Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-04-04
Th. Art of Giving.

The present Is denounced by great
many philosophers, and not few poets,
as a grossly material age, joined to the
idols of the Exchange, and given up TO
making money. There il In this GER
tain truth wfIich Is by no means dis
couraging one. War no longer being
the main business of mankind and the
safty-valve ofsuperlluous human energy,
production and commerce have taken its
place, to the great disgust OF the manu-
factnrers Of verses. There is an end, say
they, of high aims and generous pur-
poses, and the world has grown alto
gether selfish and sordid. We cannot
help thinking that it will do these grum-
blers good to read the newspapers. What
Is mere military fame uncOnnected with
patriotism worth when compared with
the reputation which Mr.. George Pea
body, a plain merchant, has estab-
lished for centuries, simply by giving
away his money judiciously? Adj
hitting the occasional value of war,
| Mr.. Peabody does that kindly and grace
| fully which the Wellingtons and Bona
parties did cruelty and coarse1y. With our
little knowledge of history, we do not re-
member period with such power, and
we may say passion, for giving as the
present. Our charity, too, it must be
remembered, is tolcrably independent of
ecclesiastical stimulus. Dying men now
give, it is true, TO religion, but they do
not think that they will he damned for
not giving; nor does the Church get all,
and other proper objects Of liberality COM
! paratively nothing. Alms-giving in the
Il, nineteenth century is catholic in the best
sense of the word, and while our wealthy
men do not forget tmeeting-houses and the
| missionaries, they remember the value
Of convenient tcnements, hospitals, baths,
! libraries. picture galleries, and univer-
sities for teaching something beside the
olOgy. There is an established habit OF
giving. The opulent are expected TO be-
stow, and capitalists, living or dying, to
! found something, When rich man
| rich enough we mean to be notable-is
gathered to his fathers, the world, sure
! that it is coming in for legacy, opens
| its ears to hear the will read, and the
reporters go up to the probate office to
take notesand to publish them. 1t is to
the credit of human nature, ii is the suf-
ficicnt refutation of the Rochefoucaulds
and the Swifts, it is a proof that the old
parsimony of the drama is no longer
common, when we find a custom of be-
nevolence established, and a tacit adniis-
sion on the part of CrCesus that he holds
his gold in trust for his fellow-creatures.
But the most lavish generosity is no.
:
directed. He who iounds a hospital for
cats must look to the eats for gratitude.
1t is the crowning glory of our modern
| charity thatit walks hand in hand with
science and letters, and seeks nothing so
fervently as to make men wiser, and hap
pier, and better. There are many things
in themselves extremely desirable which
must be hopelessly out of the reach of
the poor, however industrious and vir-
tuous, unless the wealthy make them ac-
cessible and among these we may reck-
on books in large collections, museums
of art and science, picture galleries, and
parks. When rich man recognizes the
value of these, we may be sure that cent
per cent has not altogether hardened his
heart nor obscured his brain. If some
of these things are not according to his
tastes and habits, he submits to he ad-
vised, valves his own prejudices, and de-
fers to the judgment of those who may
be more enlightened than himself. Such
concession (Which we suppose Mr..
Girard and Mr. Astor both made) to the
higher opinions of mankind proves that
money-getting and moncy-hoarding are
not Incompatible with generous emotions
and elevated views. The real, genuine,
traditional old hunks is going out OF
fashion, and ne trust in fifty years more
will become Us extinct as the mastodons
and the megatherums. For this, in
America at least, we are indebted ~ tho
abolition of the laws of primogcniturt
and entail, and to the delightful iinpos
sibility which here exists of founding {
family. This wise feature of our legisla
ton has made the rich man what ht
ought to be-the servant, the benefactor
the Good Samaritan of society. He toll:
for the power and the pleasure Of making
will which shall diff'use happiness, in
crease social comfort, and promote the
, morals and the manners of his race. L
. he can do this, he may consider himsel
eminently favored of fortune. There are
many poor men to whom the gods have
,, not given the gift of gathering, who are
impatient only of their material medi
) ocrity when they keenly feel how much
it lessons their power of doing good. Tt
these, however, is left the rich consola
ton of that blessing which is bestowed
upon those who "do what they can"
1t is, as we have. said, a fashion now tC
! be benevolent. When the historian o
these days in which we live shall recorC
: our successes and our shortcomings, wha
, we did and what we left undone, he will
he forced by his very materials to recog
nize the liberality and the charity whicl
are characteristics of our age and, if h'
finds no individual distinguished anC
prominent, like Howard, Clarkson
Wilberforce, or Elizabeth Fry, 1t will b'
because the law of kindness has toucheI
so many hearts, and wise benevolenc'
has opened so many purses and so man.
: hands.-[N. Y. Tribune.