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 SELIGMAN LIBRARY OF ECONOMICS 
 
DEFENCE . 
 
 AMERICAN CHARACTER: /c. 
 
 ESSAY ON WEALTH 
 
 OBJECT OF CUPIDITY OR THE MEANS OF DISTINCTION 
 IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 First published in the Port Folio. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 1819 . 
 
DEFENCE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 THAT the people of the United States, are peculiarly actuated 
 by the love of money, and that it is among them, in a peculiar 
 degree, the cause of distinction, is an opinion almost universally 
 entertained by foreigners, and too often sanctioned even by na¬ 
 tives. We are not disposed to deny the power of Plutus in tem¬ 
 poral affairs; but, on the contrary, admit that Venus, Cupid, Bac¬ 
 chus, Mars, Mercury, and Minerva, with all the muses and gra¬ 
 ces in their train, are nothing without him. To speak seriously, 
 we conceive that however high may be the usual estimate of the 
 influence of gold, it still falls considerably short of the truth. To ' 
 us it appears directly, or indirectly—either as a cause or conse-, 
 quence—to be indispensable, to every ground of worldly pre-emi¬ 
 nence. For upon what basis can such pre-eminence be founded, 
 unless it be on wealth, talents, education, birth, titles, or power? 
 Now of what avail are talents without education, and leisure for im¬ 
 provement; and how can these advantages be had without money? 
 If titles, power, or office do not originate from this source, with¬ 
 out it they can have little importance. ..... 
 
 Much of the deference shown to titled men, is due to the more, 
 elevated style in which superior pecuniary means may have enabled 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 them, or their ancestors to live. Were his majesty, his grace, or 
 his lordship, obliged to perform menial labour, their titles would 
 render them the objects of ridicule, instead of respect. 
 
 Is it not alleged in justification of the gorgeous and wasteful 
 luxury of princes and noblemen, that this extravagant use of mo¬ 
 ney is necessary to their consequence in the public eye? Our 
 intention is not to convey the idea that the opulence of the Euro¬ 
 pean nobility and gentry is their only actual claim to distinction. 
 We are aware of the cultivation of mind and manners, which 
 distinguishes some, and the refinement in folly or vice which is 
 so notorious in others: but, consider these traits as the result of the 
 long continuance of wealth, in the caste to which they belong. 
 A society must be liberated in a great measure from the cares of 
 life, before it can exercise that delicate, or whimsical turn of 
 taste and fancy, which is productive of the highest refinements, 
 or most exquisite absurdities. The power of being luxurious, 
 must be attained, before much progress will be made in the art of 
 being so, and a high degree of politeness is more likely to arise 
 where the advances made in it by one generation, are transmitted 
 to another. 
 
 But if independently of wealth, of the education which cannot 
 be obtained without wealth, er the talents which cannot be de¬ 
 veloped without education, birth and titles have any where an in¬ 
 trinsic capacity of bestowing distinction, it argues little in favour 
 of the countries, where such honours prevail, since nothing can be 
 more absurd, than the prevalence of pretensions founded neither 
 in moral, intellectual, nor physical excellence. It is natural, and 
 
 parent; but it is ridiculous for any one to presume on the inheri¬ 
 tance of an empty name- It may not be amiss to remark, that in 
 France and Germany, where titular pretensions have frequently 
 been unaccompanied by the support of hereditary wealth; they 
 have been much less regarded than in England, where it has 
 almost invariably been associated with them. 
 
 It may be said that when wealth is spoken of as a cause of 
 distinction; an exuberance of pecuniary means is implied, apd 
 that this exuberance is not necessary to the development of ta¬ 
 lents. We are very willing to admit this distinction, as we con- 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 5 
 
 ceive it highly favourable to the United States, where if thus de¬ 
 fined, wealth can scarcely be said to have any potentiality that 
 is in the nature of things separable from it. Did Franklin, 
 Rittenhouse, Hamilton, Ames, or Rush owe their celebrity to su¬ 
 perfluous riches? Who among our rich men, possess as much 
 moral or political influence over the more respectable part of 
 our community, as those of our legal and medical practition¬ 
 ers, who have had no other advantages than talents, education and 
 industry? 
 
