William W. Bennett, A narrative of the great revival which prevailed in the Southern armies during the late Civil War

[271] magnificent possessions! Over and over again he turns the absorbing subject in his thoughts in ever new and more enchanting lights-until he has churned up an egregious yearning of the bowels after filthy lucre. Nothing else does he see, or feel, or live for.

Behold that great, hungry shark of the ocean! In the wake of the great ship he has scented the flesh and blood of the bait, and have it he will. He reaches the bullock's head, but teeth, bones, and horns are in his way. What cares he? Unchecked for an instant, he opens his prodigious jaws, and down go teeth, bones, horns, and all. So exactly with our great land-shark. The shining bait before him he will seize and nothing, nothing shall prevent him. But see! Self-respect and social standing and decency — they all lie in his way. If either of them survives, that fortune is not his. Nay! he cannot commence his hoarding. Mark the speculator! He halts not an instant, but forthwith extends his voracious mouth and crushes and devours them all, and drives on his fell pursuit.

Wretched man! his fearful work of crushing human weal and heaven's law magnifies upon him at every move. Nothing now short of the most audacious and inhuman spirit can nerve him to another step. For if the fraternity which he leads is still determined to press on their scheme of unprincipled, heartless. reckless, acquisition-ever rising prices, and ever falling and failing currency, must, ere long, embarrass every fiscal measure of the legislator, cripple every wheel of the government, cut off supplies from every national agent, enfeeble every movement of the army, convulse the masses with dread anxiety about their daily bread, crowd the mansions of the rich with the cries of the famishing poor, and wake up the darkest apprehensions touching the ultimate issues of the country's struggle. But what of all this? It is nothing, nothing to the speculator. His whole heart is immovably fixed.