Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-05
A Picture of the Country.

America, as she now stands, is striking fact
The Western clearings, the immense farms of
the Mississippi Valley, the lake trade, the for
eign immigration, toilng Africa chained to the
car of commerce, gorgeous and reckless New
York, and sudden San Francisco, excite the i'm
agination, by all that they imply and fpreshad-
ow, Thoyrepresent many ideas, and embody
many a wonderful and moving story; for busi-
ness has its danger aud daring, its suffering and
endurance, and the changes of fortune, in this
new world of boundless resources and free ae-s
tivity, are more marvellous than the tales Of the
Arabian Nights. This bold enterprise that
stretches to the Pacific this skilled and thought
full race grasping vast empire, like home
stead, to cultivate, and plant, and adorn; this
brave army of worshippers, marching on ire
sistibly to the conquest of nature, form grand
spectacle. Though their weapons-the axe, the
plow, and the steam engine-have not the lus-
tire of poetry that CLEANS from the point Of the
sword though the heroes of tho farm, the
workshop, and the counting house, like village
Hampdens, die unsung, yet great qualities ARE
often exhibited in these humble fields Of mans
effort, and their labors, found nations, of those
of the coral insects lift the basis of al island
above the sea to the light and air OF heaven.
But the picture has its dark side. The eager
desire for wealth, the " incessant and Sabbath
less - pursuit of it has become the universal
passion and occupation. We have that love of
money which is the root of alleyil and under the
deadly shade of the tree from that root, the
love Of knowledge and art, oftruth, and virtue,
and beauty, withers and dies. "In prosperity
no alters smoke" The curse of Midas is upon
us. Our feelings, our ideas, our aspirations,
are all turned into gold, and we are starving
amid our barren abundance. We worship the
material, not the spiritual the visible and
transient, not invisible and eternal. We are
practical, not Intellectual; and our pleasures
are of the Senses not of the reason, imagination
and taste. We are smitten with :" the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride OF
life'' We are true disciples of the ethics of
interest and utility, and our only morality is
cash payment. Truly has it been said, that
{. he who maketh haste to get rich shall not be
innocent If incorporate drinking be the
degrading vice Of one portion Of our people,
incorporate money making is the besetting sin
of another and much larger portion, and it is
difficult to say which is the most pernicious.
One is vice of the senses, destroying the mind;
the other q delusion of the mind, and selfish
passion, blasting the moral sentiments and
palsying the higher powers of the intellect.
The poor drunkard cannot resist the "baneful
cup.' which benumbs his soul, unmoulding
reasons mintage," and Transforming him
"Into che ingorious image Of beast;"
and the infatuated worshipper of Mammon de-
liberately uses his mental faculties for his own
destruction, prefers the ignoble and low to the
pure and high, and shuts out the light Of
heaven from his life Successful industry, rap
id gains, rank prosperity, without counteract-
ing causes to modify their influence, have stim-
ulated this passion for wealth to excess, and
have produced already, in this new country,
luxury, venality, corruption, contempt for in
tellectual pursuits and pleasures, and sneering
indifference to ennobling and elevated senti-
ment Hence the vulgar ostentation of our
cities hence the general want Of literary taste
and culture hence the deplorable frauds Of
business hence much of the baseness Of our
pslitics. --Nsrth American Recie,r.