Richland beacon., 1874-05-16
LrMal Prosperity.

always 10 grow hhppE. 10 nave hu
merous railroads and canals, to bt
running thousands Of spinGles, to b,
carrvin" on an immense commerce
does not always measure the great
est good to the greatest number
Better that we develop our moral and
intellectual resources. To cultivat,
cur fields, to plant vineyards, to have
hocks and herds "upon a thousand
hills" is all good in its place; but
these things are but the skeleton Of
nation, prospcrity-wbile virtue
intelligence, and religion add the mus
cles, the sincws and beauty to the
frame. Our riches have once taken
10 themselves wings, and flown away
why then should we trust them
again? Why pursue their dcccitful
mirage any longer? We need now
the dcspotiSm Of Augur, who prayed
for "ncilhcr poverty nor riches" We
need cOntcntmcnt. We need peace
We ought to shun the bustling, noisy,
reckless paths Of headlong speculation
and immoral traffic, and adobt the
Latin provcrb: "Fcstina lente"-
Hasten slowly. Having food and
raiment let us Herewith be content. y
We need recupcration-we need rest
Our moral and physical powers have
been drawn out to their utmost ten
S,on by the decentralization which has
shroudcd our land in darkness since
the war; and in many ca, es, the
chords of the former snapped at the
same with the latter Our moral sys-
ten needs medicine, and perfect quiet
Close the blnds-shnt the doors
and tread softly, for our moral person
is sick nigh unto death. 1.-THE whole
head is sick and the whole h--r. s-'"'-''
rncrc is no question as to our demon
alization. Money! Money! Mon
cyl! There is one thing that cries
give, give, give; and if this is not
conccded-takc, take, take, becomes
the cry. We read of minister who
has been tried and suspended from the
holy sacramcnts for breaking the
eighth and ninth commandments. We
read Of another who has eloped with
the wife of one Of his Pensioners of
another who has become Disguised
with Professionalism, and pronounced
it sad failure We read of hundreds,
who ignoring the simplicity of Apos-
tolic worship, are putting on fine vest
ments. and curious robes pontifical,
erecting affairs, and crucfixes and
pictures and images and organs, and
saying these are your gods, o, Israel
fall down and worship them" We
know that in this land, one sect of re-
ligion-was to think they were do
ing God service" by Stealing church
houses" from another, because their
politics differed. We know that
few years ago thousands of professors
Of the RI ligion of Jesus Christ in the
shape of an army, marched through
this land, burnt churches, robbed
sanctuaries, stole the costly "commun-
ion service" all by way of destroy
ing the works of the devil. If we
have heard one recently, we have
heard one hundred persons, say, 81
don't care much what do, so | make
money" Cheating and swindling
is the rule now, and | might as well |
have grab, as any body" We hear
it asserted on every hand, that "no
State or Federal officer can he honest,
and retain his place."
We hear of enormous rings" and
corners" for the express purpose of
lefrauding the out siders and the I'M
vary! We read Of and see nasty
lirty tricks plaN2 of on the innocent
md unsuspect M men of high po-
ition and Influence. We hear Of elo-
lnent and influential Statesmen liv-
ng in open concubinage with lewd
women in the very Capital of the ma
ion. We hear Of men taking the
cncit Of the Bankrupt Act, after hav-
ne mortgagcd and conveyed their
ropcrty away to their wives or near
cla,ivcs, and then buying up the
lortgagc or conveyance for a mere
ong. We heard man say few 4
'ecks ago IL wouldn't give a cent for {
fortune, If have TO work till | am !
'r.y-fvo or fifty years old, to get it," .
want it right now" The above is :,
D fancy sketch. Why talk Of mate a
al development, while "we'rc pitch 5
9 our tents towards Sodom," like
ct, only to lac consumed by the fires !,
heaven. How a ear people or a y
expect TO flourish and per. 0