The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-02-18
Che Cssallist.
For The Cecil Wing.
"OWE NO MAN"

In Nature, in all her scvcra. departments,
carried out; an equal quantity is given for
that which is taken. 1t runs through the
whole economy of creation.
This law as equally governs the proper
dealings between men, as it does those Of the
different divisions OF nature. 1t is one of the
fundamental principles of humanity that man
Shall render to his fellows Their Just dues
This principle being right, then it must
necessarily be wrong to do otherwise. Unjust
to Others and to yourselves.
Unjust to others, because they are dcfraudcd
out Of what justly belongs to them, and
thereby made to suffer. To yourself, because
you loose the confidence and respect of your
fellow men, and very frequently become Il
by word aud disgrace.
A IL men are dependent on one another; no
man is and in the very nature Of things never
can be, Independent of the whole human
more, that we should have the entire confidence
Of those around us, and with whom we have,
more or less, to deal.
Owe no man. | do not W ish to be under
stood here as saying anything against the
contracting Of debts on time and the many
other transactions, whereby men become
indebted to each other. But against the Gre
ating of debts whichwe have no positive pros
poet Of being able to pay; the going in debt
for articles in which we do not stand in need
and the non-layment Of debts, which, by Il
little sacrifice, can with ease be linquidatcd.
1t is against these species of dcirauding that
i protest, on the two grounds before stated
because it is unjust to others and to yourself.
Therefore, say, g owe no man."
Punctuality in the payment Of their debts,
(if they made any at all,) has been the most
prominent feature in the characters of the
men who have accumu lated, by fair and
honest means, large amounts Of money. In
reading their biographies, we are forever
meeting with this remark all their obligations
were punctually discharged on the day of
the character Of every man who succeeds in
any business in life. With the practice OF
punctuality and honesty no one need fear but
what he will succeed
This is Il matter in which all arc interested ;
prc-cminently SO are the young mcn-thosc
whose regulations and characters with their
fellow men are being formed To them, it is
highly Important, indeed, that they should be
known as punctual paying men. Their future
success and well-bcng, in great measure,
depend on this one principle i'll their charac-
tiers: 60 owe no man.
We see the truth of these remarks every
day almost ANY ofns could point to men
who are now suffering from the effect of :.
wrong course in this respect when they were
young. Business men lack confidence in them,
and are consequently unwilling to trust them
now when the times are dul they fear, and
with good reason, that when the seasons for
work arrive their debtors will forget to pay
their bills, and will Dcstow their cash custom
on some one else.
Many Of the young men Of the present time
60 usclcssly in debt, and never pay. What
do they think they will DO after awhile when
their positions may be SO changed that they
will be forced to ask credit? What kind of a
face will they have then TO so to these men,
or their children, and ask them to trust them
for the necessities Of life till the times get
bettcr3 Then they will see and feel the
amount of wrong they are now doing them.
selves.
In this matter, as in everything else, we should
act with full realization that there is Il future
And on our prcsant actions, more than any.
thing else, is dependent whether that future
shall be one Of plenty or one Of want whether
it sha Il be one Of happiness or one of misery
actions, is: g owe no man, Il.