The love of money, as the motive power, guiding, stirring, leading mankind into all sorts of unprincipled scheming, is the root of all evil. It comes to this ere long, that shop or office morality deadens the conscience, blears the eyes, and stops the ears of the entire community. The rule of morality is trimmed and squared down to suit the demand for it. It is said most unblushingly, that men in business have not to do with truth itself, but TRUTH AS GENERALLY RECEIVED. This is practically, rank, staring ne-theism, however many psalms may be sung, organs ground, or creeds and prayers repeated.

It has been thought possible by many modern politicians, that the readiest cure for the universal social disorganisation that every now and then vomits up its lurid lava of insurrection, is to abolish kingly rule and aristocratic government, and substitute democratical institutions concreted into republican government for a better and more powerful purger of the miseries corroding the life of the vast mass of modern civilization. It is gravely stated, as an axiom of political economy, that republics have shewn themselves freer from corruption than monarchies; and that more especially, the United States of America may safely be appealed to in illustration of the blessings attending pure and unlimited democratic institutions. It is argued that since monarchs are despots, therefore a purely democratic government is the personification of freedom, and that because a feudal aristocracy has usurped the functions of an aristocracy of a better stamp, therefore the rule of absolute democracies is a power better calculated to attain the object sought, namely the social happiness and prosperity of individuals; and by cementing that individual happiness to form it into a national prosperity, founded on the unalterable and eternal laws of social science.

A greater mistake never was made, a more illogical train of argument never was attempted; and the best possible proof of the falsity of this idea, is to be found in the present anomalous condition of that model republic the United States of America. Many modern politicians point to this as the

EVILS OF A DOMINANT PLUTOCRACY.

model of good government.

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To this Cæsar, so appealed to,

we consent to go, and shew that of all systems, a greedy plutocracy is the vilest of abominations, the worship of wealth the most deadly drug. Of all degradations, the tyranny of money grubbers affords the worst specimens. It turns truth inside out, and perverts the law of nature and nature's vital upholder to suit the villany and cupidity of a grasping and domineering plutocracy, before whom no compunction stands to oppose, whom no remorse deters, who care for no law, no scruple, no whisper of the monitory voice of conscience, and who rashly and recklessly break through all wise conditions of existence, and brave the scorn and contempt of honourable men, in a course of unprincipled scrambling for money, by all methods, by all powers of chicanery, fraud, or force, to aggrandise themselves, their connections, and party, to the loss, and perhaps the total ruin, of the unhappy victims that stand within reach of their hungry talons.

An eagle scorns such quarry as these "fillibustering "vultures" smell out. The history of Ahab, Jezebel, and Naboth's vineyard, is lost upon the mental bias of kings and presidents. They lust, they must eat, they do touch the forbidden thing, and consequently they must ultimately perish by the judgment they have invoked upon themselves.*

Now listen to the voice of James Buchanan, president of the United States of America. Thus he speaks in the month of February, in the year of grace 1859:

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"Public expenditures have now reached the enormous sum of fifty millions of dollars per annum; and unless "arrested in their advance by the strong arm of the democracy of the country, may, in the course of a few years, "reach one hundred millions!

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"The appropriation of money to accomplish great "national objects sanctioned by the constitution, ought to be "on a scale commensurate with our power and resources as a "nation; but its expenditure ought to be conducted under the

* Written in 1859, prior to the disruption of the United States.

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guidance of enlightened economy and strict responsibility. "I am convinced that our expenses ought to be considerably "reduced below the present standard, not only without detriment, but with positive advantage both to the government "and the people. An excessive and lavish expenditure of the public money, though in itself highly pernicious, is nothing "when compared with the disastrous influence it may exert upon the character of our free institutions. A strong "tendency to extravagance is the great political evil of the "present day, and this ought to be firmly resisted. Congress "is now incessantly importuned from every quarter to make appropriations for all sorts of projects. Money from the "national treasury is constantly demanded, to enrich con"tractors, speculators, and agents, and these projects are gilded "over with every allurement which can be imparted to them "by ingenuity and talent. Claims which had been con"demned by former decisions, and had become rusty with "age, have been again revived, and have been paid principal "and interest. Indeed there seems to be one general rush "to obtain money from the treasury, on any and every "pretence. What will be the immediate consequences of "such lavish expenditure? Is it not calculated to disturb "the nicely adjusted balance between federal and state go"vernments, upon the preservation of which depend the “ harmony and efficiency of our system? Greedy expectants "from the general treasury will regard with indifference, if "not with contempt, the governments of the several states. "The doctrine of states' rights will be laughed to scorn by "such individuals as an absolute abstraction, unworthy of "the enlightened spirit of the age. The corrupting power of

