The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-07-15

ed dlstlnction-and the reason that thou
didst not clearly perceive the plan of the
entrance into these roads, is that nationally
and naturally, unaided by prejudice, all
men would enter on the same track and pass
to the other through their own exertions,-
but owing to powers either real or supposed.
some families have been permitted to enter
the world with superior privileges, and
hence the possibility of entering the road of
preferment without any agency of their
own. The partition is the constitution.
charter of our rights, or frame of govern
ment, either written or otherwise, that sep
arates the governed from those who govern
and 1t is more or less transparent in pro-
portion to the right reserved to the peo pie
OF lnquiring into the conduct of those in
vested with the powers of government.
The reason that the collateral passages
leading from left to right are forsaken. is,
that few men willingly descend from high
stations to assume more humble ones volun-
tarllv-and those who have beeh compell-
ed to do so, have usually been dealt with
IN more summary manner and sent to in
significance through the trap doors. With
this Interpretation thou canst understand the
rest of the chart thyself-now therefore
take this spy glass and examine its struc-
ture more minutely."
| took the glass, which my perceptor had
previously adjusted, and turned it to the
arches and pillars which supported the ell
evated parts of the road of preferment. l
perceived then instantly that some of them
were founded in the affections of the peoble
Others in some real or imaginary decree
OF an oracle, some on superstition and ig-
noraiice, and others stood on naked sword:
My preceptor then explained: "The arch
cs that stand on the affecti6hs of the peo-
pie" said he, ''are stronger in proportion
to the equality with which they bear on
all parts-and the eminences which are
supported by them are usually attained and
occupied by men from the right hand road.
The arches are irmer support than the
pillars, because the more an arch is pressed
the more closely its parts adhere, and in
cline to one common centre. The arches
are those governments which encrcle, COW
er and protect all their citizens; and the
pillars are those which build up one order
OF society to the prescription of all others.
Inc pillars are not so safe support as the
arches, inasmuch as they consist of but one
part in detached situation, and all weight
added to 1t tends to destroy it, because it
tends to separation and destruction of that
unity. They are further less safe, because
the foundation is more narrow, bears more
unequally on the people, (even if the foun.
dation be in their affections at all J and thus
heavy pressure on the column DESTROYS
the base by reason ofits small size. But
the columns are very frequently raised on
nothing better than ancient tradition of he
reditary capability to sustain it-and that
capability sanctioned by no other argument
than a swords point. Some other columns
stand on naked sword alone, and the mo-
mcnt the weight increases beyond that
which the strength of sword will sustain,
it must inevitably fall' then turned the
glass towards the termination of the road.
and perceived that the two ended infinitely
nearer together than they were in the mid
die. There were few splendid recepta-
cles at the end Of either road, and found
numerous individuals arrived at them-but
the greater number were landed in the COM
mon neutrality-suspicious.. Here, howev-
er, discerned one or two places at which
the collateral roads leading from left to right
crossed the path of domestic avocations"
and ended their pursuers in an infinitely
worse situation than that which fell to the
lot of most of the occupants of the latter
path. This receptacle was called INFAM9:
While many of the votaries of preferment
ended there, but few of those travelling in
the other path fell lower than oblivion.