True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-07-14

there is thought to be no chance Of ex-
torting the loan Of large one but by the
repayment of the trihe. Convenient as
the plan may be, and at first sight it seems
defensible enough, it is point of fact tam.
pering with an essential principle. 1t is
descent from the high, to the middle
ground-it countenances the fatal doctrine
of expediency, and compromises an in
trinsic right.
The high minded borrower is proof
against the plausability of this practice.
He is not of opinion that the end justifes
the means. He never can be pursuaded
under any circumstances whatever, 10 vi
olate the first rule Of his art. All that he
ever hazards doing in this way, is to
write to you 70 advance TO HIM a good
round sum, and requesting that you aUill
deductwhat he o,oesyou from the amount.
No sophisIry, no tenet Of expediency, no
suggestion of convenience ever succeeds
in inducing him to pay back the money
he has borrowed ; he would as soon think
Of turning lender. He gets his gold by
fair play, and he keeps it upon defined
principle. He acts upon .an upright and
very simple system, that of never taking
denial; he asks, and asks forever--but
is always accommodating he wants fifty
dollars, but will put up with fifteen, and
take your note for the rest; or he
will call tomorrow or Friday, for the
balance. If you regret that you cannot
by any possibility accommodate him on
the instant, ne merely inquiries when you
can next week will do for him. If you
cannot name a day and see no possibility,
then he can drop in and take his chance
and in the meantime, you will just be so
good as to give him note of introduction
to Mr.. Loosecash, your agent in Lolh.
lane.
Such is his urbanity that you canno,
offend him; you are mot at home" three
times day for whole week, but on the
eighth morning he. meets you coming on
and presses your hand with as much fer
vor as if it had just written him a check
His disinterestedness is equally conspicu.
Gus; give him your acceptance for hun.
dred, and you may have his for thous.
and at what date you will. He is the
first to rejoice at the repeal of the usury
laws, becauseh he can nov offer you your
own terms; one rate Of per centage is the
same to him as another.
The Borrower is a vehement advocate
for the strict administration of all laws
conservative of properly. He is dead
ly enemy to the swindler His soul sick.
ems at the sight of pickpocket. Even
forgery, though more genteel, he denoun'
ces as UNANIMOUSLY unfair. All these pur,
suits, he contends, initiate against the
successful practice Of borrowing, and all
nigh. be more proftably and peaceably
carried on upon the principles of that art
He insists that in free country no man
should be plundered without his consent
but that at the same time every man
has right to be robbed if he likes. He
is arbitrary in his judgments upon vagrants
and other riff-raff-he has no pity for
the poor-fellows who pay their way
while they can, and when they can't, take
to stealing; who know nothing Of the
golden mean who have probably /" frit-
tered their money away in paying their
debts" when, by spending it nationally,
they might always have borrowed in an
honorable independence. Yet it is curl.
GUS that these two negatives, the beggar
and the thief, make up that grand afirma.
tive the borrower. 1t is simply so. How
weak the elements that compose this
strong and subtle spirit! Any body can
beg, any body can steal; but to unite the
two-to BoRRow--requires profound ge-
MUS. But the world, as we daily see is.
full Of profound genius.