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Editorial
March 1, 1839
Marshall County Republican
Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi
What is this article about?
An 1839 editorial satirically laments the decline of poetry, music, and human generosity amid the era's obsession with speculation, paper money ('shin plasters'), and a mercenary spirit, contrasting it with divine giving.
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THE REPUBLICAN.
PUBLISHED TWICE A WEEK EVERY FRIDAY AND TUESDAY—BY E. PERCY ROWE.
Terms—$4, per annum, if paid in advance—$5, if paid at the expiration of 6 months—$6 at the end of the Year
HOLLY SPRINGS, MARCH 1, 1839,
No one should write Poetry in these shin plaster days; unless capable of putting Say, Adam Smith, Ricardo and M'Culloch into melodious rhyme. 'Cause why? Poetry on any other subject than political economy is valueless and unsaleable—a drug in the market. Iago's counsel "Put money in thy purse," is the order of the day. There is no music in the soul of man in these cold, calculating, cent. per cent. bank-mania times. Milton, Shakespeare, Burns and Pope, are in dust on the shelf.— Their dulcet numbers have no music to the present generation—the soul of music has left the world: it disappeared with the jingle of hard dollars. A mercenary spirit—the "iron" of "Speculation" took its place what time the devil communicated to the human family the mania for rag money. Almost every third man is more or less afflicted with the "itch" aforenamed, and we fear the day is approaching when every man will turn his shirt to avoid paying his precious shin-plaster bill to have it washed. There are some men now who would sell wooden nutmegs to their own daddies and call it "speculation." We, ourself, we say it, have caught the "itch" of covetousness, and actually caught ourself "beating down" an old woman who had eggs and onions for sale, the other day; and so frequently have we heard the remark, "that's too much! that's too much!" that we never buy anything or pay a bill without turning up the white of our eyes and exclaiming "that's too much! that's too much! Confound the picayune spirit of the age, say we, when man who was formed in the image of his God, of that Being who GIVES us everything we have, without money and without price should so far degrade his noble nature, as to let greasy, dirty, filthy, scraps of paper stamped with oil and lamp-black, banish from his breast the godlike attribute of generosity.
PUBLISHED TWICE A WEEK EVERY FRIDAY AND TUESDAY—BY E. PERCY ROWE.
Terms—$4, per annum, if paid in advance—$5, if paid at the expiration of 6 months—$6 at the end of the Year
HOLLY SPRINGS, MARCH 1, 1839,
No one should write Poetry in these shin plaster days; unless capable of putting Say, Adam Smith, Ricardo and M'Culloch into melodious rhyme. 'Cause why? Poetry on any other subject than political economy is valueless and unsaleable—a drug in the market. Iago's counsel "Put money in thy purse," is the order of the day. There is no music in the soul of man in these cold, calculating, cent. per cent. bank-mania times. Milton, Shakespeare, Burns and Pope, are in dust on the shelf.— Their dulcet numbers have no music to the present generation—the soul of music has left the world: it disappeared with the jingle of hard dollars. A mercenary spirit—the "iron" of "Speculation" took its place what time the devil communicated to the human family the mania for rag money. Almost every third man is more or less afflicted with the "itch" aforenamed, and we fear the day is approaching when every man will turn his shirt to avoid paying his precious shin-plaster bill to have it washed. There are some men now who would sell wooden nutmegs to their own daddies and call it "speculation." We, ourself, we say it, have caught the "itch" of covetousness, and actually caught ourself "beating down" an old woman who had eggs and onions for sale, the other day; and so frequently have we heard the remark, "that's too much! that's too much!" that we never buy anything or pay a bill without turning up the white of our eyes and exclaiming "that's too much! that's too much! Confound the picayune spirit of the age, say we, when man who was formed in the image of his God, of that Being who GIVES us everything we have, without money and without price should so far degrade his noble nature, as to let greasy, dirty, filthy, scraps of paper stamped with oil and lamp-black, banish from his breast the godlike attribute of generosity.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Moral Or Religious
Economic Policy
What keywords are associated?
Shin Plasters
Speculation
Mercenary Spirit
Political Economy
Generosity
Bank Mania
Rag Money
What entities or persons were involved?
Adam Smith
Ricardo
M'culloch
Milton
Shakespeare
Burns
Pope
Iago
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Critique Of Mercenary Spirit And Speculation In The Age Of Shin Plasters
Stance / Tone
Satirical Lamentation Against Greed And Loss Of Generosity
Key Figures
Adam Smith
Ricardo
M'culloch
Milton
Shakespeare
Burns
Pope
Iago
Key Arguments
Poetry Is Valueless Unless On Political Economy
No Music In The Soul During Bank Mania Times
Mercenary Spirit Replaced Generosity With Speculation And Rag Money
Men Afflicted With Itch Of Covetousness
Degradation Of Noble Nature By Filthy Paper Money
God Gives Without Price, Unlike Human Greed