Chap. VI.]

THE MERCANTILE PROFESSION.

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the proper pursuit of wealth, it is not the highest, much less theexclusive pursuit. To elevate the moral and intellectual charac-ter of himself, of his fellow-citizens, of his country, — these arethe first and highest objects. Admirable as the morality ofFranklin is, for its own purposes, a higher and more generousmorality is requisite for slave-holders.”*

CHAPTER VI.

MORAL TENDENCY AND INFLUENCE OF COMMERCE ANDMERCHANDISE AS A PROFESSION.

On our merchants, more than on any other class of our citi-zens, the reputation of our country for probity and honor imme-diately depends. The effects of the conduct of others are chieflyconfined within our own limits ; and the good or evil they maydo, is seldom felt or known beyond them. The merchant, on thecontrary, in the prosecution of his business, touches every portionof the earth, and comes in contact with the people of all nations.Whether our statesmen are wise and patriotic ; our legislatorsenlightened and eloquent; our divines accomplished and pious ;our lawyers and physicians skilful, learned, and faithful; ourmechanics, ingenious and industrious, are domestic concerns,questions of opinion or prejudice, about which strangers maydiffer with us, without any imputation upon us as a moral and justpeople ; — but whether our merchants are honest; whether theyare upright and conscientious ; whether it is safe or dangerous todeal with them, are questions of fact, in which foreigners have aclose and daily interest; are questions, too, not of theoreticalspeculation, but to be decided by the evidence of experience, bythe actual transactions of business, not to be misunderstood byany capacity, nor concealed from the dullest comprehension.

The American merchant, then, should never forget, that heholds the character of his country, as well as his own, as a sacred

* Judge Harper’s Oration before the South Carolina Society for the Advance-ment of Learning, December, 1835 ; p. 13.