Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-05-20

plCLC ONOi VIZ Ol n TTitHU
TO Illinois," to find, ere it came to a
close, moral honesty and decent depor,-
ment, have place with the fuifilment of
political duties and engagements and
IN my disappointment | was ready to
conclude that the writer thought with
others whom | have heard express them
selves on like occasions, that a man may
be politically honest and al the same time
be entirely destitute OF every moral prin-
ciple, l do not mean to say that the
writer alluded. TO is really of that opin-
ion, nor that he has directly or indirectly
advanced such solecism; nor is II my
intention to accuse the individual whom
he recommends, oil want OF moral no.
nesy; for in this communication il is
my only intention to urge that Political
honesty does nor eIist, in the entire ab-
sence Of moral frincihieS; and for this
reason have frequently thought that in
the choice oil our rulers, uprighiness and
morality are too frequently lost sight Of
to CRAFTY tbe ambition, malice or envy
OF aspiring demagogues and restless par
iizans.
That knowledge, together With a cor
rect moral department and a conscious
ness OF responsibility to God and to com
muni,y, are essentially necessary in our
affairs, no one will attempt to controyert.
/ No one viii, trust, IN this enlightened
age, venture to affirm that the midnight
assassin or incendiary, would be hon.
est in the discharge oil public duties, be.
yond the furiherance of his own inter-
est or qualification Of his own ambitious
views. No one will venture TO say that
the highway robber, or the peuured vii
| lain, should be confded in by any enlight-
ened and virluous community, as poiill-
cally honest. Where Is the father, the
husband, or the brother, who will say
that the seduoer who turks with trembling
and fear around the mansion oil virtue,
seeking to destroy the peace and happi-
mess that may be within, can be conhded
in as politically honest. | trust there
is none amongst Us who believe that po-
liiicai honesty, or any other kind OF no.
nesty, has place in the hearts OF those,
guilty of such practices.
The seducer practices the same stra-
Itagems to waylay and seize upon the vir-
tue OF an innocent and helpless female,
that the swindier does to get possession
OF your goods aud money. His diabo-
Iica purposes are never Effected without
fnesse, force or fraud; and the injuries
which result to the helpless female, are
of that threefold nature which wholly ex-
cites Indignation towards the base intru-
| der.
| Every reasonable person knows tina,
the loss of female virtue is almost be-
yond computaiion the single lose their
chance OF marriage, or it viii be greatly
diminished F.; the married lose the tender
affections of their husbands, and the
sweet enjoy men, of their family circles,
and that OF viriuous society; and are
not unsrcquently doomed to suffer the
wan, of food and rsiment, or have re.
course 10 prostitution.
Let father, a husband, or brother,
say for what consideration he would per-
nit like injury to be done to a daugb-
ter, vile Or sister; and when he re.
fleets on this, let him Distinguish, il he
can, between robbery, fraud, or forgery,
and the ruin oil their happiness by the
,reachery OF scducer. In fact, have
ever been of the opinion, that If the com.
pllcaied miseries which flow from such
,reachery were rightly estimated, ii would
rank with the greatest crimes: for which
reason ! am induced to think it is the
imperious duty of every good citizen,
when about to exercise the dear and in
valuable privilege of electing public Of
Ulcers, 40 cast serious and attentive look
tow ards the general character Of all sp-
plicants; and 10 discard with that indig-
nation which characteristics republican
vir,ue) the wolf in sleeps clothing, and
spurn the idea of the existence OF politi-
cal honesty, in the absence OF moral
principles.
My communication has already extend
ed TO beyond my first intentions, yet
have been induced to be thus tedious,
aware that almost every little commune
ny is likely to be burhened by and har-
rassed with man oil a character such as
| have described; and for augbt know,
The subject may, in the choice of our Of
ficers, be brought home to Madison
county; and if such should be the case,
have no doubt that every good member
Of community, will endeayor TO prevent
the elevation OF such man to office and
power, and tina, they will faithful to The
cause Of JUSTICE persist with energy in
protecting virtue aud 10 advocating