Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-16
NATIONAL PROSPERITY.


tween the family and the nation. In fact, a
nation is simply number of families united
together for purposes of mutual advantage.
This uniting of families together, and thus
forming nations, is the result of the social
principle which is in mans nature. One man,
singly and alone, can effect nothing. The
purpose for which man was designed can be
subserved only by united effort. Naturally,
man desires society, and society is absolutely
necessary to the full and proper development
of his powers. One man, or multitude of
men, each acting for himself never could
cross the ocean, subdue the forest, construct
roads, build cities, or even cultivate the soil.
One individual will not, in the proper sense,
constitute family neither will one family
constitute a nation. TO constitute a family,
several individuals, whose interests are the
same, must be united together and to con-
stitute nation, many families must be
Joined together in federal compact.
1t is easy to see that national prosperity
depends upon individual prosperity. The
highest possible stage Of national prosperity
is that which is attained by the prosperity of
all those forming the nation the lowest is
that in which all who form the nation are in
ruined condition. The former constitute
the uHimathule of civilization; the latter
plunges us into barbarism. There are no ex-
amples of nations prosperous in all their con-
stituent parts. Even in the best ordered fam
ily, there is some erratc member whose way
ward acts mar its own happiness, and render
the prosperity of the whole family precarious
80 III tire pesu arranged ana most wisely coll
Quoted governments, there are families whose
prosperity is never visible They seem to be
constantly rowing against wind and wave
AS the whole of anything must be of the
same nature and kind as the parts which
compose it, so the general character of a ma
ton must be similar to that of the individual
families which compose it. If all these are in
prosperous condition, the nation is prosper
Gus to the highest degree; if the majority of
families are prosperous, the nation is prosper
Gus in the ordinary acceptation if, however,
the multitude of families composing nation
are not in prosperous condition, the nation
is fast approaching barbarism and if all the
families in tract of country become barbar-
Gus, whatever may have been their former
condition, they lose their nationality. The
strength of chain is its weakest link. So it
is with nation. Its strength must be estl-
mated by its weakest feature. Its prosperity
must be reckoned not from the data afforded
by single individual, but from that afforded
by all.
A correct knowledge of what constitutes
national prosperity will go long way in dis
pelling individual prejudices and misconceiv-
ed notions. Some people seem to have no
higher idea of prosperity than to suppose that
because one individual lives in a castle and
fares sumptuously, whilst hundreds covered
with poverty labor to support his pride, that
things are in prosperous condition. How
ever congenial such state Of things may be
to individual pride, it is baneful to everything
like national growth and prosperity. Such
an individual might build pyramid, but he
would be unwilling to entrust his lifeless body
within it, as a tomb, lest it would be dragged
out and cast to the dogs, by his miserable de-
pendents.