Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-05-28

ny hanging over IL the beauty of its rain
bow. What earth sends up, heaven sends
down, and what heaven sends down. earth
returns. Circulation, diffusion. tendency
by multiplied methods to euuilibrium-
these are the universal laws of nature II
il only man that boards. 1t is only man
that accumulates aud for selfish ends holds
imprisoned superfluous good, and refuses to
let it go out on its benefcent mission
The charity Of the day is, as general
thing, but sorry apology for that benefi.
cence which springs from a true apprehen-
sion of the primary source of wealth, it's
real ownership, and its legitimate uses
Millions have doubtless been given for the
qualification of pride, and for the purpose
of securing the applause Of the world. IF
the time ever come when even and exact
| justice shall lie meted ont to the various
! agencies operative in the world toward be-
ne6cent results, the recipients of charity in
its several forms will find themselves LARGELY
indebted to the devil. Bread is bread TO
the hungry, and clothing raiment ito the
naked, and the Bible light to the 'benighted.
1t does not matter to the needy from what
! source a charitable ministry proceed. If
they are fed and clothed and enlightened,
they have cause Of satisfaction and graft
tnde, without questioning the sources of the
good which reaches them.
l suppose thai one of The severest trials
of sordid man is that which is caused by
the disgust he feels in the. society of his own
soul. once heard a preacher remark that
were II not for the interpostion of sleep,
by which all men are separated once in
twenty-fOur hours from the consciousness of
their own meanness, they would all die of
Selfcontempt. l Judge the statement to be
somewhat broad but it holds within it a
truth which lies at the basis of moiety,
more or less, of the charities of wealth.
Every man who achieves riches by great
Speculatons, by sharp practices by trade
which involves operations not altogether
honorable has his own method of main
tanning self-complacency or self-toleration; !;
but his efforts usually take the form of
charity. There is no Scoundrel living who
does not feel Obliged to convince himself,
IN some way, that he is as good as the
average of mankind. Poor scoundreIs, who
have no more than money enough to feed
their vices and themselves, depreciate the
excellence Of the character about them,
aud win the self-compIacency they seek by
dragging it down to the dirt which defines
their own level. Rich scoundrels, finding
themselves respectable as the world goes,
naturally resort to sacri6ces-to throwing
out and abandoning to the nav of the
wolf that follows them some contemplate
portion of gains gotten meanly and kept
foully. Even the highway robber boasts
that if he has taken from the rich, he has
given to the poor Not unfreqnently these
mrn, grown rich by doubtful courses, be-
come special patrons of the church, or of
educational institutions. We see them in-
stalled in the most expensive pews on Sun
day, or adorning select position elevated
to the annual exhibition of board of trus-
tees.
But these are all comparatively tolerable
men. They do good in the world. and
eviuce degree OF sensitivenesS which de-
mands more or less of our sympathy
There is form of self Cancellation, how
ever, which would be laughable were it's re-
! suits less disastrous Though not laugha-
1 ble, it is really admirable, as a specimen of
the most perfect type of meanness for
take il that everything perfect in its kind
] is, III a sense, admirable. 1t is exhibited
by those who undertake to satisfy them
selves with themselves, by initiating secret
schemes Of good to go into operation after
they are dead-Schemes which, sooner than
establish or assist they would pluck their
eyes out, if they were expecting to live for
ever. They are thus enabled to crafty
their greed for gold--to overreach, exact
usury, and hoard, and at the same time
save themselves from a crashing selfcon-
tempt, by contemplating in secret the fact
that their gains are already devoted to a
good end But the devil never leaves
them here. He induces them to trample
under feet the sympar HES and claims of con-
sangunity, to cut off with a dirty shilling
old servants whose lives have been devoted
to them. TO institute schemes of bene6cence
impracticable even to ludcrouSneSs, or to
leave their wills so imperfecty drawn as to
create quarrelS among their natural heirs,
and destroy the peace aud harmony of fami
lies that will hold their memories fit sub
jecLS Of execration so long as they hold
/ them at all.
1t is time that wealth in nominally
! Christian hands were bestowed upon the
weak, the needy and the suffering from
higher motives than q compassionate inn
pulse, or desre for public applause and pri-
vate satisfaction know that it is very
hard TO admit that we do not hold our su-
tiuuus wealth aud superabundant means by
absolute rlght-that what we earn by toll
or win by traffic, is not ours to hoard or
dispense at our pleasure; but if we are
really and truly owners Of what we pos
seSs, then beuefceuce is no duty. 1t is
simply favor shown to God through care
| tor His unfortunate children, for which He
owes US either adequate compensation or
appropriate gratitude. The simple truth is
that in the degree by which u mans wealth
is increased rs his family enlarged. Over
against every pile of superAuous dollars,
God places u pile of needs. --.-r
account the Office Of benefactor, or al
moner, TO which God appoints all those
whom he has favored With wealth, one of
the most honorable and delightful in the
world. He never institutes channel for
the passage Of his bounties that those bonn
ties do not enrich and beautify. The bar
rem moor that parts before the steel of the