 60 on
smoothly, and every dollar Of their property
bring in a splendid income. What, then, is
to he done The old house is too small or
too uncomfortable, and II new one must be
bought. Perhaps the expense of Journey
to Europe would not exceed their incnme-it
it does, ''a summer at Newport would be de-
littht En1 al
bonds houses, and lands, here, there and all
over. At another time, it is how shall kill
/ time most pleasantly, what shall | eat, what
shall | drink, and whercwIthull shall | be
clothed. Once they could think nOw and
then of others, of their wants and their sor,
rows. but now, "being out of business, ~ they
have no money 10 give away, and therefore
don't want to bother themselves very much
with other peoples troubles. Are such mer
really happy No. They are Of all mer
mos, miserable. Are they at rest and free
from care' No. They have moro caro- ant
anxiety than ever before. They are living
for themselves. They are intensely selfish =
and sooner will the heavens and earth pas
away, than one ,iot or little of that immuta
bic law change, which forever stands to re
buke those, who, in living for themselves
and forgetting others, violate the great iouu
dation principle of human happiness.
In view Of the foregoing, which we belicv
is not an oycrdrawn picture, we unhesitatinG
ly declare:
lst That no man, in good health and il
the enjoyment of all his faculties, has an,
'ight to retro from active business, howeve
rich he may he,
2i. That the merchant and banker is a
much bound to continue his business, for th
sake Of dong good, as is tho minister, trac
distributor, or missionary among the hea
then.
Sd. That no man has any right to relin
qulsh large and profitable business for tn
sake of ease. unless by so doing ho is sur
more good to others will DO the result.
4th, That in proportion to tho increase o
wealth, in that proportion must it be used
benefit Others, or it will surely, in the yer
nature of things, be the source of direct ma
} cry.
5th. That we are so constituted by wis
Creator, that we cannot be truly happy, Ut
less We labor for the happiness of others
The life Of our great Excmplar was spent !
DONG good, and as servants We should I'M
tate our Master.
) 9th That every human being, be he Chri.
tian or not, is solemnly bound and will be hel
/ accountable before God, to live--not for hin
= self, nor to promote bis own ease, not to isC
I late himself from the world, but 10 live, u
0 ing all his resources to relieve, elevate. T,
fine, and Christianlze his fellow men.
: 9TH. That any man who acts contrary