The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1837-08-04

only beacon light that can guide us ia safety. No
exploits, however brilliant ne public services how
ever great, should mlsesd Us into the support of
measures which destroy the landmarks Of liberty,
The sacred rights Of person and property, or invade
10 the smallest degree, the forms ana securities Of
constitutional government. Ii is no, sufficient that
a man shall have been a great benefactor or shall
have even yentured his lie 10 the defence Of his
country, to cnttle him 10 an indefinite and un.
watehiul confidence. The most despotic usnrpers
have thus served their country. The Golfers of
/ Rome were filed by her Caesar, and the world
with the splendor Of his achievement. Yet Cesar
| passed the Rubicon and Rome kueelcs 10 her mas
! ter. Even England embraced ths usurpaion Of
tVrant under the Republican name of Protector
of the Commonwealth" and France his beiOUed
France, was dragged a bleeding victim at the heels
/ Of her Emperor. while lie besirode Europe like
Colossus, and kingdoms vanished at his touch
The very fields OF France proclaimed the desola-
lion Of his tyranny. The history Of her woes is
written in blood: Yet Napoleon the idol of
/ irencbmen the glorified benefaetsr his country.
Bot why multiply examples Power will ntoxi.
cate men will be ambitious. Perhaps they should
be SO but il should be the ambition faithfully 10
serve, not 10 enslave their country. The virtuous
ambition Of Washington, not the yaultlng desire
Of the imperill conqueror. 4 generous confidence
towards their rulers is the attribute of Tree PEG.
| pie When surrounded with cautious wisdom
ii is noble virtue. Without this defence it is an
instrument OF destruction, ready for the Of the
first slave to a false ambition, over-weening
vanity, pampcred BY the groyeiiing parasites o.
power, cof their own aggrandizemen', who boast
Of their servili;y to their chief, and crawl through
their own slime, 10 the footstool Of authority for
sliice,
Let the people then be dis,rnstfal Of those in su-
thorty, holding them al all times tn strict
liability 10 themselves as the only rebful Of
power and 10 the laws which they have imposed
on their servants FOR their security. By their
fruits shall We know them II they be evil, let sae
axe be laid to the root, without rsluctance-wlth-
out commseFaiion Neither, my friends, can lib
erty be destroyed by FIRST and single blow. Ii
must be assaed BY secre, and gradual Innovations.
The fruit must be ripe before Il is plucked. i hs
attacks Of dsspo.!sm are often uno5served, and
sometimes eonnived at Like ths silent offerings
efths water. through the cmbankmsnt Of mighty
river, which confines its terrors az FIRST they are
dsFegsrded for their nsignifcsnce till at last the
wide break is cleared, ana the land Is ogerspread
with a ruiucus lnurdstlon which no human effort
can arrest. Oppose, then, The very trst and small
es; advanrcs Of the invader Of constitutional free
dam. Eternal vigilance is the price Of liberty"
whether ii be assaiIed by the barred aTD OF open
usarpalion, or by the still more dangerous enemy
Of false pretcnces under the forms of the laws and
the constitution. Wicked ambition has thousand
disguises. Sometimes i, rides on the chariot
wheels Of thc lsurel-decked wsrrior--sometitnes ii
assumes the gaIb Of fanatesl ssnctity OF morals
ard rely zion, as de,eslable u the State as il is i'm
pious Ia the church-someiiules il is concealed
in trescherous professions Of regard for the laws
and constitution, and Of unbouaded devotion TO
the people,
"Cloihd in the fair oolors Of the public good,
And to effect its ends, pfeiends the State,
As IL The State, By It's affection stood"
II must be firmly net and overcome on its FIRST
approach and in lis every shape Delay Is dangsr.
Gus. Habual submission is ulors than " second
nature in governments; for tho precedent Of to-
day, becomes the law tomorrow Private indo-
lencc is disgrace public apathy is death. Private
enterprise is wealth public spirit il 50 'ety.
In politics as 10 religion, there are Of ornis
SIGN as well as commission. Not my friends, that
we wonlo have all IN our country 10 be prsiessed
and heckneyed politicians. Hsaven deliver Us
from such trading herd-iii only for the shambles
OF the market place-0tferiug themselves in SELF
f degradation TO the highest biCder-and hungerlng
for otiee with The vic proverb Of the medicani,
that keggars must not be choosers such vie
crew would he more eXhsustiRg 10 your treasury
than the bought legions OF Rome--morc vsFacisus
O. your substance than the loeus.s Of Egypt-and
ulore poisonous 10 the fe.b blood OF Republican lib
eriy than the fatal Simeon Of Tie desert But We
would have every citizen Of freg republic 10 be
acquainted with the fundamental principles Of his
4 Governmeni-to know his riChts--and dare main
tain them--;s cherish disiu,sres,sd public sprit
to perform all his publir duties with pacmptness
and slaeri,y--Gud especially, never 10 slight by
OMISSION that great public privilege, which Is the
corner stone OF the buiIdinc--the night Of suffrage
the purc-un,yammeled and intelligent, e1er-
cse Of which is so essential To the preservation Of
liberty Sometimes in our country, Il Is moFii-
tying 10 hear-otherW Ise good men express tie Ut.
most indifference about public affairs. II ras
not roffi their time trouble 10 rois perform
ofAer Bablic dufiss IL ,ras Of no moment TO them
tsIo fled this station or tsaf-f others could lire
sad prosper under any kind Of la,os, thty could
TOO Such sentiments are as dangerous as they
are humilistiug aud unworthy freeman. Ofwhst
avail is it, nv friends, 20 toll ard labor II we shall
not reap Te accumulate during hle-hme--
and heard up for our offspring, wealth that may
/ be swept away, the very next generation, hy
ruthless tyranny, lie seeds OF which sown in
cur own day-grew up under our own negligence
and were certain OF maturity, unless bhghted in
4 the germ by these who alone had the power and
4 the motives to destroy them Do we owe moth.
I ing to the memory OF our ancestors 1t was not
/ so with them, else we should moi have been free.
4 Do we owe nothing to ourselves--to our posierity
Ito mankins-to the cause of liberty herself2 II
we would fudl these obligations, We mus. keep
our loins girded and our lights burning"-Free-
dom must not be sacrificed at the altar Of avarice.
4 1t is by her preservation alone, That can con-
unue to enjoy the rewards of an honest industry,
We must beware toe OF the day OF prosperity
when the thief oomsth as in the nighttime
then. will corrnption. that bane oE repnhIcs, be