Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-06

especially on what the world may think of us
or our avocation. But. in striving for the es-
TEEN of others, let it never be forgotten that
there is an esteem higher than that of the
world: mean the respect of our own minds.
This Is the basis of responsibility in the eyes
of the world. When the latter fails. if il do
fail. we have a consolation in this that ele-
Yates the mind to point, from which il can
look above and beyond the storm of adversi-'
ty. Yes. did we but labor as assiduously
for seif-respect, for an elevated consciousness,
we do for social position and external
homage. how easy would it be tofcommand
that which we sometimes seem almost to beg ]
And, at last. the man of true worth. wber-
ever he may stand in the social arrangement.
is the least abb" to compute his own resps eta
blity. He may. however. rely upon the
great principles, that,prrvade and sustain So
ciety.~ Throughout its vast framework theVe
are a multiplicity of forces. characterized by
a variety of activity, application and power.
I But the sources of Influence, independent of
accidental power, such as Office. with its terrors
and its patronage, may he traced to two: the
possession OF riches. and the wealth of intel-
lect and virtue. In the history of the world
the former has been confined to limited
number. IL Ia the common cutlery to dspar-
age men of wealth and to underrate their i'm
pOrtance 1t is true that hereditary riches
too often prove insufficient ballast for the
ligbt-headS creatures. on whom have fallen
the titles Of SOME defiInct progenitor. But
the man of nerve, of energy and Judgment.
| who, passing the portals of life without for
tune, and with nOught bnt the undeve loped
mine of his own character, yet struggles and
| advances until wide acres and multiplied
| tenantry are the fruit of his labor, so far
| from being subject of disparagement. is a fit
| object of admiration. In a country like this,
| where industry chains to itself full reward.
- = - -. = -
| be the c. -anion of poverty from the cradle
| to the grave. nd that too prevail, mt feeling
| sprung oftiimes OF jealousy, is at once false
and perncious, that wealth arrays its posses
sOrs against their less fortunate fellows, and
| closes the avenues, by which the angels OF
| sympathy visit the human heart / have said
| that this feeling arises not seldom from
| jealousy, but it is a jealousy, of which
| the world is too proud to be con-
scious. Perhaps the disposition is most
| present when we repine at the wealth OF
| Others at the luxury it brings, the security it
offers, and the influence it cOnfers But il is
| not proper cause for repining-it should
rather stimulate energy and excite admiration.
| AS often as We witness the enjoyment of large
fortune. we may well reflect that it is the fruit
| of virtue, industry and judiciOus labor some
where. Ii the far-oH descendant be reared
mp in idleness, and come to the possession of
| sigh on his pr... it is because some ancestor,
looking at once to self and to posterity, has
| schooled appetite and denied Indulgence. and
practised all those industrial virtues. which
surely fOrerun success and control fortune.
| One thing may certainly be relied on !: that
| wealth does not fall from heaven. however
| golden NAV appear the clouds. 1t is rather
| dug from the bosom of the earth with toll
and some suffering. IF it be good thing
to possess it. the law of its acqu sition is de-
! terminate, fixed and universal. That which
places it in the hands of another will equally
| place it in ours. In this country. all the
| avenues to it are open, free and ample. II it
bring ease and influence. il is an ease and in
fiuence to be won alike by all. 1t is an ah-
surdty to talk about its creating opposition
and hostility between social ranks. This is
| evident. from the fact that wealth claims no
rank of its own. tt has no hereditary Donors
| or inalenabe privilege. The man who is a
| a stranger to it to-day. may walk hand-in-
| hand with il tomorrow. while the slumber of
| virtue or the relaxation of vigilance may
! sweep in brief space from beneath the child
| of fortune the acquisition of years. the re-
ward of somebody's lifetime of labor and
selfdenial. So that the wealthy cannot pro-
perly he said 10 constitute rank in life. If
they do, ii is most ungenerous and untrue to
assume of them that they are the least vir-
tuoiIs. or the most devoid of that noble SYM
pathy, which proclaims the brotherhood of
men everywhere. Between poverty and riches
there are many stages and a long and weary
travel. In passing from one to the other the
heart acquires a varied hut common expert
ence. which it cannot forget, to whatever
pitch of prosperity it may ASCEND. Nor can
it fail to remember the toling. sometimes
failing brother. by whom it passed at the diff
ferent points along the rugged way.
The want of sympathy and generous con-
Germ for the human family. often charged
| upon the rich is more apparent than real.
| AS wealth gives them the power to do good,
so, in individual instances, illustrating the
| spirit of the class, we find them nobly putting
| that power into exercise IF a cold and
| cherries distance seem to separate them from
| their less fortunate brethren. IL might be well
| to linger for one moment and inquire who or
| what has created that separation. Is it the
| superciliousness of wealth. on the one hand,
| or the singing pride Of poverty. on the
other! Perhaps. five look justly at the sub
| ject, we may detect activity in both these
causes. each -rcacting on the other and in
creasing its force. l am sure there is nothing
in the constitution of republican society
when properly understood. to excite jealousy
or stimulate opposition, but everything to in
| spire mutual confidence and create an equili-
brium Of social ranks. Any other. view Of
! the subject, it seems to me. arises from
thoughtless and superficial consideration, or
| from the indulgence of jealous and com
| planning disposition which is awakened by a
INSTRUCTED Judgment, or played on by some
interested and outside influence. When
wealth is thus viewed. and it is reflected that
| it either creates no exclusive social rank. or
| if it do. that that rank is accessible by the
same means to all men alike. and that, what
ever influence or dignity il confers, 1t distri-
| butes with an impartial hand the only differ
| ence existing in the peculiar character of the
| recipients, it will be easily seen how little
cause there is for social jealOusies and disturb
| ance. or for humanity and inactive repining
| for that, which seems above us and beyond
| our reach. 1t is. indeed. beyond us so long
as we mouth idle complaint, hut falls into
our lap by easy and graceful descent
| when our willingness to acquire becomes
| commensurate with cur thirst TO have. While
| the influence of men of wealth is felt every
| where. have always thought that their vir-
| tues were not duly estimated. In fact. the
| more intimately we know men, in whatever
| rank or condition we find them, the more we
| know the force of circumstance, the power oi
| temptation. the thousand shapes of impulse
| within and influence without, the kindlier
| will we b. disposed to regard the weaknesses
we see, the more patient of those we suspect
| and the reader TO believe in the possibility oi
| virtue. where we have not the saddest reason
| to know that all the springs of sympathy and
unselfish action are dried up forever.
If, then, complaint be made Of the influence
| OF wealth. and IL be demanded to reform
society in this regard. I.would answer, that
| perhaps this reform is impossible. and. If i'm
| possible that il arises not from the exercise
| arbitrary power in the creation of human
society but from the natural tendency and
adjustment of things, according to the in
variable law of moral forces. We cannot
change the general laws of human associa-
ton any more than we can alter the eternal
principles of the physical universe. We can
not change-perbaps IL were not desirable to
change-the eTements of moral power but
we may alter the relation OF persons and
things 80 as TO control the particular direc-