The Arkansas advocate., 1832-08-22

To the Eiitog- 9f tte .4rhGasas .4dvocate
 SIR-ltZ IS SD very common Of late, in almost every circle, to hear Acquisitions on the subject of party spirit, particular iy as If exists in Arkansas, that 1t will not Ge thought strange if l should make few remarks, in conformity with my own ob- seryations, on the effects of this pernici- ous principle on the judgement and feel ings of men generally.
 Amongst all the aphorisms and savings, common and uncommon, there is not a more trte one than that of < belong 10 no party.o fhe tenacity with which meu generally, in the heat of party strife, ap- ply the above adage to themselves, seems to be a proof thal there is something heinous and disgusting in party spirit. which all are ashamed of No man, how ever violent he may be in supporting the dogmas of his party, is willing to acknow- ledge himself sspartisan." He will try to evade tine appellation in a hundred ways. He will tell you that lie Is govern cd hy original principles that the very motives which governed the fathers of the revolution, are the moving principles of his political creed ; that with him, men are nothing, but that principles and mea- sHres are interwoven with !" his life. his fortune, and his sacred honor D; when possibly the same fellow Is tie second or third handed tool of drunken demagogue or crawling county candidate.
 There is at present, in this Territory, amongst the respectable sovereign peo- ple thereof, abundant room fer specu!a- ton on the foregoing subject.
 Isuppose 1t will not be denied, that in the present aspect of the affairs of this Territory, there are two political parties at least as far as the politics of the Terri tory is concerned. Yet, notwithstanding this fact has long been a corollary drawn from data as plain as the sun at noon day we daily meet with gravefaced citizens who tell us they belong to no party; and that religion, morality and the whole phi Iosopiiy of civilization, are very much scandalizcd by the yirulent contest which has prevailed for some time between the Bnrks' and Foxes of the Territory through the medium of the two papers printed at Little Rock. l have taken some pains ofatc 10 examine the charac- fer of those n-conforming, n5-party phi losophers, and have come to the conclu- sion, think with a to!erabie degree oi accuracy, that there is not a more inVidi- ous and hypocritical class belonging to tie community, than these same no party gentlemen. No man IS worthy tc be a citizen of any country. unless he pos sesses warm, decided and unceasing ia- terest in it's fourishing condition, honor able standing, and Senaral welfare. Whc then but cool, calculating villain, or a stupid inanimate block, can cry out shai the Aideous demon, party spirit, is pros traling the homer, the rights, the liberties of his country, and while the hypocritica cant is warm on his lips, say, belong to no party What! gentlemen, yoll country is going to destruction; yet yot belong to no party There is an olt aphorism, which says that the man wl's voluntarily excludes himself from the so clcty of his species, has either the quail ties of an angel or devil. These fellows are not angels and doubt whether any ofthem have brains enough to make tol erable devil: they are therefore an ex
 ception from the general rule of men, an
 gels and devils.
 lwish to be distinctly understood. Id