The Kanzas news., 1857-10-31

How sweet the moonlight sleeps yonder Bank.
SHAKsPEkRE.
Let the editorial fraternity suppress their
astonishment and envy when they read that
we have In our possession, of our own right
"a ten dollar bank bill We have q ten
dollar bank bill We have just been feast
ing our eyes upon the beauties of its en-
grayed countenance. It is an insinuating,
genteel looking BILL It has such a conf
tdential, musical rustic when you crumpie it
fondly In your hand-such serene, sincere
expression when you lovingly smooth it out
such a reproachful look of injured inno
cence deIicately tinted with the roseate flush
of indignant honor, when you hold it up to
the light for inspection. On the right is
the placid proboscis and powdered periwig
of the immortal and everlasting father of
his country on the left, seated rather un-
comfortably upon the hukes of an anchor,
are two charming ladies-one the Goddess
of Liberty, the other, probably, the wife of
the President of the bank. In the center
may be seen a very picturesque and idyllic
landscape sheaf of wheat, a Durham
COW, and cherub of baby. The two
opulent gentlemen who ''promise to pay" to
the humble bearer of this miniature panora
ma the sum of ten dollars lawful money, are
Simpkins and Gibbs. Simpkins writes that
euphoneous word iSinapkins with a graphic
ease indicative of his unlimited confidence
in the institution and Its pens. Gibbs writes
evidently impressed with the Importance of
Gibbs. Who could resist such bill-who
could suspect such bill? Yet Simpkins
and Gibbs are pair of specializing knaves,
that baby is bogus baby, and that bill isn't
worth a -
There is highly cultivated, refined ras-
cality about such bill that is eminently
provoking. Yet how many millions of these
beautifully illustrated fctions-these f.
nancial romances, are daily read and be-
lieved by con6ding commercial world ?
Now its money-now its a rag. To-day it
represents somebody's credit-to-morrow it
represents somebody else's credulity. This
morning it will purchase cord of wood
by noon you may light your pipe with it.
One hour you are rich with wallet unctu-
ously surfeited with these fattering promises
the next you are poor with the same wal
let pompously inflated with these detected
falsehoods. These circulating lies are al
most our only currency-they measure not
the substance and generosity of the public.
They may occasionally represent good in
often represent premeditated roguery and
predestinate fraud. They are, at best, not
the equivalent, but the substitute and proxy
of positive value. No bank but has a mar
gin of credit far beyond its actual means no |
bank but speculates in that credit; monop- |
oily advantages and exclusive charter privi-
leges, they establish public confidence !; |
they fnancier with that confidence, loan it |
out al interest turn it into currency, buy |
and sell it, pay debts with it, and transform |
it into hundred Protean shapes for pecu
mary benefit.
That primitive integrity which refuses to |
step one inch beyond the circle of its posi- |
tive worth-that patient, toiling industry |
which is content with the slow accumula- |
tions of legitimate profits, are not the char |
acteristics of the banking fraternity. If they |
were, we would have fewer banks and more |
real money. Their object is a short cut to
wealth-a circumvention of the stern old
truth of Genesis, "by the sweat of thy |
brow shalt thou eat thy bread" Their pray
er is the prayer of Ortogal of Basra, ''Let
me grow suddenly rich.'' Hence every
third man you meet is an institution. He |
has been established by special act. Your
ambitious neighbor has become corpora |
ton. He is big with charter. He is a
banker. His speech has the golden cadence
of Rothschild, his carriage the imposing
presence of a Barring.
Banks are as thick as the insects in the |
tropics, and the market is flooded with their |
promises to pay. Formerly the word bank
er was synonymous with opulence; now it |
signifies little else than reckless desire to |
become opulent. Formerly, only men of
enormous wealth presumed to engage in the
business. Now an in6nitessimal amount of
capital is deemed amply sufficient. Form
erly bank failures were rare; now they are
daily occurrences. The poor public, the |
sweet-tempered public, after few hot,
thoughlless oaths over its defunct cash, with |
the richest christian charity forgets its loss |
to applaud the next Legislatures bastard |
spawn of banks. For month past it has |!
regularly furnished, with its breakfast bill
of fare. telegraphic bill of bank miseries. |
1t has seen its comfortable fortunes, depos- |
tied in accommodating Savings, Trust and |
Mutual insurance associations, ETC., taking |
wings to themselves and disappearing TO the |
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