 Power as a basis of superiority, may be supposed independent 
 of that in question: but it is curious to remark how intimately the 
 one is interwoven with the other. They appear to be coexistent: 
 both conferring a command over the objects of human cupidity. 
 Wealth is infact one species of power. It were difficult to imagine 
 any case in which they ure less associated, than that of the Lion. 
 Yet the extraordinary strength and weapons with which nature has 
 endowed this animal, constitute, or give rise to a sort of wealth, 
 since every creature within his reach is in' effect as much his 
 property, as the sheep in the fold are the property of the owner. 
 
 Wealth then consists of things which are desirable or necessary, 
 or of that which commands them- When any thing ceases to be 
 of this nature or to have this command, it ceases to merit that 
 appellation. Hence the trite remark, that gold is not wealth 
 in a desert. If a man love to be independent, be averse from 
 hard labour, or menial occupations; if he wish .to see his family 
 in comfort, his children well educated; to have leisure to culti¬ 
 vate his mindj or to contemplate or sUiclyj the beauties of na- 
 
 ture, or wonders of the universe; he caonot be indifferent to 
 means without which indulgence in these respects, is unattain' 
 
 able. It is, indeed, too true, whatever may be said by theorists, 
 that although no degree of wealth will ensure happiness, there 
 is a degree of poverty; which must produce misery. 
 
 Never probably, was a grosser calumny pronounced against hu¬ 
 man nature, by purblind moralists, than that which attributes to 
 men universally, a thirst lor gold. Equally calculated to facili¬ 
 tate the views of the wise and the weak, the good and the bad; 
 : n order duly to estimate those who seek it with avidity, the mo- 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 lives, not the ardour of this avidity must be considered. In the 
 first instance it is usually sought merely as a stepping stone to 
 other objects, but life being for the most part spent in acquiring 
 it, that which was really secondary or intermediate, often ap¬ 
 pears and sometimes becomes the primary care. The passions 
 of love, of ambition, conjugal, paternal, filial, and even brotherly 
 affection, and the truly meritorious desire of independence, may 
 any of them be the motive of those, who are accused of avarice. 
 This disease of the mind, as Johnson so well defines it, seems to 
 arise from a sort of weakness, through which the means are con¬ 
 founded with the end; and all the attractive ideas or pleasing 
 emotions produced by the hope of gratification in predominant 
 propensities, become associated with the notion of wealth. Thus 
 the miser fascinated by the ideal pleasure resulting from the 
 conscious power of indulgence, becomes so morbidly anxious 
 to increase or perpetuate this power, as to be altogether regard¬ 
 less of what others call substantial enjoyment. 
 
 There is then a potency in wealth, which in every society, how¬ 
 ever improved or moral, is directly or indirectly the principal 
 mean or basis of superiority. 
 
 But if to the gratification of noble and virtuous sentiments, 
 and the indulgence of low and vitious propensities, wealth be 
 equally necessary; a nation the least avaricious may be most uni¬ 
 versally eager in the acquisition of it. 
 
