American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-10-30

doubled her population twice. What
was five millions in the year $50, under
Antonius Plus, was only 90 millions in
1850 under Louis XIV, while in sixty
years America has doubled her popu-
latlon four times, and what was three
millions in 1870 was more than twenty
four millions in 1850. In some States
the growth seems fabulous. In 1880
Algiers became French province, and
the government sough to stimulate
emigration thither, but in 1887 there
were not 125,000 Europeans in Al
glers, while in ten years the State of
Wisconsin has gone up from nothing to
5000 men. The increase of taxa
6le property is quite as remarkable -
flity-seven years ago Massachusetts
was only worth ninety-seven millions of
taxable property; to-day she is worth
more than ten times that amount, her
annual earnings being three hundred
millions. Our experiment, then, has
been pretty successful. .s...-.n
Thoughtful men, eager to be rich,
and leave distiction to their children.
buy up lands in advance of population,
build railroads, and in the old States,
they seize the great rivers and develop
manufactures, perhaps little faster
than tho state Of the nation, in its pres.
ent pecuniary embarrassment, would
Justify. Still more, within few years,
mines of gold have been discovered in
California and Australia, which have
produced results not yet comprehcndcd
1t has affected the price of all things,
and as no one knows what quantity of
gold is to be obtained, nobody knows
how high the prices will go, but very
sanguino men suppose they will rise a
great ways above their present value,
and so many buy for future market.
Hence comes that extravaganza Of spe-
culation in grain, sugar, coal, and es-
pecially in land. This, the preacher
said, he supposed was unavoidable--onc
OF the incidents of our success.
n II this was very encouraging i; was
step forward and upward; but it was
attended with certain great evils, which
|
ent distress. There is great extrava.
| gance expenditure. Perhaps no min
ister was less severe on indulgence III
iuXuries than he was, because he saw
The functions they performed and be.
sides he never saw n house too comfort.
able for mon and women, or dresses too
elegant, though he had seen gIea,
many hoases end dresses too costly for
! the wearers means. Look at the gen.
eral style Of dress among women-its
exceeding coslliness not only among
our rich, but everywhere, except among
our very poor, who would but caunot
The fault is not with the women, who
bear all The blame, and are the butts q.
like for the satilisl'S wit and the minis
ter's dnllness. If men wished wone,
to be clad in sackcloth. it would be done
before tomorrow night; for though wo.
man has q greater love of decoration
than man, il is far less than her desire
to please him. And, indeed, the very
love Of dress is with her more the love
Of pleasing others than a feeling Of self
satisfaction. Then comes the incrcas
ed cost of ships, houses, shops, banks,
offices, and the like, which renders the
transaction of business more cDstly.-
Then there is the increased expense OF
cry, town, and State government, and
the foolish and wicked waste of munic
ipal money. Though the property Of
! Massachusetts has increased ten fold
With few years, the raIio Of taxation
has doubled, and in some cases trsbed
Then these arc the idlers.
In the town Of Somewhere lives Mr..
Manygirls. lie is toilsome merch.
ant, his wife hard.working housekce.
per. Once they were poor, now they
are ruinoualy rich, They have seven
daughters, whom they train up in utter
idleness' They are all donothings.--
They spend much money, but not in
works Of humanity, not even in ele
giant accomplishments, in painting
dancing, music, and the like, 50 pay.
ing in spiritual beauty what they take
Ill material means. They never read
nor sing; they are know,nothings, and
only walk in vain show, as useless as q
ghost, and as ignorant as the block on
which their bonnots are made. Now,
these seven "ladies," (as the hcwspa,
pers call the poor things, so insigtiG,
cant and hclpless), arc not only idle,
can earn nothing, but they consume
much. What q load of fnery Is on
their shoulders, and heads, and nccks.
Mr.. Manygirls, hires many men and
women to wait on his daughters idle
ness, and these servants are Withdrawn
from the productive work Of the shor
or tho farm, and set to the unproduc.
tive work Of nursing these seven great
grown.up babies.
| On tho other side Of the way, Hon
Mr.. Many.boys has seven sons, who are
the exact match oftle merchants daugh
tors s--ricb, idle, some or them dissolute