The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-15
RISE AND FALL OF CARTHAGE,

stract of discourse delivered in Charleston
by Rev. ii. M. Dennison, Rector of S,
Peters, addressed to business men, from th
text: For the love of money is the roo
Of all cvi''
The lecturer remarked, that while th
profession of wealth not unfrcquently bring
It's blessings, the anxiety to be rich exposes
men to great temptations, and to the low,
of money, which is the root of all evil
Some, says the Apostle, have erred from tn,
Faith, III following the dazzling and b!int
dreams Of gold all principles, backed by
religious faill', upheld by prayer, unaLl,
to resist the tyrant, and in an ungardcd
hour, i'll the chase after some beautiful lust
have been drowned in pcrltion. Il man
aided by Divine grace, may thus be over.
come, still less can man alone maintain :,
successful struggle, where opportunity is
favorable and the stimulus strong. 1t some.
times Happens, in the worlds history, that
when nation has laid, in commerce. the
foundation of her prosperity and greatness,
the road to wealth is not more certain than
the road to corruption.
In illustration of the greatness Of Car
thagc, the lecturer said that even her enemies
acknowledged her cminencc. The greatest
commercial sp!endor attained by the Car:
thagcnant was 400 years before Christ.
For two centuries she WAS without a rival.
They used bank notes for two hundred wears
before any other nation; constructed docks
for their ships and, it is supposed, manu-
iactured sugar from the cane five hundred
years before the Christian era. Their mode
OF trading was peculiar, and speaks much
more III their favor than the Romans. Their
mariners were accustomed 10 put their mer-
chandise upon the strand, then retire 10 their
vessels. The natives would then come
down to the beach, place beside each par
eel quantity of gold dust, and then retire.
If this was satisfactory, the Carlhagenians
would take the gold and go away if not,
they would retire again for the natives to.
put an additional quantity. They dealt.
in hides, cattle, furs, idols, and, we are in:
formed, that they had no less than three
hundred trading boats for the prosecution
of this traffic.
MCPHERSON, from mass of historical
annals, says their commerce was carried on
from the dawn of. history in Lnrivalled cx-
tent, and with the most judicious manage
ment. They relieved all-had reverence
for the honor of Carthage, forssher wealth
and her ambition. Her history comes to
us, in great measure, through Roman au-
:thors, who have cndeavored 10 cxat Rome
at the expense Of her formidable rival, and
SO successfully, that Punic faith has become
a bye word wherever the Latin language;
has'gone. It is even said that the con.
querors destroyed every vcstige Of literature.
And yet Carthage was once mistress of the \
seas, her dominions extending from Egypt
to Gibraltar. Tyre,ein the, lieiglftyof 'ilef
glory, was her inferior, while tie tsacllieve-
menls of Alexander and Others paled before
the liistre Of her renown. They we're enjoy
ing and. communicating the arts of civil
ization. while Rome stili:sta ggered against
barbarispiy and was cduoatinghor sons for
the horrid trade Of war The commence
mont Sof.her1enown was eighthundred and
sixty eight years. before Christ. Carthaoae
.ss .ts's ns,.