Page:The collected works of Theodore Parker volume 7.djvu/30

26 only in newspapers and speeches, perhaps in some novel, hot, passionate, but poor and extemporaneous, That is our national literature. Does that favour man— represent man? Certainly not, All is the reflection of this most powerful class. The truths that are told are for them, and the lies. Therein tho prevailing sentiments is getting into the form of thought. Polities represent the morals of the controlling class, the morals and manners of rich Peter and David on a large scale. Look at that index, you would sometimes think you were not in the Senate of a great nation, but in a board of brokers, angry and higgling about stocks, Once, in the nation's loftiest hour, she rose inspired, and said: "All men are born equal, each with unalienable rights; that, is self-evident," Now she repents her of the vision and the saying, It does not appear in her literature, nor church, nor state, Instead of that, through this controlling class, the nation says: "All dollars are equal, however got; each has unalienable rights. Let no man question that!" This appears in literature and legislation, Church and State. The morals of a nation, of its controlling class, always got summed up in its political action. That is tho barometer of the moral weather. The voters are always fairly represented. The wicked baron, bad of heart, and bloody of hand, has past off with the ages which gave birth to such a brood, but the bad merchant still lives. He cheats in his trade; sometimes against the law, commonly with it. His truth is never wholly true, nor his lie wholly false. He overreaches the ignorant ; makes hard bargains with men in their trouble, for he knows that a falling man will catch at red-hot iron. He takes the pound of flesh, though that bring away all the life-blood with it. He loves private contracts, digging through walls in secret. No interest, is illegal if he can get it. lie cheats the nation with false invoices, and swears lies at the custom-house; will not pay his taxes, but moves out of town on the last of April. He oppresses the men who sail his ships, forcing