The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-01-02
MisrrllatleulIl5.
From the Southern Weekly Post
Condition of the Rich and Poor
5z COntraSteG.

SeneTdliy cOHSlueTeu. II we Iooh aoioau WV
the face of society and study the conditions
habits, and dispositions .of, men, and enquire
into the state of their minds, we shall fnd that
contentment and happiness is as often found in
the cottage of the poor, as in the mansion ol
the rich. We look upon the acquisition OF
wealth as laudable pursuit: provided no un-
Just means are used, nor any person injured
thereby If a'man, by his own honest indus.
try, and persevering toll, together with his eco
nomical habits, succeeds in accumulatlng the
goods of this world, We consider him all the
better citizen, and, none the less chrStian.--
1t is true, we are forbidden to set our aftec
tions upon the things Of the earth, upon the
Creation instead Of the Creator.
But we hold that a man may desire wealth,
and yet not worship it, not look upon it as the
supreme good ;; that he may desire it for good
and lawful ends The phanthropi>t may de-
sire wealth in order that he may aid the hun
CRY, clctLe the naked, build churches, patronlze
schools, send the gospel to heather lands, and
for a thousand other good and useful purposes
Such man is blessing to society, he serves
his generation, he does more for the progress
Of the world than whole neighbourhood of
indolent drones who live in hand aud mouth
way, and care for nothing beyond the present.
He realizes the fact, that is more blessed to
give than to receive. But We can only envy
him for the pleasure he enjoys in contributing
to benevolent purposes His life is one Of per-
petual toll and care for the benefit of Others.
Why should we envy this man ? he has of the
good things of life, we grant, but he lives not
for himself SO much as for others.
We readily concede that all who possess
wealth do not make wise use of it. The
miser loves money for its own sake. But why
should we envy him he has money, it is true,
but it is q curse to him instead of a bles>lng;-
he knows not the pleasure of giving, he spends
none for the necessaries and comforts "f life,
nor will any ever rise up and call him blessed.
Perpetual care and vigilance are his portion by
dav, and ideas of thieves and murderers haunt
his imagination by night. The miser is at
once the most miserable among men; and
never to be envied, but ever 10 be de-pised.
If we turn our attention to the covetous
man, we see him reaching after his neghbor's
farm, or grabbing at his OK, or making use Of
some unlawful means to obtain his money.
The covetous and miserly man is mserably
poor in the midst of plenty.
Dr..Ewell relates the case Of man tha, was
so basely Acovetous that he would go into the
stable and steal the oats from his own horses.
Upon one occasion his horseman entering the
stable in the dark. found him there, and taking
him for thief, gave him a good drubbnS and
sent him away.
More than two thousand years ago the great
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, desired a
universal consultation of all the physicians in
the world, that they might advise together as
to the most potent means of curing this IN
veterate malady. But Ilippocrates, together
with all of his contemporaries. and twenty odd
centuries have passed away, and no panacea
has yet been discovered.
We admire industry and economy as traits
of character, but stingy parsimonIous dlspo'
stion we heartily despise.
sLiberality and economy are 10y no means
incompatible traits of character. man may
be very economical and at the same time he
liberal where liberalty is required and that IS
II the kind of a man to accumulate wealth. We
know men whose chief desire is to be rich, but
they never amass wealth, because they are too
stingy; they will not spend a sixpence when
It might enable them to make dollar. This
is what we believe Dr.. Franklin called, being
"penny.wise, and pound.foosh." Such peo
pie are poor and miserable. But there is
large class of poor who enjoy life equally we'll,
il not better than those that are comparatively
wealthy.
1t is true they cannot have SO maay Of the
comforts, the conveniences and luxuries of life
as those who are in opulent circumstances
But then their wants are less numerous and
more easily satisfied. So that although they
have no inexhaustibe treasury to resort to,
they are likewise free from wants which make
such treasury necessary for their happiness.
Many of them are rich in the depths of power.
:: ty,; because they seenyto care for nothing more
than they have Indeed some poor have ad'
van.ages for happiness because they are salts,
fed with what they have got, have nothing to
take care Of, are in no fear of losing anything,
and think the Industrious part of the commu.
nifty bound to feed them.
We know some individuals who are so poor
and so trihing that they are perfectly indie
pendent, and seem to enjoy life abundantly.-
They have no property to lose, no character to
lose, nor do they fear public sentiment, or the
laws of the land They would just as soon
be in the country prison. or anywhere else, for
the reason, that they can be fed without the
trouble of borrowing.
There is another class of the poofhowever,
that are highly respectable and deserving of