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money will be felt throughout the length and breadth of "the land; and the democracy, led on by the hero and sage "of the hermitage, will have in vain put down the bank of "the United States; if the same fatal influence for which it "was condemned shall be exerted and fostered by means "drawn from the public treasury.

"To be liberal with their own money, but sparing of that "of the republic, was the glory of the distinguished

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DEMAGOGISM THE BANE OF TRUE LIBERTY.

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public servants among the ancient Romans. When this " maxim was reversed, and the public money was employed by artful and ambitious demagogues to secure their own "aggrandisement, genuine liberty soon expired. It is true "the forms of the republic continued for many years, but "the animating and inspiring soul had fled for ever. I "entertain no serious apprehensions that we shall ever reach "this point, yet we may still profit by the example."

Such is President Buchanan's warning to a go-a-head, dollar-grasping, annexing democracy, whom he cannot control, and consequently cannot govern. The republican steamengine has acquired such an impetus from accelerating pecuniary forces, that the governor has no longer any hold upon the machine, and in fact it is no use. It has become a mere ornamental adjunct, steam is generated faster than it can be worked or blown off; the safety valves have been fastened down, water temporarily cut off from the boiler, and all goes whirling round like mad till the whole explodes.

Mr. Buchanan speaks of the strong arm of democracy arresting expenditures. What does the man mean? Is he going to call the lower mob to pump cold water on the higher mob? Where is this heaven-inspired democracy that is to stem the torrent of increasing extravagance? The President invokes a power he may no more be able to control than the parliament he complains of. He says that a strong tendency to extravagance is the greatest political evil of the present day. Some politicians say the same thing of Great Britain, and they appeal to this precious republic as a model form of government, to guide statesmen in Britain in their administrative proceedings and expenses. Yet Buchanan says the American treasury is in a state of siege, by an army of grasping contractors, speculators, and agents, all rushing for dollars, on any and every pretence. The logical inference from his language is, that some of these pretences are nothing but roguery. He predicts a political convulsion, and says the corrupting power of money will shake the props of the commonwealth. Then allusion is made to the past

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history of the bank of the United States, and warning given to remember the unprincipled bribery and organised corruption of bygone political and commercial adventurers; and after a melancholy whine over departed republican greatness, this unhappy president concludes with a desperate attempt to convince himself that there is no imminent danger, since past examples may warn them in time.

All this time the annexation of Cuba, Texas, and Canada, together with increased slavery, is going on. Quos Deus vult perdere prius dementat.

There are now in this world three codes of morality, or motive power, that sustain civilized men in their social positions, and uphold law, order, and the price of state stocks.

The first, for kings.

The second, for all noblemen, or respectable persons possessed of landed or real property, valuing long life and respectability.

The third for the lower orders, who have no legal right to anything, except what they can get, and up to this hour it is precious little that they have been able to get.

The first is, trust in providence by keeping your powder dry.

The second is, keep your weather eye open, and regulate biliary and other secretions; trusting in providence as a respectable adjunct.

The third is, trust in providence by loving your neighbour as well as you can.

Now it is evident that the first two systems have practically set aside the dependence upon divine providence altogether, although nominally trusting in this power. But the last are sufferers from an important alteration in the original law, which, without setting aside altogether the necessary trust in providence, does materially alter the application of its working between man and man; and the consequences have been, are, and will be most disastrous, until this illegal alteration has been expunged from civilization's statute book. We might ask why the lower orders of society were invented,