The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-10-17
"Hard Times"

What will be the end of these things ecw pre-
tend to venture any opinion. Fear and dis
trust seem to have seized upon all classes and
every one appears to be chiefly intent upon
fortifying himself against a general wreck
which just now threatens the entire mercan-
tile and manufacturing business of the coun-
try.
| The abundant harvests which have Just
been gathered and which were relied upon to
facilitate exchanges and restore business to
its wonted activity cannot come into the mar
kcts now to accomplish this object. In the
meantime numerous manufacturing establish
mcnts giving employment and the means of
support to many thousands of operatives are
obliged to diminish. or entirely suspend their
work. The result is that multitudes espc-
cially in the large cities are Unexpectedly
thrown out of employment. and unable to
find anything to do are anticipating the APP
proach of winter with fearful forcbodings of
dcsttuton. They see not how they are to
provide for the wants of themselves and those
dependent upon them during the approach
ing inclcmcnt season. Numbers of these.
while they could exchange their labor readily
for ordinary wages, have lived well. dressed
well. often extravagantly. and Sratiicd. with
out stint, their tastes for amusement. They
anticipated no sudden return Of L" hard times :"
such as have Just now ovcriakcn them. and
consequently. are wholly unprcparcd to &C
commodatc themselves to the new circum-
stances in which the loss Of their daily en-
rlovmcnl has placed them. BY forcthoucht
and economy. while they were employed. they
might have provided Cor the present rcvers"
! in their fortune ana have had enough in store
to make them fearless Of want for one winter
season. But as it is. they. in common with
mutitut..S of others whose labor never. in
the best times. procured for them more than
their necessary food and clothing. are rr-
duccd to the pitahlc prospect of being
obliged to depend upon charitable aid to save
| themselves and families from want and star
walton. Sad and humiliating condition. But
there is. Notwithstanding. relief in the assur-
ancc that with the abundant harvcsts lust
gathered from the field. the hand of charity
will be able 70 prevent the rcctiv from suffer
ing
| III contemplating these things who does not
feel disposed to demand whence comes this
frequent and disastrous recurrence of COM
mcrcial embarrassment and hard times |,
there no remedy for the evil Must we work
and trade. as hitherto. under the stimulus
and paroxvsm of fever only to shake ard
slrivcl again with the contraction> Of fnan-
cial a.uc? Is there no science of Political
Economy in our times. whose prcScriptionSif
followed. might give security against these
periodical disturbances of trade and labor
These. or similar inquiries force themselves
upon ever! conSidcratc member of commune
ty at such times as the present. and it in
wolves no very extended observation or large
them. 1t is easy to designate the prominent
causes Of the evil from which wc suffer. for
they are too conspicuous every where in the
land. to escape observation. Il is easy also
to prescribe remedies for and safeguards
against their recurrence in future: but it is
quite another. and more difficult thing tc
institute such Il course of conduct for our
selves. and procure such a reformation in the
conduct of Others as will constitute remedy (
for the evil in question.
There is. evidently, work demanded of all
in this direction. For while we attribute.
and perhaps justly. the present distress 10
few prominent causes and few culpablc par
ties. it is still true that we all. or nearly all.
have contributed somewhat to its production
We live improvidcntly. spend our money Use
lcsslv. dress cNtravagantlv V. rot too well, per-
haps, hut too cxpcnsivcly. and. at the same
time, labor in too large numbers unproduc-
lively. The facilities fer doing thus, the
to do thus, exist in our country
and in our times as they do. or have done
nowhere else. We yield most of us to the
temptation, and are consequently in prosperi-
ty or adversely, not according as Providence
gives or withholds health ard the ordinary
harvests of the ycar,but, justas a class of indi-
viduals among us can, or cannot command
credit beyond their means, to prosecute trade
or give us our daily bread for our daily
labor. Such need not. and would not, except
through their own fault, be the condition
of any considerable portion of the laboring
part Of the community. That it may not be
our condition or the condition of our neigh
bors hereafter, as it now is that of the multi
tudes suffering Or liable to suffer in our great
cities, it becomes every one, whatever may
be his present resources, to contribute for the
common welfare, the salutary influence of a
good example and the benefit of some useful |
md productive labor. Economy, such econ
,my as makes whatever we do, whatever We
spend and whatever we wear, most produc- , ,
i've of utility, pleasure and credit to our {
selves, would save to multitudcs of us, some {
arge items in the current expenses of every
,car. Persisted in, it would make us indie
pendent of hard times" ard give us the i
means of relieving those less favored and for G
e 1