entrusted　until　there　comes　a　period　of　extreme　necessity　for
  them；　on　one　side　or　other；　and　then　exacts　in　exchange　for　them
  all　that　the　distressed　farmer　can　spare　of　other　kinds　of
  produce：　it　is　easy　to　see　that　by　ingeniously　watching　his
  opportunities；　he　might　possess　himself　regularly　of　the　greater
  part　of　the　superfluous　produce　of　the　two　estates；　and　at　last；
  in　some　year　of　severest　trial　or　scarcity；　purchase　both　for
  himself　and　maintain　the　former　proprietors　thenceforward　as　his
  labourers　or　servants。
  This　would　be　a　case　of　commercial　wealth　acquired　on　the
  exactest　principles　of　modern　political　economy。　But　more
  distinctly　even　than　in　the　former　instance；　it　is　manifest　in
  this　that　the　wealth　of　the　State；　or　of　the　three　men　considered
  as　a　society；　is　collectively　less　than　it　would　have　been　had
  the　merchant　been　content　with　juster　profit。　The　operations　of
  the　two　agriculturists　have　been　cramped　to　the　utmost；　and　the
  continual　limitations　of　the　supply　of　things　they　wanted　at
  critical　times；　together　with　the　failure　of　courage　consequent
  on　the　prolongation　of　a　struggle　for　mere　existence；　without　any
  sense　of　permanent　gain；　must　have　seriously　diminished　the
  effective　results　of　their　labour；　and　the　stores　finally
  accumulated　in　the　merchant's　hands　will　not　in　any　wise　be　of
  equivalent　value　to　those　which；　had　his　dealings　been　honest；
  would　have　filled　at　once　the　granaries　of　the　farmers　and　his
  own。
  The　whole　question；　therefore；　respecting　not　only　the
  advantage；　but　even　the　quantity；　of　national　wealth；　resolves
  itself　finally　into　one　of　abstract　justice。　It　is　impossible　to
  conclude；　of　any　given　mass　of　acquired　wealth；　merely　by　the
  fact　of　its　existence；　whether　it　signifies　good　or　evil　to　the
  nation　in　the　midst　of　which　it　exists。　Its　real　value　depends　on
  the　moral　sign　attached　to　it；　just　as　sternly　as　that　of　a
  mathematical　quantity　depends　on　the　algebraical　sign　attached　to
  it。　Any　given　accumulation　of　commercial　wealth　may　be
  indicative；　on　the　one　hand；　of　faithful　industries；　progressive
  energies；　and　productive　ingenuities：　or；　on　the　other；　it　may　be
  indicative　of　mortal　luxury；　merciless　tyranny；　ruinous　chicane。
  Some　treasures　are　heavy　with　human　tears；　as　an　ill…stored
  harvest　with　untimely　rain；　and　some　gold　is　brighter　in　sunshine
  than　it　is　in　substance。
  And　these　are　not；　observe；　merely　moral　or　pathetic
  attributes　of　riches；　which　the　seeker　of　riches　may；　if　he
  chooses；　despise；　they　are；　literally　and　sternly；　material
  attributes　of　riches；　depreciating　or　exalting；　incalculably；　the
  monetary　signification　of　the　sum　in　question。　One　mass　of　money
  is　the　outcome　of　action　which　has　created；　another；　of　action
  which　has　annihilated；　　ten　times　as　much　in　the　gathering　of
  it；　such　and　such　strong　hands　have　been　paralyzed；　as　if　they
  had　been　numbed　by　nightshade：　so　many　strong　men's　courage
  broken；　so　many　productive　operations　hindered；　this　and　the
  other　false　direction　given　to　labour；　and　lying　image　of
  prosperity　set　up；　on　Dura　plains　dug　into　seven…times…heated
  furnaces。　That　which　seems　to　be　wealth　may　in　verity　be　only　the
  gilded　index　of　far…reaching　ruin：　a　wrecker's　handful　of　coin
  gleaned　from　the　beach　to　which　he　has　beguiled　an　argosy；　a
  camp…follower's　bundle　of　rags　unwrapped　from　the　breasts　of
  goodly　soldiers　dead；　the　purchase…pieces　of　potter's　fields；
  wherein　shall　be　buried　together　the　citizen　and　the　stranger。
  And　therefore；　the　idea　that　directions　can　be　given　for　the
  gaining　of　wealth；　irrespectively　of　the　consideration　of　its
  moral　sources；　or　that　any　general　and　technical　law　of　purchase
  and　gain　can　be　set　down　for　national　practice；　is　perhaps　the
  most　insolently　futile　of　all　that　ever　beguiled　men　through
  their　vices。　So　far　as　I　know；　there　is　not　in　history　record　of
  anything　so　disgraceful　to　the　human　intellect　as　the　modern　idea
  that　the　commercial　text；　〃Buy　in　the　cheapest　market　and　sell　in
  the　dearest；〃　represents；　or　under　any　circumstances　could
  represent；　an　available　principle　of　national　economy。　Buy　in　the
  cheapest　market？　yes；　but　what　made　your　market　cheap？　Charcoal
