Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-12-03
KERY TRUE

articles upon banking-=its uses and
abuses. The following is from n of
the editorials referred to, and although
expressing nothing but general propo-
s%itions, are so admirably stated, wecan-
not deny them a reprint: "The liber-
ties of a people do not depend on laws
and constitutions so much as themselves.
II lbey-ars turbulent, dobauched or SER
vile; if they have not the intelligence to
discern and the courage to resist all abu-
ses of authority at every risk, they may
have the best constitution ever devised
blythe wit Of man or the wisdom of in
SEPARATION, and it will little avail; for
therd via come in time,y in the progress
Of every nation, a crisis when there will
byno alternative but that of resistance
o:"subjugation. If they are ignorant,
they will be blind to the sly, insidious
approaches ofdespotism if they are cow
ards, they will shrink from the assertion
OF their-rights at the risk of their per-
n if they are debased by a habit of
dependence, they willgradnally lsinkfn-
to bbedient slaves; if they are incapable
ofself restraint, they9are- unworthy of
the great trust of governing others and
ifmoney is their god, they viii sell their
liberties, as the Pretorian Guards SOLD
the imperial diadem, to the highest bid
DOR Mover let the people of the Uni!
ted States fiattcr themselves they can
preserve their liberties when they have
lost the Virtues BY which they we're ac-
CURED. ~, ytr,tI q
"To onenot hardened into iasonsibiIi-
tyJ OF indifference by long practice, debt
is the heaviest of all burdens except re-
morse, and consequently the desire to get
rid of it Increases hatimpatienee for thc
acquisition Of moueywhich :isstheseom-
mon characteristic of civilized man,
whose superiority consists principally in
the numbeF of artificial wants origina-
ting in a high state of refinement, and
tho arts necessary to their eradication.
The debtor naturally wishes to relieve
himself from this state of dependency
on the will of another, and in order to
do SO, Isl seduced into the adoption of
means which he otherwise would not
a Y resorted to had he not been thus
led into tempt alton. ~, nr'a
His love of money is aggravated by
his necessities, and to obtain it becomes
the solo object of his life. He is degra-
ded into an abject worshippor of Nam
mon, and grevels atthe hoofs ofthe gold
en- calf. Now, nothing. we think, is
more logically demonstrated than that
mankind are the slaves of the master
passion, and1that when that passion is
the lore of money they will sacrifice
everything to its qualification. In pur-
snit of this, their greatest good, they
viii be prone to lose sight of the obliga.
tons Of truth, justice and charity; their
patriotism will become subservicnt TO the
asaster passion, and they will sell the
priceless blessings of liberty ifthey car
dispose of them to- a profit. We have
always observed that men out of deb
were, as a general rule, less greedy oftht
acquisition of money, and more sorupu.
lous in adopting the means for it's attain
meut, than those to whom it was indis
pcnsablo to preserve thom from disgrac,
and ruin. Hence, a nation of debtor
can never become a nation of patriots
since patriotism consists in sacrificing al
selfish considerations to the good of on
country; That our banking system, b
aFording so many facilities for runnin
in debt, has, indefinitely multiplied til
class of debtors, must we think be evi
lent to all who take the trouble to trac
effects to their causes"
. - = II