The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-10-21

spectability fall or else suspend payment ior
q time, leaving others 10 pay. Men OF hand.
some estates, even of great fortune, find that
their property is all gone. In whole cities,
in whole States, banks suspend specie pay
menis-vioate their contracts, solemniy
made, and pay in promises to pay-no, in
certificates of property, but certificates of
bebt. Mills shut down their gates aud men
are turned out of employ by the huud.
red or thousand, with The prospect Of imme.
disle idleness, and remote hunger.
Money. lenders, who are always dipping
INTO the stream Of commerce, and latlug out
wha, thence they may, now refuse 10 lend on
any terms, on what was once considered the
best security. Our own ci,y's "promise 10
pay" fails TO cammand the needed coin.-
Wha. is the cause of this trouble? He should
very i'll discharge his duty as a ?hilosophic
| thinker, and teacher of religion il he did not
try TO point il out was true, he was not a bu-
siness man, but for many years ho has stud
led tho history of commerce, and, living
among trading men, he had had his eye open
10 wha, they did, thought, suffered and felt.
He did not, however, pretend to speak with
authority. Commonly, in his teachings, he
could say, "a know This is true" To-day he
could only say, al think this is true"
To understand the present commercial
trouble and be prepared 10 make use of its
consequences, it was necessary 10 look deep
er than The surface At some things, which lie
great ways off and far down. All mans
conscious activity was al first an experiment
An undertakiug-of which the result is not
known until after the trial. All experiment
is liable 10 mistake. There are many ways
of doing a thing, but only one way of dong
| it best and it is not likely that every indi-
vidual of the human race will hit the rishl
way the first time trying What succeeds we
keep, ard il becomes habit of mankind
He took it. All the experiments ever made,
however ruinous TO the individual man, have
10 the human race been worth all they cost,
and it was not possible for tho human race
TO have earEed AT u cheaper school than thai;
dear one which experience has taught.
Ia the military period of mans history, war
was the chief business. The great families
were founded by "sons Of thunder" and kept
up by war. The great estates were got by
robbery; aristocracy was dyed blood. red
Now all this is passing away. The military
period is giving place to the industrial. Ger
many, France, and England, are the Euro.
pean leaders in his industrial civilization ;
but they keep the old tles-baron, duke,
lord Here we have an industrial democra-
cy. The dollar, not the sword, is the badge
of arislocracy. Great families are founded
by trade; great estates are got by buying and
selling and social rank commonly depends
on money, the only bequealhabe excellence.
Nobody asks-"Wha ancestors have you got
in The erave?" but what money in your vault 2
what horses, lands, stock? Hence property
is sought, not only for the comfort and luxu.
ry which il brings, but also for the social dis.
llnclion it.coniers. 1t takes the place OF all
the virtues. Ii is in American society what
"impu,ed righteousness" is in the church.
the social savation of man. Titles are nolh.
ing No American Mr.. Macaulay would
care 10 be made baron, lord, or duke. Ev-
cry penny.a-liEer from Maine 10 Nicaragua
would laugh at him. Money Is here what
title is in England-a patent of nobility. 1t
can "ennoble fools, and sots, and cowards."
So it is the only object Of American desire.
OF course all men ale eager 10 get it, and so
rush into trade, the favorile bushes Of Amer
lea. Business here is entirely free from old
restraints, political ecclesiastical, social, and
SO there is wide field for new commercial
experiment. On the whole, our American
experiments of industrial democracy sue
ceeds very well. The increase of property
and of population is enormous. In 1900
years France only doubled her population
twice. What was five millions in the year of
l5o, under Anionius Plus, was only twenty
millions in 1850 under Louis XIV, while in
60 yaars A mo rioa has dosblsd her population
four times, and what was three millions in
1890 was more than twenly.four millions in
1850. In some States The growth seems fab
ulous. In 1880 Algiers became French
province, and the government sought 10
stimulate emigration lhiher, but in 1897 there
were not l26, 900 Europeans in Algiers, while
in len years the stale of Wisconsin has gone
up from nothing 10 100000 men. The in.
crease of taxable property is quite as remark.
able. Fifly-seven years ago Massachusetts
was only worth ninety seven millions Of tax.
able properly to-day she is worth more
than ten times that amount, her annual earn.
ings being $500 100000. Our experiment,
then, has pretty successful.
Thoughtful men, eager TO be rich, and
leave distinction 10 their children, buy up
lands in advance Of population, build rail.
roads, and in the old States, they seize the
great rivers and develop manufactures, per-
haps little faster than the state of the ma
lion, in it's present pecuniary embarrassment,
would justify. Sill more, within few
years, mines Of gold have been discovered in
California and Australia, which have pro.
iuces rssults not yet comprehended. II has
Affected the price of all things, and as no one
Knows what quantity Of gold is to be oblalued