EEVIEW. 103 



lands, whicli, as a general thing, they did not need, already 

 liaviug more than they could form properl3^ 



But the constant upward tendency of lands in price, marked 

 them as a fovorite investment for all who could avail themselves 

 of the means to buy, and what lacked in actual means, was 

 usually made up in credit. As in all similar matters that are 

 having a favorable run, the brisk demand still stmiulated prices 

 to so high a figure, that many who would otherwise have been 

 contented, were prompted to throw themselves into the market 

 for a sale of their farms, so far at least, as to unsettle all perma- 

 nent plans of improvement, and to cause them to feel that they 

 were but transient and unsettled residents, liable to sell out and. 

 shift, the first good offer. And this state of things naturally 

 brought even a greater degree of instability, than had previously 

 existed, although instability and change are the characteristic 

 foults of all new countries. Nearly everything in the way of 

 real property, came to be held for sale, and when bought, it was 

 usually to sell again ; thus a spirit of speculation had well nigh 

 arisen out of the flush and prosperous times, demonstrating 

 thereby, what is undoubtedly true, viz. : that good times 

 are more dangerous to most of people, than bad, — just 

 the time when all but the most prudent, dip largely into debt, 

 and usually for what they do not need, and cannot use. 



Let us consider briefly, a few of the more manifest fruits of 

 this unhallowed spirit of speculation, or desire to make money 

 by buying and selling^ without working and earning, by useful 

 productive industry. 



1st. A spirit of speculation, however engendered, begets an 

 idleness and disinclination to other business, that is absolutely 

 undermining and ruinous to all good and sober habits of con- 

 tented industry. When this spirit has fairly got possession of 

 a person, he is, for all useful purposes, next door to ruin ; for 

 small is the number of confirmed speculators who do not soon 

 learn to practice the kindred and almost inseparable vice of 

 falsehood and deception, to accomplish their ends. When was 

 there ever a horse jockey that would lose a good trade on a 

 point of veracity ? And if a horse will tempt a man so far, 



