The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-05 00:00:00

TRUE RADICALISM.

Many well-meaning persons, impressed with a
sense of the value of past reforms, and disgusted
with the stupid conservatism which blindly adheres
to every ancient abuse, are so anxious to be consi-
dered " Radical" in their views that they fear to stop
even when they have attained all that is really
desirable or practicable. They distrust them-
selves if their common sense tells them to pause,
and feel uneasy at the thought that they have no
more fields to conquer, and no progress, as it seems
to the& to make. They dread the imputation of
Conservatism, and would almost prefer to have
risked what they have gained rather than stand
still. This class is never likely to form the majority
of a community,. but as its errors frequently afford
an excuse for a reaction against wise reforms, it
may be well to address a few words of advice to
those who feel troubled by such fears. The first
thought, that occurs to us is the folly of imagining
that, for hundreds of years to come, there will be
any, difficulty, in finding subjects for radical reform.
As fast as one topic of discussion is disposed of a dozen
are ready to rise in its place, allimportant, involving
much labour, needing long consideration, and sure
to lead to animated controversy. It is a law of
human nature that only one such controversy can
be carried on at one time and plane. Slavery, and
the evils growing out of it, have absorbed the atten-
tion of this country for some years 'plat, and so
gigantic an abomination could never have been over-
thrown without an intense concentration of, the
public mind upon the work. It has been cut up by
the roots, and the Congressional plan of reconstruc-
tion is rapidly extracting the last remnant from the
ground. Universal suffrage is so nearly established,
and appears so certain, that some who are more
anxious to be radical than to be right are, already
casting about for some new demand for the benefit
of those who were lately oppressed. But who can-
not see that there arc many other great questions
which have been lying in abeyance during this great
struggle, and which will give ample scope to the
powers of the most radical reformer ? Let no man
be impatient for conflict. lie will soon have quite
enough in the legitimate path of duty. With a
spyasrtte mo f ot
the
taxation
community,which
of education
municipalities, and judges, with systems . ,
in government rather than the exception,
wi t
h demoralisesrotton ig i
sal a
tluarr.
egse,
reform is at
that no one need fear that the work of .
instil
aims
grossly defective, with extravagance initeffiiscicelneacl
an end. In the next place, genuine rn
iatdsic;lace 1
that
only to uproot evil, and to plant.
ni,, done this tho-
which promises good fruit.
roughly, the wise Ra
results, and slowly to build P
NV•cele;:tallnCddlelt manythe foatmheilryin;tance t
pulling down is properly
,over.t.
LI rather than
grONN
reach a state in which
11 destruction is
then a
de-
struction is desirable,
Radical is the most unwise
useless, and the
t the fact. We have al-
f men. But such is no .
o reached the stage
t of many things,
ready, in respect
:lieal.i sd c oluinpat ‘e,'
xnlltf:etiowl , i se,
thec at
Ilflroor never. fik u
oa
fl
education of the young,
mGin°erl
qPir:ceen.t, aTnhdelloCthrii
as illustrations of institutiops or
need no change at the root, but have the duty of the9l smtipalne uprooting,
religion,
t hi
es
the Republican system of
state, the liberty of corn-
doctrines which
yet vast room
The practical
might be given
the present time
ho are uneasy lest
relates chiefly to those persons w .
application
1 i
cdaetvi development pomf e nt
tit 6 a(3 n dr_e
mpar:kgsr progress.