The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-08

guarding themselves and their own fresides
from impending harm. II is not till they find
that the storm Of desoation can be STAYED by
no human hand, and is liable at any moment
to sweep over them, that they lift up their eyes
and follow the lghtning's shaft to the hand
that directs 1t. Then our selfish impulses give
way to more generous emotions; we find our
selves involuntarily drawn towards our fellow.
sufferers by the ties Of common brotherhood.
and bow reverently to dispensaiions which
prove in the end, to all right-thinking men,
blessings in disguise.
There is much in the present state of affairs
10 the financial world to move our sympathy,
and there is much to arouse our selfish i'm
psises. SO many and such great changes OF
fortune as have occurred within the last month
have rarely, if ever before been witnessed in this
country. While it was supposed that the range
OF the storm was ciIcumscrbed, so long as
the wary and the wealthy believed they could
keep beyond its reach, they naturally aattered
themselves that they had teen more prudent,
and perhaps more deserving, than their un.
fortunate neighbors. This complaceny on the
one hand, and precautions for their own secu-
rity on the other, left them little time, and less
inclination, to concern themselves much about
the troubles of others. Presently the cloud,
which was no bigger than mans hand. covers
the whole horizon with it's darkness. No one
can any longer comfort himself with the assn
rance that he is beyond the reach OF it's accu-
muiating terrors. The wise man begins to
realize his weakness he is ashamed of his
harsh judgments Of others, and his too hatt aring
Judgments of his own wisdom and goodness;
his indifference about the troubles of othere.
which he might have relieved, and did not, fill his
heart with remorse. The curtain of selfshness
which bounded his vision seems to be suddenly
Il do l. :.
time how little he has had, himself, to do with
the accumulation of property upon which ne
has presumed so much how it may have been
sent to him for the very purpose of being taken
from HIM again under circumstances like these,
and as the best means Of revealing to him n
sense OF his daily dependence upon Providence
and upon his felow-man. Locked at from
this point of view, who shall speak .of the
recent breakingup of the great deep of com.
mercial credit as a calanity2 Who knows how
many, in consequence of it, will experience for
the first time the enduring pleasure of obeyinr
generous impulse, and of sacrificing a selfish
one! Who knows how many it will teach TO
think moderately of their own achievements.
and judge lenienty the short cominrs of The
less successful? How many will learn from Il.
what they never experienced before, that the
acquisition of wealth is neither a test of a mans
merits, nor any security for his happiness.
Can any one doubt that this crisis will develop
IN many higher morality, more ENLARGED
and comprehensive benevoence, a more watch
ial domestic economy lees ostentaious Eabits
OF life, and a corresponding respect f,,r those
whose obscure and humble lives ma, have been
teaching the inattentve world around ,bar
from infancy, how little the splendid fortunes
which We spend toilsome lives in accnmulatinp'
contribute to cur goodness or to our happiness?
What, after oil, IL the loss about which We
make 80 much ado? The money or the prop
eerty, ior the want OF which 30 many fail, is not
lost. The absolute losses--such as occur. for
example, by FIRE aud shipwreck-have been
1883 Tor the last six months than usual TIE
wealth OF the country is merely changing bands.
some OF those who had it, perhaps. will he
better of without it come will be benefited nv
the trial which their pride or .neir vanity will
experience from losing it; 1t will unite many
domestic circles which worldly Influences were
separating, and it may remove unsuspected
temptations from the path of young peopie who
were not prepared to resist them. On the other
hand, there are those in the lowlier walks of
Inc who require the discipline of prosperity.
Ihe lessons OF adversely may have been lost
upon them. Their hard hearts may require 70
be broken, as the eagle is said sometimes 10
break the shell of the tortoise by fearing IL
the rocks. Shall we murmur al this d;spensa.
ton till we know, better than AN possibly can
know, how nearly and deeply we may all be
interested in the results which are 10 coma
from il
The anexampled prosperity of this country
ana the prompt reward which every species Of
ln'eiiigent industry commands here, have made
Americans the most conceited and selfreEant
people upon the face Of the earth. So far "a
this seltreliaDce has emancipaied us from the
tyranny of traditions, and has begotten habits
OF independent thinking, it has served a great,
we believe Divine purpose. But it has long
1uifiied that purpose, and for some years past
we have been growing, as a nation, grasping,
arrogant, quarrelsome, Indifferent to interna-
tional obligations and tolerant of private "a
we'll as public fraud. It requires something
more than selfcon6denee to produce an eleva-
ted national character, Our conceit NAV helm
to rid US OF other peoples errors, but not of our
own.
being in measure rid of the faults which.
as nation, we inherited or were taught. II ia
now time that we make war upon our own
and We can conceive of no lesson more eff
clous for that purpose than that we are now
receiving. All our past follies are c,,mino 70
hight; the great men of the Eycba 10
whom we bowed with a selfsi, idolatry. are
proving to be but wooden Images the powers
,l,'i we were accustomed TO regard as irresisti-
Die, crumbie up like paper in the fire. Moth.
lns proves In taese tunes to be strong, but the
virtues which as a nation we have most negle,t.
cd 10 cultivate. Their value is being proved
ana indicated, and we already begin 20 see
me fruits OF 1t. We witness every day striking
instances OF torbearance and consideration for
5 -, others troubles among commercial men.
hey are less disposed to Judge hastily, even
"nere there Is room for eensure, while multi.
unes spend their whole time in doing what thew
ian to relieve and assist their less fortunate ac
lua,ntances. There are men of wealth AMONG
Y, who 60 about quietly doing good in this way,
Ike nurses IN an hospital, by night and by day'
Tno but Tor some such crisis would never DER.
laps have revealed their own noble attributes
o others, nor would they have learned how
much better and truer hearts than they had
'ver suspected are beating around them.
1HE True SoURcE OF REFoRM.-The great
element OF reform is not born of human wis.
iom 1t does not draw is life from human
'rganizaaons. Ind It only in Christianity.
lny Kingdon eoDe," There is sublime
ma pregnant burden in this prayer. 1t is the
SEPARATION of every soul that goes forth in the
pirii OF reform. For what is the significance
4 tins prayer Ii is q petition that all holy
h''aenees would penetrate and subdue and
well in the heart Of man, until he shall think.
md speak, and do good, from the very neces.
ity Of his being. So would the institutions of
rror and wrong erumble and pass aws.y So
would ain die out from the earth AMI. the I'm
nan soul living in harmony witt, the Divine
Niil, this earth would become Ike heaven.
: is too late for the .etormers to sneer at
;hristianity-it is fcalishness for them 70 reject
{. In II are bnskrined our faith IN bpmaa