The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-19
2 OUR FuTuRE.


Tho Present the, season OF Great OPP
pOrtunitIes for Acquiring wealth.
The Business OF the Country togo
Forward ON a Grander Scale than
EVer---The New Era just Beginning.
Il From the N. ]. Post QfLte l5th.
There are in every community men
so constituted that they look always ups
\ on, thelgl loomy side of affairs. Alrainy.
| day persuades them that the sun will
never shine again; in a temporary stop
lpage of business they see only perma-
,nent ruin to the countryt, During the
late war every battle was a defeat, and
to their gloomy vision peace had forev-
| er departed from our country; land now
! that the work of reconstruction some
what halts, they fancy that twill never
be accomplished.
T. During tho panic of 1857, we remem-
l Der man of this temperament, who,
fully convinced that the country was
! forever ruined, that it could never re-
cover from the shock, sold out a COM
| Portable fortune which he held in a GER
tain stock, when that stock had fallen
to ten. But alman of an entirely OPP
liposite temper and belief readily bought
the whole amount, saying "I'll risk it
I-you can't ruin this country so easi-
lly." In three months the same stock
stood at sixty, and in six months it was
1 sold at eighty. So while the Chicago
convention were bewailing their coun-
Itry's hard fate, and declaring for armiS-
tice, disgrace and ruin, Grant quietly
measured the chances, and saw thatthe
| country was not lost yet. And SO, while
| part of our people see nothing but
disorder and ruin ahead, another part
see that affairs are now at their worst,
| and that this is the time for shrewd men
| to go in, and "rise with the tide" Thus,
1 in commerce the shrewd merchant,
\ carefully surveying the condition of the
1 markets, forsees that glut of goods
| will deter others from operations, hence
he buys and stores in anticipation ofthe
| reaction, while those who neglect the
opportunity, see him in time reaping
| the advantage of his foresight.
These truths are applicable to the
4 present juncture OF affairs. The cessa-
| ton of war has not been succeeded by
| that quick reVulsion to harmony and
prosperity which the mass of the peo-
| ple7ahicipated. Many people believe
that the present unsatisfactory condt-
tion ofIour political, social and COM
! mercial relations with, the Southern
States will improve, at least for a
long time'to come. y - ~
But the men. in otlr country who have
now the sagacity to see inte the imme-
diate future, are busily laying the foun-
datiops of their fortunes. Never were
there such opportunities, in any coun-
try, for acquiring wealth speedily and
lihonorablY, as this land in its various
parts now presents. These opportuni-
ties will before long be greatly dimin-
ished, because they are seized upon by
the sagacious few, who are already
wide awake to the emergency, and will
soon be masters of the field. There is
more going on quietly now in the way
of preparation, for activity in Southern
enterprises, than is dreamed of by those
who stand 1amenting the inactivity and
IntN Tf{f n lnTHIU =
resiStanceto to our government and laws.
| Before a twelvemonth has gone over
ourlheads we shall be comparing this
present with the marvellous changes
which will havetaSen place in the in
terim. i5I.i5ia ~ fs,tli frgI,, 10 i'm ..,
In spite of the war, many of us have
yet, to learn that this country is parma
nent andtndissoluble ble-that there is t.no
such word as fniI'' in the lexicon of our
political nationality, and that not only
shall. all things be altogether such as
they have been ss;eXceptn : as st. Paul
very, but all things wherewith we live
and move and have our being as ma
tion will be infinitely better. A-'
This country-north and south, east
and west-is now but in the youth of
its activity, with manhood before it of
indefinable strength and prosperity. II
is, easy to see what an opportunity is
open for rapid and enduring fortunes
to those who choose to take advantage
of the momentary apathy which pre-
walls at the, South, by making invest
ments at prices which a little while
hence will appear us fractional parts of
the increased volume of their wealth.
And this advice is mot sect onal, or in
tended to encourage an advantage 10
the few over the many.
Glance at the eSonth-suryey its teem-
ing soil, its rare adaptability of climate
to the purposes of production, its scat
tered cities all waiting to be reunited
by iron bands and the prolific inter
changeiof commodities, and its people,
free for the first time, and who will be
SO bold as to assert that its future is not
infinitely greater than its mostprosper-i
When'the elements Of greatness exist.
and when freedom and peace are as
shred, nothing can stop the rapid and
permanenS advaneement,ofa a nationor
people. Those who fail to see this now,
great day ,ofopportunity slipping by
them, and The advantages and wealth
now held out to- them IN possession
of their more astute and energetic neigh
bors. All'that is now wanting TO touch
the South with vitality. is harmonious
cooperation = ut seems to belslow in
coming about, but tits as sure as the
rising fthe next days sun! In a briefpe-
Rod we shall look back upon the past few.
years as upon a dream, or rather we
shall have scarcely time to look back
at all, so bnsily will the minds of men
be engaged in maturing great enter
Prises. g.,,I,,4- s,sie,r, 5ys8 ;.re f..tll
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