 In those countries where it may be less universally sought with 
 activity, it does not follow that it will be less universally desired. 
 Entails or the right of primogeniture may render it equally diffi¬ 
 cult for one portion of the community to be without, or for another 
 to gain it. A third portion may by custom be permitted to deal 
 in nothing but their blood, military commissions or parliamentary 
 suffrage, while ignorance, indigence, or want of opportunity or 
 enterprize, may deter a large number of the remainder from ex¬ 
 ertions for independence. But we would inquire if there be any 
 people with whom a guinea would have less power than with 
 our countrymen. The only difference, probably is that the latter 
 are more constantly engaged in obtaining, what the others crave 
 equally, or more; but which want of opportunity, or of habitual 
 cleverness prevents them from seeking in the samepvay. 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 It is true our citizens are found encountering the hardships of 
 the wilderness, the dangers of the ocean, and the vicissitudes of 
 every season and climate in pursuit of emolument; but it is notori¬ 
 ous that the noble spirit of independence, the desire of marriage, 
 or of supporting a wife and children, are the usual incentives 
 to such sacrifices. Among those who may have been seen alter¬ 
 nately in either continent or hemisphere; immolating in appear¬ 
 ance for gain, their health, youth, orintellectual powers, there are 
 many whom we have personally known to possess spirits of he 
 most exalted kind; and to have been actuated by motives which 
 if recorded ought to immortalize their names. 
 
 Can there be a more meritorious cause for exertion than 
 the support of an impoverished parent, or widowed sister? How 
 imperfect must be that test of observation, which can confound 
 this highest species of generosity, with a most selfish and ignoble 
 cupidity? 
 
 Nevertheless among the stimulants by which the mass of spe¬ 
 culators here are actuated, we are sensible much must be placed 
 to the account of folly and vice. But the fair view of the sub¬ 
 ject, is not whether the pursuit of gain for such purposes, be 
 more frequent here than elsewhere, but whether the love of 
 it be greater. If absurd luxury, and vicious sensuality, be not 
 more common among us; (and especially if they be less so, as we 
 sincerely believe;) the pursuit of money for the purpose of indul¬ 
 gence, is far from being an additional evil. 
 
 Such follies and vices are vastly more injurious to the morals 
 of the individual, and the welfare of the community, where aris¬ 
 tocratic pride, or a deficiency of enterprize, industry or skill, 
 permits the votary of pleasure, no other means of increasing- the 
 
 power of gratification, than the gaming table, venal marriage or 
 
 political corruption. For the pursuit of gain through the medium 
 of commerce, not only affords a more moral mode of accom¬ 
 plishing a contemptible purpose, but tends also, to furnish the 
 mind another habit of occupation. The money sought in youth 
 with a view to sensual enjoyment, is at a later age often applied 
 to the maintenance of a family. 
 
 As to marry, without a prospect of adequate means, is to plunge 
 voluntarily into a scene of distress, which the love or disinterest- 
 
8 
 
 THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 edness of the parlies, is little calculated to palliate; it is to be 
 presumed that wealth will here, as elsewhere, facilitate marriage 
 and sometimes be the motive of it: but it is certain that an avow¬ 
 edly venal connexion is more rare in this country than in others. 
 When brought about by the maneuvering of relations, it always 
 excites contempt: and open negotiations for the purpose are un¬ 
 known. 
 
 The idea originates almost invariably with the parties them¬ 
 selves; and in this country it is considered ridiculous to consult 
 the parents of a young lady, before addressing her: so universally 
 is this contract viewed as a matter of fancy and feeling, rather 
 than of calculation or prudence. 
 
 In fact the habitual cultivation of the money-making faculty, 
 however it may retard the refinement of taste, or improvement of 
 the understanding, has at least the advantage of rendering venali¬ 
 ty and corruption less necessary. The deference paid to the dic¬ 
 tates of the heart in forming matrimonial connexions, is one cause 
 no doubt of that exclusive devotion of our married women, to their 
 husbands and children, which must have forcibly struck every 
 foreigner not blinded by prejudice. This devotion is a very pow¬ 
 erful guarantee, against that pecuniary extravagance, which is so 
 prevalent in Europe, among fashionable women. The waste of 
 money, is almost always attended or followed by the want of it. 
 But how despicable is an avidity thus created; and especially if 
 compared with that which springs from a wish to educate a family, 
 and usher them into the world under favourable circumstances. 
 Such a wish with few exceptions we believe to be the principal 
 foundation of the desire of property among the married portion of 
 our countrywomen. 
 
