The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-04-03
The Heart Of the speculaior.
From Rev. DR. Stiles Appeal

The whole heart Of the specuia'or
immovably fixed. He sees nothing.
Wre,ched man his fearful work OF
G, lshing human veal and heavens Law
upon him at every move. Noih'
short OF the most audacinus ana IN
4 man spirit can nerve him 70 another
>, o. For if the fraternity which he ieaos
a still determined TO press on tneir
scheme OF unprincipled, heartless, reck,
! IS ucquistion-eyer rising prices, anu
and ever falling and failing currency must
ere long, embarrass every fiscal measure
i, the legislator, cripple every wheei oi
Government, cut of supplies from
every national agent, enieeble every
movement of the army, conyulse the
masses with dread anxiety about their
daily bread. crowd thr flensions OF the
rlca aniGh tis os2Ef 4 nishine poor.
and wake up the DARK 'apprehensions
touching the ultimate issues OF the coun-
try's struggle. But what cfall thisf IL
is nothing, nothing to the speculator'-
His whole heart is immovably liked
He sees nothing, feels nothing aside from
his one all-glorious purpose-he ana ms
must wallow in wealth il his country goes
20 the wall. On, therefore he presses his
nefarious work. On too come the TERRI
BILE responsibilities of the workman; ror
the day approaches when II wouid seem
that his atrocious operation, by necessary
consequence. must ultimately cast our pe-
loved country under the iron heel OF tne
despot, and liberty and hope ana all
be crushed out forever. And does the
speculator's personal acceleration OF TINS
most horrid catastrophe exercise no re-
laxihe influence upon theenormous greco.
the tenacious grasp OF his soulf Ana
can he stand the diabolical thought oil
personal elevation upon his country's
downfall? And can he calmly look up
| on all the degradations and distresses
OF Northern subjugation, suffered through
! following generations by Southern men,
women and children, and feetno relenting
pulsation? Feel indeed ! This man IS
past feeling. In the spiritual world II Is
well known that cheerished coVetousness
has made a very monster OF him: IL nus
killed out all the humanities OF his heart
and locked up every sensibility, OF his
soul in the lustre of anticipated -aff1uence.
Depend upon it, that man has heard
the music of the voice of the great Sc
ducer. "Only partake of the forbidden
fruit and YOU shall be as God" The in
fernal spell holds him. In that grand
estate. world OF satisfaction floods oil hon.
or. and never, never ceasing rest ever
fash before him. The only world he
lives. reyolves within the broad bounda-
ries of that imaginary fortune. AllseIss
to him is unreal. An angry God is PIC
ture gasping country is dream oiast-
ed character, a disgraced family, coming
retrlbution, all, all. to him are harmless
shadows. There is no deed OF darkness
which the soul of the accomplished spec
/ niator h not primed and charged to ac-
| comulish. That miserable man Az
sueh time us this Yes, at such time
as tins, he can feed and fatten upon the
tasked sinews OF the government, upon
the struggling liberties OF the people
upon the scanty wages of the soldier, up
on the failing morsels of the poor, upon
the last soace Of the SICK. the wounded
and the bereaved, and .teel nothlng lie
can ponder all the brutal and crushing
cruetes OF Northern subjugatlon, and
dwell upon all the swelling, bursting,
maddening endurances, CndurdnceS OF the
Southern cnptives and yet feel noth,ng.-
The spirit OF the South; that most beau-
tihIl. genial admirable element OF our
national heritage-that Southern spirit,
so brave, generous, proud and lndepend-
ent-he can look forth into the future
and see that spirit, that noble spirit, by
most unholy persecution, crushed out OF
the people and lying a cold corpse over
aIl these hills and valleys where once it
lived so vigorous and happy an exlslencee;
yes, and feel nothing. Oh. yes That iel-
! Iow-man He can gaze upon all this
heart rending spectacle and feel nothing,
nothing but the splendors OF that fortune
he sucks out Of the last drop of hiscoun-
ty's blood. The love OF mony--oh the
love Of money! Well sayeth scripture, 1t
is the root OF all evil. Look out specula.
tor! Yet little while and that love OF
money shall pierce thee through with
many sorrows and drown thy soul in per-
dition and destruction