Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-24
DAILY alaion and Smerisan,


not that tvranf aroused--ihat autocrat who
held men in slavery. and deprived them for
ever of the hope OF escaping from their de
gradationg ..l
Who: has forgotten tho pamphlet Of M.
Eugene Pelletau, in which was dashed, with
a pen dipped in gall, that monarch who pro-
vokcd civil war, and who reigned only by
the aid of the whip and the sword. To-day
King Cotton is dead !; dead beyond all hope
Of resurrection-not only have war and its
consequence killed him, but the result has
shown that his power rested rather upon
precCmceived idea than upon sound basis
that Europe, who was believed to be tributa-
nv 10 him, could do without him, and that
his despotism was but an illusion.
But there exists at the North Divinity
before whom all the world bows down seilly
ally. and whose absolute power weighs upon
certain classes of the population with very
different oppression from that with which
King Cotton has ever leaned upon his
humhlest subjects.
This Divinity, to whom so many pay
court, and who takes 50 few into favor, is the
God Dollar; 10 him every sacrifice is made
Of feelings, scHuples and honesty; he sweeps
away Che best instincts of man; he smothers
in him the love Of duty; he efiaces from his
heart the last traces of obligation and Of
humanity The ministers TO the God Dol
lar take away from man even 10 the very
means Of earning n livelihood, and leave
him equally hopeless Of escape from his
nothingness.
Doubtless the aEi sacra fumes has existed
In all countries and at all periods, and il Is
not the legitimate desire of acquiring and
possessing that we now find fault with. But
that which demands condemnation is the in
Suitable avidity Of large capital accumula-
ted in some favorite or little scrupulous
hands, whose avidity comes at last to ignore
the rights of the weak, and 10 crafty itself
at the expense OF the comfort and regardless
of the most reasonable wants of the less for
tunate classes; il is, in fine, TO revive an ex-
PRECISION which has had its day Of popular
ity. and which has been much misused.
The shameless (erpl0itation de Psomme par
Phomme freely, but in this country, and at
this time, appropriately translated by) run
ming 1ic machine man, by man.
King Cotton said TO his slave; work and
i will feed you-you will enjoy a certain
amount Of comfort. will take care Of you
when you are sick / will bring up your
family; IL you perform what / consider to
be your duty toward me / will fulfill mine
toward you. God Dollar says TO his tribu-
tory, you are free TO work or not TO work L
have no right over you, neither acknowledge
j any duty towards you and yours; by the
overpowering influences of my capital i am
enabled 10 acquire and 10 monopolize, and !
shall raise 10 such price everything neces
sary 10 your subsistence that your family
may bid adieu 10 comfort, and may be happy
even 10 vegetate under my shadow. II you
attempt 10 raise yourself will crush your
feeble rivalry, for can afford 10 wait and
Won cannot you are free before the law, buil
You are all my serf, my iege man, in spite
fyour vain protests; necessity, supreHd ter,
will bring you ever back 20 me-you must
pass under my caudine forks, and provided L
iatten myself what matter 10 me your lean
nees and your miserable existence.
OF these two forms of speech, which is the
more humane-that Of King Cotton or that
of God Dollar? OF the two slaves, which
Is the more miserable The King degrades
man, but provides for his primary wants
the God accords to him no more dignified
position, and declines 10 assure even his
physical existence.
Far be from us the thought of indnlging
in empty declaration against wealth and ca
pital. Wealth is in itself legitimate thing
and without accumulatedcapital there would
not arise those great works and enterprises
which are essential TO the very existence of
modern forms Of society. But that which
arouses our indignation is not the employ
ment, but the abuse OF capital, which will
stop, Heaven knows where, if prompt and
energetic remedy be not applied. That
which we condemn il monopoly by capital
MS much as monopoly by privilege. The
latter il even, OF the two, the more support
able. Privilege presupposes some control
over the legislator or the power which causes
the rights Of the public TO be always more or
less respected. Monopoly by capital knows
no limit Of restraint
We look with especial terror upon the
baneful effects Of the prerogatives and omni-
potence of the God Dollar upon public mo-
rality-for every sentiment and every desire
is swallowed up in this one thought: "Suc-
coed by whatever means in becoming one OF
the favorites of the Divinity in fashion
for 10 escape being devoured j must devour
to escape being used as tool l must be
MASTER"
"Have children qHocarmque modo," said
Pope Clement VII. 10 his niece Catharine
Of Medicis, who was about 10 marry the son
of Francis l., "have children by Henry OF
Valois il you can, but at any rate, have
children" We have nowadays the coun-
terpart 10 this historical crudity. "My son,
says father, snake your fortune-honestly
Il Won can, but make your fortune" Who
win not approve Of the first part of this re-
cOmmendafion what honest man will not
be shocked at the second?
In short, one must kncel down 1t any cost
before the God Dollar, and in consequence
consciences rs well as muscle and intelli-
gence soon come TO be for sale; moral sensi-
bility becomes stupefed, probity dies-one
dashes into whirlwind Of speculation where
chance wins the portion thar is snatched
from honesty, and where are exhibited such
speciacles as that given by young ketchum.
He was a slave 10 the God Dollar, less re-
sponsible for the crime that the society in the
midst Of which he lived and Of which he was
following the current Below these daring
spirits who have challenged their God and
have endeavored TO carry by storm the
heights Of his paradise-rash mortals o
whom success or failure will alone decide
whether they are 10 exist as heroes or as de.
pandcnts--surges or rather crawls the null
titude Of the timid or Of tire overscrupulous
who are forever condemned TO be made
use of.
The worship at any cost Of the God Dol
lar is so deeply rooted in the customs Of so
ciety, that forgcr, like young ketchum
for instance, arouses feelings more of pity
than of reprobation. One even goes so fan
as TO admire the vastness of his concep
tons; one falls not FAR short Of qualifying
his daring as something chivalric, and little
does he lack Of having those who are envi
Gus Of his fate. Has he not more and bet
ter than others, paid his devotions TO the
Divinity, who reckons as many affairs as i
has destroyed consciences?
What remedy, then, can be found for sucl
condition Of morals, and whence will arts
salutary reaction? We cannot see. King
Cotton formerly applied 10 the negro--th'
zoe vicsis God Dollar uses il now agains
his victims and against his slaves.
To the complaints Of the last he reptile
that his favorites owe everything to them
selves and nothing to birth or favor, whicl
is essentially democratic, and that the list
are open. True, against monopolists an'
engrosSing capitalists there exists the re
source Of associations, but the powerful as
sociations will always devcur the lesse
ones and they have no more heart or bow
els than individuals, they have even les.
Where the spirit Of justice and of equity
wantine,-wherc the love of humanity
disnlaced by the thirst Tor money-it Is di
6enh 10 be hopeful, and seems as il ON
were faied 10 revolve perpetually within
circle OF vice, from which the only posslbl