Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-02-02
STATE DEMOCRAT.
Tn Ideal ofa Merchant.
LDTrRE or DR. WILLIAM ADAMS BERoRg TIE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Hi-tpki.ab Dthbf
The third lecture OF the course va
delivered on Monday night before the
Historical Society BY the Rev. DIR
Adams. The reverend gentleman
commenced by stating that while re.
yolving in his mind the ~propriety %
accepting the invitation to deliver the
lecture, his eye had CHANGED to fall up
on the inscription OF the seal Of the
note Of invitation, "Res 0 Ierba,'
and he had determined to take that
for a text. True, it might be interpret
cd to be an invitation to him to come t.
the point as soon As possible and with
but Jew words; but he had nc evidence
that the seal was prepared expressly fol
the occasion or he might interpret the
the seal Of the unicorn as the represcn-
tativc OF Young America calling upon
them to 20 ahead with but few words,
He would suggest a certain modifica-
ton of the phrase-from the phrase Of
Luther, ascribing TO himself action
without words, to Uranus words with
out action, and to Melanchton both the
words and action. And could there be
any doubt which should be preferred 7
His amendment was res ct serba-
words and things. 1t was as strange
that some Of the most renowned lite
rary productions were gwen by
those who were rolling in wealth, as
that the best essay on poverty that had
been written amid the most voluptous
surroundings Of riches. IL might be
hoped that these characters should be
indicated as holding stolen goods, and
they should be brought down to the
common surroundings Of mankind
lie had read of Lamartine and of the
scheme of arepublic in this New
World, and noticed the different kinds
of men which we're here called into ac-
tion-the Washington, Franklin and
Jefferson, res ct uerba-men of actions
and words. The idea o any profession
sometime. became fattened like a
much used coin, and would require
new moulding. Shakespeare had gwen
two strong characters ofthe merchant
ShyIock and Antonio the one grasp
ing and repulsive, the other magnanl
nous and admirable. Dickens hsd
done nothing better than describing
the brothers Checriblc, contras.in 50
strongly with the despicable Screw
For himself, he felt that he might be
capable OF speaking fairly of the true
merchant. because, being apart from
the profession, he would be above the
suspicion Of professional partiaiity.-
When he remembered the business
habits an6 literary excellence of Roscoe
of the labors Of our own Bowditch in
his translation of "La Place ;" The
London literary merchant Thornton,
the names of our own HoiIeck, Bryant
and Sprague, he felt that active habits
of business rendered a man capable OF
literary aud not intellectual excellence
as the hot metal receives the mould
The richest merchant OF Italy was like
wise the greatest scholar collecting
with his costly goods the most valua-
bic manuscripts, and had inscribed on
his tomb Pater Iori," like our owl
Washington. The merchant should
not write oyer the door OF his mind, as
ovcr his counting room, No admit
lance, except on business" The idea
of a merchant in the mind Of a child
was that of a man dispensing endless
Joys to others from countless stores,
but when this misconception took hold
of older persons it should be corrected
Many a good mcdaniel has been spoil
cd in a bad merchant, preterring a soft
hand to a hard one, with the n
impression that the life of a merchant
was one cfease without work. If such
men should say, 81 must live in some
way," he would say to them, with Or.
Johnson, i don't admit the necessity Of
that 1t was a mistaken idea that the
life Of merchant was one Of ease,
without work, or that welding a pen
in broadcloth was more creditable than
following a pillow in homespun. True
there have been fools stumbling on for
tunes as merchants, like the mar who
shipped IL cargo ofwarming pans to the
West Indies, but the life of merchant
was one requiricg care, foresight, pru-
dencc, hard work and diligcnt applica-
ton. There were some, waiting
the time when then could enjoy social
and intellectual pleasures on retirement
from business, but their lives were fast
wanting away. Our wells Of pleasure
should be dug day by day, where
our tents are pitched, some of
these men might find that life was
gone before they found out hoy to
live happy. Man had been described
as a nan who makes bargains. True
honesty had the reputation of being on
the side of the pocket, but vas homes
ty to be regarded with no higher mo-
tives. The honesty that verified our
conception of merchants was far high
err than the mere legally honest mar.
There might be men released from the
statute book Of law, who would never
be released from the statute book Of
honesty. There could be no doubt
that there had been a depreciation in
the character of international law
Our venerable historian, Licdrich
Knlckerbocker, had recorded that our
worthy forefathers had decided to
"adopt the law of Moses until they
should have time to make a better ;"
but he thought there was nothing bet
ter than the good old command, "Do
unto others as you would that they
should do unto YOU" To be able to
review along of mercantile pursuits
l IL