 It has always appeared to us as remarkably inconsistent that 
 those Europeans who despise all efforts to procure money, 
 through commercial industry, should tolerate the practice of 
 gambling. However in other respects deficient, we can exultingly 
 say that the society in which we have been brought up, is too re¬ 
 fined to tolerate this practice. Above all a gambling woman is 
 despised. The practice of leaving money, under the candlesticks 
 to defray the expenses, and the sale of tickets, which is men- 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER.' 
 
 tioned by M. Simon, in his tour through England, would not be 
 tolerated in this country. ' . 
 
 Having as we trust, said enough to demonstrate that the spirit 
 which actuates the people of the United States, is not character¬ 
 istically sordid; we shall proceed to consider the other opinion, 
 that wealth is among them preeminently the cause of distinction. 
 
 Probably the chief reason why travellers, overrate the impor¬ 
 tance of wealth in this country, when compared with others,-is f 
 that its effects are more easily traced. As there are no entails, 
 nor any rule of primogeniture, to prevent estates from being dis¬ 
 severed, and dissipated; and as the field for enterprise andihdustry, 
 has been prolific and extensive, changes of fortune are peculiarly 
 frequent. Men who are destitute of personal claims to distinction, 
 bring themselves into notice by their pecuniary acquisitions-. , By 
 educating their children, they confer on them true claims to dis¬ 
 tinction. Others again having great personal merit, but inherit¬ 
 ing too small a portion of a divided estate, to support the luxury 
 of fashionable life, have to retire into the woods for subsistence; 
 and are unable to afford their offspring sufficient opportunity of 
 improvement. 
 
 Thus one family is seen to sink into, and another to rise from 
 among the unpolished or unlettered crowd; and the most superfi¬ 
 cial glance discovers a change in their pecuniary means, to be the 
 common cause of the elevation of the one, and the decline of the 
 other. But when the effects of wealth, are permanently secured 
 in certain classes, as in Europe, it requires much reflection tci 
 trace them to their source. For, independently of the difficulty of 
 looking back to a period, so remote as that when they first took 
 place, most inquirers think they have reached the bottom of the 
 subject, when they discover power, office, titles, birth, or superior 
 cultivation of mind and manners, not recollecting that wealth is- 
 to these, as the soil to the seed, or water to a cascade. 
 
 How numerous are the expenses in dress, equipage,, dwelling, 
 and attendance, requisite to a footing in high life; yet a deficiency 
 resulting from indigence is viewed as much more degrading than- 
 the omissions arising from whim. We suspect there are few 
 fashionable people, who would not rather be thought to wear 
 defective apparel, from choice than necessity. 
 
10 
 
 THE AMERICAN,CHARACTER. 
 
 So inseparably are certain expensive appearances associated 
 with rank, that few men have strength ot mind, not to feel de¬ 
 graded by the want of them. Indeed degradation invariably fol¬ 
 lows in the eyes of the unthinking multitude: for however dispo¬ 
 sed to flatter themselves, with the idea of being intrinsically 
 equal to their worldly superiors, they are really fascinated by 
 adventitious splendour, as if it were a consequence of superi¬ 
 ority, instead of a cause. This weakness of human nature is very 
 apparent at theatrical exhibitions, which owe to it much of that 
 agreeably, illusive power, whence an actor who is personally con¬ 
 temptible, may pass for the time as an illustrious hero. 
 
 The effect of this theatrical pomp, must be more impressive 
 in countries, in which office and power are always attended by it; 
 than in one where their deficiency in these attributes is so great, 
 as to be satirized by strangers. Thus then we have a most im¬ 
 portant case, in which the pageantry of wealth is less necessary 
 to rank in the new, than in the old world. 
 
 We are sensible that where wealth acts indirectly, remotely, 
 or in connexion with other causes, its influence is much less of¬ 
 fensive than when it acts openly, and directly, or by itself. Hence 
 no doubt it arises, that the distinction bestowed by it on upstart 
 rich families, is more obnoxious than that derived from it by such 
 as are rich by remote inheritance. 
 
