CASH, CORN, AND COAL MARKETS.


A circle of a few hundred yards only in diameter, of which the centre
should be the Duke of Wellington's statue in front of the Royal
Exchange, London, would enclose within its magic girdle a far greater
amount of real, absolute power, than was ever wielded by the most
magnificent conqueror of ancient or modern times. There can be no
doubt of this; for is it not the mighty heart of the all but
omnipotent money force of the world, whose aid withheld, invincible
armies become suddenly paralysed, and the most gallant fleets that
ever floated can neither brave the battle nor the breeze? And this
stupendous power, say moralists, has neither a god, a country, nor a
conscience! To-day, upon security, it will furnish arms and means to
men struggling to rescue their country from oppression, themselves
from servitude and chains--to-morrow, upon the assurance of a good
dividend, it will pay the wages of the soldiery who have successfully
desolated that country, and exterminated or enslaved its defenders.
Trite, if sad commonplaces these, to which the world listens, if at
all, with impatient indifference. I have not a very strong faith in
the soundness of the commercial evangel upon this subject; still, the
very last task I should set myself would be a sermon denunciative of
mammon-worship--mammon-love--mammon-influence--and so on; and this
for two quite sufficient reasons--one, that I have myself, I
blushingly confess, a very strong partiality for notes of the
governor and company of the Bank of England and sovereigns of full