Demoine courier., 1855-11-29
A Picture OF our Country.


The. immense farms Of The Mississippi
Valley, the Lake trade, The foreign emf,
grafton. toiling Africa chained 10 The car
o! commerce. gorgeous and reckless New
York. and sudden San francisco, excite
imagination, by all tina, they imply and
foreshadow. They represent many ideas
and embody many a wonderful ant NOV
ing story; fo- business has its danger and
daring, its suffering and endurance, ard
the changes Of fortune. in this new world
Of h~ounJless resources and free activity
are more marvellous than tie tales al
the Arabian Nights This bold enter
prise tina, stretches to the PasiSr, lhi.
skilled and thoughtful race srasping a
vas. empire like a homesssadr to cult.
va'e. and plant, ard adern; this brave
army Of worshipe-s, marching on ire
sistibly TO the con ques, Of nature, form
= grand spectacle. Thosgh their wea-
pons--she axe. the plough, and the
steam engine--haye no, the Dus,re Of
poetry tina. CLEANS from The poin, Of the
sword; though the heroes Of lhe farm,
the Workshop, and counting house, like
hampeens. die unsung, ye. great quail
ties are often exhibited in these humble
fields Of mans eaorsr and their labors
tosnJ n~atiurs, as those of the coral in
sect iift the basis Of an Island above the
sea. 10 the ligh, and air of Heaven.
But the picture has it's dark side
The eager desire for wealth. the ~.inces-
SAINT and Saobash'ess" pursui; Of i, has
become the universal passion and occu-
patton. W. have The love of money
which is the root Of all evil; aud un der
the deadly shade of tie tree from tina,
root. the love of Knowledge and art, of
truth, and virtue and beauty, wi,hers and
dies. I'm prosperity no affairs smoke .
The curse Of Midas is upon us. Our
feelings, our IDEAS, our aspirations. ARE all
turned into gold, and we are stand ~
amid our barren abundance. We wor-
ship the material. not the spiritual, the
visible anG TRANSIENT not The invisible and
eternal. We are practical, no. ~in,ellec
tual; and our pleasures are Of she senses
not OF the reason. i~magina,ios. aaa taste.
We are smilten with '.,he lust of fse h,
anc the lus! OF the eye, and the pride OF
liSe." W. are lrue disciples Of The eth.
les OF interest and aliIiiy, and oar only
morality is cash payment. Truly has
il been said. tina, ''he that makes haste to
get :ich shall no. be innocent" II in
temperate drinking be The degrading
wee OF one 7sslnao OF our people. inftp.,
psraie money-making is the beSetiing
san oi another and much lager portion,
and it is Difficult. to cay which is The more
pernicious. One is a vice Of the senses
destroying the mind; the Other a dtIusion
Of the mind; and a selfish passion, blast
ing The moral seIiisnseRis, and palsying
the higher powers Of the intellect. The
poor drunkard cannot resis, the bane.ui
cup, which benumbs the soul, .unmouIG-
ing reasons min.nge," and iransfor ming
him
'Into the inslorious likeness Of a beast.7
and the infatuated wosshipper of Nam
mon deliberately uses his meslsf facu,-
ties for his destruction. prefers the
ignoble aud low to the pure and high.
and shu,s os, the light Of Heaven hon
his life. Successful industry rapid gains
rank, prosperity, without counle:acting
cause 10 modify their influence. have
stimulated this passion for wealth to ex-
cess, and have Prodscsd already. IN This
new country. luxury, venalny, corrup-
ton, contempt for ~in.elle~tx,l pursuits
and pleasures. and sneering r.diGerrnce
to ennobling and elevated senImeni.-
Menee the vulgar o~s,en,a,ion Of our cities
hence the general want Of literary taste
and s~ul.urei hence The ~aeplorabls frauds
Of business; hence much Of The basenssr
Of our pelis!cs.-N. .Axerican Reuies.