New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-03
GOODS AND GOSPEL.

GOODS AND GOSPEL.
The yaIdstick has hitherto been held ham.
lees implement of trade never tempting those whs
WELD it to any greater knayery than the undue use
OF thumb-a measure OF iLiquity to be pardoaA
On due repentance, and a!oned for by more care
full control Of that un'uly member. But as tho
symbol Of craft there is danger that in theseattss
days it will come to be taken as the sign, in those
who hold it, of baseness of character. a msas
subserviency of spirit, sordid temper, and 40
utter destituton of any manly trait which the word
has been 10th to believe belOfg necessarily to tAs
conduct of any human affairs. Why man mar
not sell Dry Goods without, at the same time, 10
GLIDING bis own right of sefrespect, his Own
proper sense of manness, his own presumption Of
q soul, in the transfer of every package
of merchandise it is not easy to understand
1t is cleaIly calling, and does Dot presuppose any
occult relation between material and moral defls-
ment; it supplies daily necessity in the business
of life, so far 9sthetc it is Intimately connected
with cheerful personal and household adjournment;
and it may be conducted on strictly honest basis,
giving fair reward to industry, and making buy
ing and selling a reasonable aud honorable inter-
change of price ard commodity. But is it true,
nevertheless, that be who touches it must DO d.
filed? Must we come to consider that whoever
engages in traffic, hitherto respectable and unob
iectionsble, and conducted by men rather remark
able as good citizens, must become, to command
success sorry knaye, tricksy trader, as souIesa
as his own yardsticb, AID as destitute Of any
sense of maDlness as ball of twine is of VITALITY
1t is an unhappy distinction that this particular
branch of trade is distinguished Of late above al
others, and in contrast with all Others as peculiar
y prone to make its votaries forget the man in tbs
trader, and to hesitate at sacrifice Of manly or
moral scrupe that interferes with the sale Of mer.
chandse There seems 10 be no thing 80 small that
Obber Will not stOOp to it, no cause 60 great that
he will not attempt to prostitute it, so that bis bales
and boxes his bundles and packages, may attract
neighbours.
A little incident illustrating this base proolvity
to surrender everything else, 80 that dollars and
cents may be gained-not that We have not had
enough Of such instances of late-has just come to
our knowledge. A few mornings since, Southern
customer entered the store Of dry-goOds house in
this city, aud observed, seated near the door, Q
colored porter reading. The sight of cOlored
man in any place of trust was doubtless aggrayst-
ing; colored man reading was absolutely exas-
peratiDg; but when, on looking over the porters
shoulder, he found the book on which he was so in
tent was the Bible, his rage was almost too great
for uttelance. He stalked up the store, and 90
costed the propretOrs. "Was that" be inquired,
pointing to the reader, "the way they permitted
" the damned Niggers to employ themaelves7" To
read was bad enough, but to read the Bible! That
was a book he swore, that had "got to go up
" when niggers come to read it," "And nox,"hs
continued, with another oath, you've got to stop
ait, or stop my buying. take no goods Of any
" house that has their damned niggers about, read
Z" iug the Bible"
Our reputation for veracity is such that We ex-
pect to be believed thus far in repeating this story
but we are by no means confident that the sequel
will not be pronounced utterly Incredible. The
jObbers, when thus appealed to, did not, as the
reader confidently expects to bear, take the mis-.
cresnt by the nape of the neck ana kick him INTO
the gutter; did they lock the doors to prevent
intrusion, and call upon the porter to make prac.
tica application of at least one text of the book he
had been reading" he shall be- beaten with many
"strpes y while they stood by to aid if necessary,
in enforcing the application in the most thorough
manner. Incredible as it may seem, We assert on
the best authority that nothing of this sort was
done; but, on the contrary, the jobbng catif has
tened to order the porter to put up the Word Of
God BY the study of which, in the intervals of his
leisure, he hoped, Notwithstanding lis complexion,
t. win his way TO Heaven; and then-still upright
upon two legs, and not prone upon his beiy-he
FASTENED to display his goods, and TO urge their
merits upon the pacfsd customer.
And We are happy to say the goods were bought
They were bought, We are glad TO say because The
act would have been as incomplete without tho
expected bill Of Dry Goods 80 crown it, as tho
treachery of Judas would have failed of its awful
sublimity of wickedness bad his hand not clutchsd
the price Ofthe life OF his Great Master. UahspW
Judas who was born eighteen centuries too sooa!
Had he lived in our more fortunate time, he coan
have been Dry Goods jobber, aud qualified Tor
membership in Fusion Committee, without
suggestion Of the propriety OF hanging himself ever
troubling his tranquility for moment.
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