112 Tji A XS ACTIONS OF T7IIC 



of the Marabout. And yet often it is to be fairly inferred that tlio 

 enthusiasm is altnucther fictitious, and for no ^ood purpose. The 

 wretcii wiio hoMs aK)t"t a li^ht to niisk'ad t\\v }j;<jt)il ship, frei^lited 

 with wealth, and bearing in her bosom untohl love, hopes, and sym- 

 pathies, and thus treaeherously casts lu-r away, that he may steal her 

 cargo and strip her dead, is only in the destruction of human life 

 worse than he who willfully niishads, Ity false signs, the weak and 

 despairing in the stock speculations of our day. Poverty, suicide, 

 and sedition follow them, but whoever saw any great industry under- 

 taken by such wealth, by which employment and bread could be 

 procurecl? And yet such is the justice of our times that of all wealth 

 — this kind peculiarly — in this time of a new w-orld and revelation, 

 has escajied without challenge and without critichsm. Sometimes 

 "the wicked jtrize itself buys out the law."' Young men. remember 

 that in Heaven's Chancery one honest heart, and in political economy, 

 one dollar earned by honest labor, are worth all these men and their 

 wealth together. 



As to that cla.ss of accumulations, where capital has been rein- 

 vested and enlarged by skill, and the knowledge that gives skill, 

 lands and the great railroad coi"i)orations are the most marked 

 examiiles. 



1 admit in the largest and completest sense of the expression, that 

 the large holdings of real estate at present existing in this State are 

 not in accordance to the highest interests of the State, and 1 admit 

 still further that when these estates have been subjected to reason- 

 able skill — have been reduced to actual use, covered with improve- 

 ments, peojded with an industrious, temi)erate, and intelligent 

 tenantry — the evil is only diminished, not removed. 



But yet there is nothing in the fact of such holdings, nor in the 

 manner of their acfiuisition, authorizing the entertaining or express- 

 ing of personal animosity towards those who have been unfortunate 

 enough to fall into such investments. Those who have entered gov- 

 ernment lands for speculative purposes only, who do not improve, 

 but simi)ly hold for a rise in ])rice,are not altogether without defense. 

 They buy in j»ursuance to an invitation given by the iteoi»le, through 

 their laws. They buy because no man desiring a home at one dollar 

 and twenty-live cents per acre has iirei'iniited the desired land. The 

 government takes the money. What is there wrong in one's com- 

 l)lying with such invitation, and paying the price? Those who hold 

 under Spanish titles are still less open to as.sault. Their title is not 

 only honorable, by the terms and reasons of the original grant, but 

 is sanctioned by the law of nations and ratilied l)y solemn treaty. If 

 we do not like these principalities, as they are called, we must not 

 annex any more of Mexico where they exist. 



While these considerations by no means make these holdings poli- 

 tic, it seems to me they ought to disarm hatred, and induce a fair 

 spirit of discussion, instead of virulence and malediction. 



It is, however, the corporations, and es[)ecially the railroad corpo- 

 rations, which receive most of the abuse, of which some ])ortion of 

 the public has relieved its overcharged heart. We are all, I trust, 

 for holding these bodies to the full discharge of their duties, arising 

 from their character and contract, and in doing this I hope we are 

 willing to treat them exactly as we treat any other moneyed interest. 



The real objection made to these people is, that they made with the 

 government a most excellent trade for themselves, and one which 