  may　be　cheap　among　your　roof　timbers　after　a　fire；　and　bricks　may
  be　cheap　in　your　streets　after　an　earthquake；　but　fire　and
  earthquake　may　not　therefore　he　national　benefits。　Sell　in　the
  dearest？　　Yes；　truly；　but　what　made　your　market　dear？　You　sold
  your　bread　well　to…day：　was　it　to　a　dying　man　who　gave　his　last
  coin　for　it；　and　will　never　need　bread　more；　or　to　a　rich　man　who
  to…morrow　will　buy　your　farm　over　your　head；　or　to　a　soldier　on
  his　way　to　pillage　the　bank　in　which　you　have　put　your　fortune？
  None　of　these　things　you　can　know。　One　thing　only　you　can
  know：　namely；　whether　this　dealing　of　yours　is　a　just　and
  faithful　one；　which　is　all　you　need　concern　yourself　about
  respecting　it；　sure　thus　to　have　done　your　own　part　in　bringing
  about　ultimately　in　the　world　a　state　of　things　which　will　not
  issue　in　pillage　or　in　death。　And　thus　every　question　concerning
  these　things　merges　itself　ultimately　in　the　great　question　of
  justice；　which；　the　ground　being　thus　far　cleared　for　it。　I　will
  enter　upon　the　next　paper；　leaving　only；　in　this；　three　final
  points　for　the　reader's　consideration。
  It　has　been　shown　that　the　chief　value　and　virtue　of　money
  consists　in　its　having　power　over　human　beings；　that；　without
  this　power；　large　material　possessions　are　useless；　and　to　any
  person　possessing　such　power；　comparatively　unnecessary。　But
  power　over　human　beings　is　attainable　by　other　means　than　by
  money。　As　I　said　a　few　pages　back；　the　money　power　is　always
  imperfect　and　doubtful；　there　are　many　things　which　cannot　be
  reached　with　it；　others　which　cannot　be　retained　by　it。　Many　joys
  may　be　given　to　men　which　cannot　be　bought　for　gold；　and　many
  fidelities　found　in　them　which　cannot　be　rewarded　with　it。
  Trite　enough；　　the　reader　thinks。　Yes：　but　it　is　not　so
  trite；　　I　wish　it　were；　　that　in　this　moral　power；　quite
  inscrutable　and　immeasurable　though　it　be；　there　is　a　monetary
  value　just　as　real　as　that　represented　by　more　ponderous
  currencies。　A　man's　hand　may　be　full　of　invisible　gold；　and　the
  wave　of　it；　or　the　grasp；　shall　do　more　than　another's　with　a
  shower　of　bullion。　This　invisible　gold；　also；　does　not
  necessarily　diminish　in　spending。　Political　economists　will　do
  well　some　day　to　take　heed　of　it；　though　they　cannot　take
  measure。
  But　farther。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　its
  authority　over　men；　if　the　apparent　or　nominal　wealth　fail　in
  this　power；　it　fails　in　essence；　in　fact；　ceases　to　be　wealth　at
  all。　It　does　not　appear　lately　in　England；　that　our　authority
  over　men　is　absolute。　The　servants　show　some　disposition　to　rush
  riotously　upstairs；　under　an　impression　that　their　wages　are　not
  regularly　paid。　We　should　augur　ill　of　any　gentleman's　property
  to　whom　this　happened　every　other　day　in　his　drawing…room。
  So；　also；　the　power　of　our　wealth　seems　limited　as　respects
  the　comfort　of　the　servants；　no　less　than　their　quietude。　The
  persons　in　the　kitchen　appear　to　be　ill…dressed；　squalid；
  half…starved。　One　cannot　help　imagining　that　the　riches　of　the
  establishment　must　be　of　a　very　theoretical　and　documentary
  character。
  Finally。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　power　over
  men；　will　it　not　follow　that　the　nobler　and　the　more　in　number
  the　persons　are　over　whom　it　has　power；　the　greater　the　wealth？
  Perhaps　it　may　even　appear；　after　some　consideration；　that　the
  persons　themselves　are　the　wealth　that　these　pieces　of　gold　with
  which　we　are　in　the　habit　of　guiding　them；　are；　in　fact；　nothing
  more　than　a　kind　of　Byzantine　harness　or　trappings；　very
  glittering　and　beautiful　in　barbaric　sight；　wherewith　we　bridle
  the　creatures；　but　that　if　these　same　living　creatures　could　be
  guided　without　the　fretting　and　jingling　of　the　Byzants　in　their
  mouths　and　ears；　they　might　themselves　be　more　valuable　than
  their　bridles。　In　fact；　it　may　be　discovered　that　the　true　veins
  of　wealth　are　purple　　and　not　in　Rock；　but　in　Flesh　　perhaps
  even　that　the　final　outcome　and　consummation　of　all　wealth　is　in
  the　producing　as　many　as　possible　full…breathed；　bright…eyed；　and
  happy…hearted　human　creatures。　Our　modern　wealth；　I　think；　has
  rather　a　tendency　the　other　way；　　most　politica