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.
