The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-21

REvERsEs OF THE RIcH-PHmosoPHY FOR
THE PooR.-A great deal Of conmisserst.op aud
anxious fosetbcugbt js bestowed on the prospects
Of the poor during the impending winter. There
Gun be no greater evidence CT the practical phi
| lanthropy ard beDeyolence Of our people
Whilst Gil are suffering, and but too many are
| completely ruined, the fnt thought eeems to be
for these whose position during tue severe season
lie slTays subject of anxiety. or the thousands
alresdy thrown out of employment but few will
| probably find work again before the spring. II
the ;rsssuIe continues theic number will he in
dsfinitely increased, and it is difficult to con-
ceive bow this large mass Of Idle haods ia to be
provided for In the uneasiness already mani
ftsted In their behalf we see an earnest that inca.
sur1s viii be taken to mitigate as far as possible,
the destitution to which the cessation of labor in
80 many Of our factories and workshops must give
| rise.
The best efforts of all, we feel confident, will be
devoted to this humane object and it is to be
hoped that our laboring classes will be able to
tide over the winter without any extraordinary
aggrAyation Of the distress which prevails, more
| OF less from January to March.
On the whole, we think it will be found that
the poor will suffer less keeAly from our foam
cial eDbaIrassments than almost any other class
Of the community. 1t will subject them to no
great reverses Of position, and, mentally, their
burthen viii be lighter than that of persons ap-
pmenly more favored by fortune. There are
but few, indeed, amongst our commercial men
who would not, Tor the present. gladly change
places with the bumblest Of the persons whom
they have been in the habit Of employing The
terrible ordeal thr ough which the great majority
Of them arc passing is productive of infinitely
more acute mental suffering than the concern &C.
casioned to the artisan by the want Of work. The
latter liz mole or less accustomed to these forced
periods Of idlencss, and he has stcclcd him.
self against the anxieties caused by their re-
currence. Besides, the noise of his priyations
does not pass beyond his own threshold, aud as
long as be can have recourse to the pawnbroker,
he and his family do not feel the actual pinch
Of s.arvation-he is comparatively safe. Neither
his pride nor his position suffers from the change
in his circumstances, and like Mr.. Micawber, he
turning up. And if he be not an idle or dissi-
pated man, something generally does turn up;
for there is Providence for the poor az well as
for the rich and the well disposed and industrious
have their streaks Of luck even in the worst aud
hardest Of times
Very different indeed is the condition of those
who, occupying high social position, owing to
4bo;r hox-o
cipitated from it by the crash which has en-
gulphed SO many noble fortunes aud promising
spcculations. There are at the prceent moment
hundreds of families thus situated. and
keen indeed must lie the anguieh and
humiliatpg the reflections which ii must cause to
most Of them. The majority Of these persons
have probably been reared in the lap OF luxury,
have indulgcd in the display of foolish ostcuta
ton, and carried high head over their LEES fog
tunate neiehbcrs. Pride, scliishness and hard
heartedness TO the poor have in the case OF some
aliehated public esteem and rendered them Oh
jects Of hatred rather than Of respect. What
must he the misery Of these people at being COM
PEELED 10 strip of their inc clothes, to lay aside
their equipagcs, and TO quit their splendid man.
sions for some humble dwelling. Talk Of the
distresses Of the poor in comparison with suf-
icrings like these. There is no pang that want
can cause that is half 70 agonizing o. the pains
of mortified pride. Of the sense Of past prosperity
insolcntly enjoyed, of the knowledge Of the salts
faction that ones downfall win give to others.
1t is only those whose consciences acquit them of
an unworthy use Of their wealth that can sustain
with equanimity and fortitudc rcverscs like these
How few there arc amongst us who can fnd
grounds in our past conduct for philo ophy
which alone enables the mind to survey with
calmness the ruin by which ii Is surrounded.
Let not the poor man, therefore, bcwal his
fate If the hard times press upon him with more
severity than be is accustomed to. The trial is
but n temporary one be will surmount IL with
out has ing his pride wounded or his honor inn
peached. Not 80 many Of those TO whom be has
hitherto looked up with respect. or, perhaps with
the bitter feeling that torture, not merit, had
raised them higher in the social scale than him
self Let him consider how humlliating and
notifying mus, be the reflections Of those per-
sons in the new position into which they are
dragged, and then contrast them with his own
We will answer for il that the comparison viii
inspire him with courage TO meet contentodly his
own had lot.
Tm CHEyuTR WETB ~ Trouble AGtTS.-
rv-la + -. l. y.