Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1840-12-11

now, snee hs ~ mads himself wealthy 81 robhing
the people, be IS hailed q Mlsrxn Hawkins !
The case Of Mister Hawkins is not solitary one.
Indeed they have become 80 numerous that they are
spoken Of = matters Of course in community, and
passed of IS If there Was no breach Of trus-no vi
oAsions Of those principles Of honor 30 essential to
the web being Of society," and the rccreant admitted
to the society of honorable men, as though he had
always acted upightly.
During the great panic, so many merchants failed
that it became fashionable that hundreds thought
it disreputable to meet their dues. and failed, full
handed to their credit or rather their reputation
as fashionable business men. Merchants, banks and
loafers, all yielded to the influence of fashion, and
suspended, without the fear Of censure from FASH
ionable world, dcranging the affairs Of our whole
country.
There are other influences which fashion possess
es, that doing their works of destruction among
us, and yet the trivial circumstances from whence
they derived their origin would scarce be suspected
Of being the cause Of the dan ger they have wrought
We shall notice but at present. lest we extend
the length Of our article to such an extent as will
prove tiresome to the reader
After the winding up of the last war, by the glo-
rous victory at New Orleans, as the militia were
turning to their homes in bad condition. poor sol
der who had lost his horse, and was travelling on
foot became lame and gave out. Gen. Jackson came
riding along, and found him seated on log by the
roadside, and enqulred to the cause of his delay
which was no sooner told than the old soldier dis
mounted and bid the lame man take his horse and
proceed on his journey. When he had overtaken
his mess and told his story, they surprised and
expressed fears that their old commander would give
oat remarked that he was slough as old hicko-
ry." When it was found that Gen. Jackson was a.
bic to keep on his way, the whole army united in
calling him Old Hickory, and from them it spread to
the nation. When his name was brought before
the country as candidate for the Presidency, the
cognomen was appliedto him, and the hickory bush
and broom adopted by the Democratic party, as en-
blems representing their choice. His triumphant
victory led his defaners to believe there was magic
in hero, magic in the cognomen, and magic in the
emblem. To apply this supposed magic to their
own use, they brought out candidate whom we
need not describe-all that it is necessary 10 say is
they fitted all to him.
With our example before them, they, by a slight
circumstance obtained few embems of their can
ddate, barrel of hard cider, log cabin and
coon skin. During the late contest for the Presi-
~, h.. i; III.
ants of Botany Bay, were daily witnessed in our
principal cities-members of churches which pro-
hbit drunkness and rioting, seen staggering
and groaning with exhausted lungs, around bar
rel of hard cider made of brandy and water-young
ladies and old matrons, in the excitement, forgot
that by the reverence paid by to their sex they
held station above the rabble were seen attending
drunken revelries-and schoo,-hoys have been Ia
ken home at midnight in a state of intoxication!
When politicians arc reproved for such a course,
they reply that we shouted for Old Hickory, raised
HICKORY poles and used hickory brooms When
the females were ridicued for their participation,
they become snapplsh, and say they claim the right
from precedent that our mothers in the revolution
waved their handkerchefs on the approach of heroes,
and employed themselves in running bullets during
the revolutionary war. True, they did participate
in that struggle, but it holy patriotic struggle
for dcliverance from the yoke of tyranny and not
political struggle for power to be welded by nest
of federal wings, whom the people in their sober
senses had twice decided against There's the diff
ference. How much better if they would follow
their examples at the spinning wheel!
Frauds at elections, unknown in early times, have
become SO fashionable, that it is common say
ing that alrs fair in politics. For year or two
pest they have been fast increasing, and have now
reached an alarming extent, and if not now check
ed, will cause this happy Unions sun to set before
many more seasons shall roll round.
We admonish our countrymen, as they love life,
liberty and happiness, to commence work of rcfor-
nation. The times are growing evil, and each err
ror is made an excuse for thousands in those that
follow us. How evil then is the tendency of bad
example! Let the press speak in tones of thunder
against the prevailing fashions, threatening the over
throw Of every system Of morals and let every in
dividual, however humble, reflect that they possess
an influence winch must De 1eit, ana casting
eyes around and beholdng the evil times we are ia,
and set themselves to work. and all will soon be
stored. Without it we have little to hope for.
The Galena Democrat of the 2Sth ult. says:-
"sleighing better in our neighborhood, we
are informed than at this time In the country, the
is several inches deep and solid, and the roads
and praries as smooth as a barn foor.' We can but
envy our old friends of the mines their merry sleigh
rides. They DO the thing up nicely. In our more