 The influence arising from new made fortunes in our society, 
 is very much misconceived by foreigners, who mistake notoriety 
 for distinction, and the attentions of the gay and fashionable, for 
 demonstrations of sincere respect. Those who come under the 
 latter description here have but little weight, and they often fre¬ 
 quent the houses of persons, of whom their opinions are con¬ 
 temptuous. They assemble not for the society of the host, but 
 for that of each other; their object, being amusement, his, ostenta¬ 
 tion. But would not houses of recreation be frequented in any 
 part of the globe, if such were the medium of compensation? 
 Where is it that people will not do a man the honour, to eat his 
 mutton, and drink his wine; provided he affords them an oppor¬ 
 tunity, at the same time of meeting agreeable company? 
 
 Yet such ostentation if it exceed a certain point, is, in its con¬ 
 sequences, worse than negative. Nothing is gained by much ex- 
 
THE AMERICAN CHARACTER; U 
 
 celling our companions in luxury: for in the same proportion that 
 pride and vanity are gratified on one side, they are •wounded, on 
 the other. . .. . . , , i 
 
 Upon the whole we do not see that such opulent men, derive 
 from their wealth in our country any thing, whichthey would .net 
 obtain in others; unless it be that in Europe, their ostentations ef- 
 forts, to gain notoriety would be eclipsed, by the more skilful 
 display of hereditary opulence. , t . . 
 
 Of all the advantages resulting from affluence, none, would 
 seem so enviable, as the facility, it affords, for the .exercise,, of 
 otherwise latent virtues. A man may be.;in the highest, degree 
 generous, just, humane and philanthropic: and yet his means so 
 narrow, as that these exalted qualifications shall; in this.world; 
 produce neither much credit to himself, nor benefit to others. 
 Heaven seems usually to balance the otherwise too great advan¬ 
 tages of affluence by contracting the heart, while it expands the 
 means; for it is deplorable to see how little those who acquire this 
 privilege avail themselves of it. So far however as they do, it must 
 in all situations give them an ascendancy, over such as with equal 
 m oral excellence, have less physical power. Among the more hum 
 ble of the virtues, of which the exercise is thus facilitated, hos¬ 
 pitality is perhaps the most frequent. Even when arising, more 
 or less in vanity and pride, as is usually the case, as well as 
 in sympathy, the distinction thus acquired is in our view hon¬ 
 ourable to the individual who receives, and the society that 
 confers it, and we are proud in the belief that much of that influ¬ 
 ence among us, which shallow observers have attributed to a 
 sordid veneration of wealth, is due to a grateful impression 
 made by hospitality and other estimable qualifications; which 
 however prevalent among the poor, can only be extensively dis¬ 
 played by the rich. 
 
 But the considerations which most of all others tend to render 
 the idea of a peculiar efficacy in wealth, in this country exqui¬ 
 sitely absurd, are those of its notorious inefficiency in promoting 
 political preferment, or controlling judicial proceedings. Politi-- 
 cally it has too little influence. The rich are with few exceptions 
 every where in the minority. Bribery in our courts of justice is 
 unknown. In the annals of our judiciary, there is not a single in- 
 
] 2 the AMERICAN CHARACTER. 
 
 stance, where the losing party has attributed the result to this 
 source. Considering how much the feelings are embittered by 
 loss, and how far men are disposed to blame those who decide 
 against them, there can be no doubt that such accusation, would 
 have been made had there been the slightest ground for it 
 The only advantage which money gives here, in litigation, is that 
 which it must give every where, a superior ability to support 
 the costs. The leaning both in our courts, and in our elections is 
 against those who have most of it. It will neither buy an office, 
 a military commission, nor a seat in the national legislature. It is 
 almost unnecessary to say, where it will effect such purchases. 
 The suffrage of the American people, is easily obtained by exci¬ 
 ting their prejudices, or by flattering their vanity, but, an appeal 
 to their avarice would only awaken their indignation. 
 
 I