Southern telegraph., 1838-06-13
POLITICAL BRAMBLIss.

We give below an exiract from an adures:
recently delivered before Rutgers College
New Brunswick, N j. How aptly has the
writer depicted the modern dcnagogdc, anc
his insatiate hankerinss after office.
I'm how many instances where, perhaps
the Iopdest professions are made to 'Ihc
country and love 10 the people, are the
love Of personal distinction, and the love o.
reward and influence, the secret springs d
action. That il Is not tho love of country
which many of these patriots consult, is ey-
ident from the multitudes who are grasping
after public Office and in the great majority
Of cases, these aspiran:s are very far from
possessing these qualifications which are
likely to secure the highest good Of the
community. Look at them. VINO are
theyg Are they men Of education?--oi
iiHtegriiy 2-or intellectual and moral WORTH
Arc they mea whe BY then eliainments and
their virtues are ready to confer honor upon
The Office? Or are they looking for The Office
to confer honor upon them2 In the 9Th
chapter Of the book of Judges we have a
striking description of these office seeking
men. In the beautiful figure Of the inspir-
ed writer the trees are about 10 elect for
themselves king. The olive tree, the fig
fig tree and the vine, having been respect
lively consulted and requested to accept the
Office, very rnodestly decline, and assert as
their reason, their present usefulness in the
sphere which God has placed them, and
their reluctance TO take upon themselves
the high responsibility and authority of a
monarch. Then said all the trees unto the
bramble come you and reign over us. And
the brambe said unto the trees: sif in Truth
ye annoint me king over you, then come
and put your trust in my shadow; and il
not, let fire come out Of the brambe, and de-
vour the cedars of Lebanon Have we
nolin this fable, an illustration of what IN
the present times we may continually be-
hold2 The bramble-ihe most incompe-
tent--the most worthless, is notwithstanding,
the most ready to assume the highest
trust.
There is here no modest reserve, no
sense Of responsibiIity--no conscientious
examination as to its capacity-but an i'm
mediate grasping at the Office, with false
promises of proiectipn--'come and put your
trust in my shadow'--and then the most v;
oient infections on all opposers--if not, IL
fire como out Of the brambe and devour the
cedars Of Lebanon Is not this a picture
worthy of inspirationa Does it not draw {
distinction between true and false patrio
tism, before which many of the loud ant
boosting pretenders of these times should
blush with shame? Is it not true that thcs,
who are most competent and worthy to fiji
an ofiice--the most TIrtuous and intelligen
are those, who, under sense of The impor
lance of the trust, and of the duty of govern
ing for the good of The people, and no
their own, so far from seeking and couriins
Office rather than shrink from it--while the
ignorant, the covetous, and ambitious: the
mere brambles, who think and feel, and nc
from no higher motive than their own pro
motion, are most ready TO push themseve
before the people, with loud pretenson
of seeking the peoples relfarc' with empt,
promises of protecting the peoples rights
and when once seated in office, is it not 81
ten the case, that the great and the goo
have to suffer, and thus fire comes out iror
the bramble and deyours the cedars Of Lie
banon."