Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-12-05
The Hon. ID. ID. Barnard's Lecture on the
Morals Politics.

The Hon. ID. ID. Barnnrd's Lecture the
Morals OF Politics.
Mr. Barnard commenced his lecture by stating
that most OF the heroes ehieftains, monarchs, and
rulers Of past ages had treated politics gambler
does game, and that the principal struggle between
the leading players had been for the possession of
the trump cards. Different players, however, used
different materials in playing the game. Cromwell
played deep, mastery game ofpolitics; his cards
were texts Of scripture, his table the cresuity
Of the people, whereon he played, and his stake was
his life against that of Charles Stuart. He had the
trump cards and won the game. When Napoleon,
the uoblest player that ever lived, took up the me
Of politics, pie had some compensation for what
they had to endure in the brilliaRcy and spendor Of
the game he played. But if the thousands of human
beings who sunk beneath the swollen crimsoned
stream of the Berezina could rise into life for one
minute and give, but one cry to tell how his game
wa, played, the souls Of all would sckcn at the
sound.
"Hs game was empires. and his stakes were thrones
His table-earth His dice were-human bones'
And is, then, politics, after all, game! And no.
thing bat camel George Washington played NO
game (aPplause) The supplemented man who
was made Chief Magistrate Of the Union in 1925, and
who recently appeared before You in this place,
knew nothing Of politics as game He never
knew that there a trump card in the pack.
(cheers)
To the patriot and the christian, politics is no
game. 1t is great, complicated system, working
perpetuay for the advantage of all, for the order,
for the protection of all, in every age and tage Of
lfe-in the schools, the workshops, the store, the
counting house, the mandatory, the farm house,
the council chamber the courts of justice, the halls
of Experimentation the cradle to the grave.
Such is politics to the wise man! Such is politics
to the good mas! great moral subject! And many
great so.ls there are among MS, deeply engaged In
politio, who do so consider it,
The morals of politics embrace whstever belongs
to social order and social happincss-whatever be-
longs to our system Of government For this system
is based upoa the great Christian principle of self
control, selEdeniaI, self government, which is the
very foundation Of this system, and which in sxer
else is the virtue of all virtues. 1t is this which
abies US to avoid temptations when We can, and
when surrounded by them, by still higher effort
ressts and overcomes temptation; which acknowl-
edges dependant condition, liability to fall in
to error the necessity for seldisciplne, restraint,
and ta.king ourselves, and duplicates a heavenly
power to keep US out of harms way. Fer truly is
II written in q good book, that man who taketh
ruleth his own spirit. This leading principle in the
morals of politics enters into the very frame work
of our Government; is vitality essential to its organ
ic structure and must pervads every part OF II, or
all will end in failure, and total and irretrievable
ruin. 49,.
The leading principle Of the morals of politics in
modern times has been to surround communities
with the defences Of liberty. Hence arose the lin
ted sovereigutes of the Old w Grid. Such are the
Charters and Constitutions as we find them In Eu-
rope Even the feadal system was not the absolute
state OF and vassalage that seine suppose
The power was limited between the suzerain and
the ssbiect-the lord and the vassal! The former
soald 20 last SO far and no farther. There were
strong limits TO his power So with the barons and
the king; he was but one Of several pesrs-the first
among equals. Magma Charta taught them that there
was absolute sovsrei gnty to be maintained. And
when kings took the title and station OF soveregns,
sDei Gratia," in the case Of the Stuart', they
found that they had walked up fearful power and
movement, which ended only with the disappear
ance ofthe head Of one aud the absconding OF the
other (Charles I.t and James I'd.
In later days, a third power has sPrunk up-that |
ofthe people. At the Revelation Of l6SS, the point |
was settled that Kings should no more exercise sb
solSte sovereignty When the Revolution DIoks
to the absolute sovereignty of monarchs and these
rights formed the power Of the people And on in
vesgatins these rights, to decide where the iesti-
mate source Of power rested, as ultimate power /
must reside somewhere in human hands, il was de-
cided that demos" possessed absolute power.
The American Denies, had almost decided to
call him jonathan Denas, wisely however, dis
earded all powers except such as were absolutely
necessary for his welfare. In Athens tue people eA-
ercised all power and governed themselves and they
often we're guilty OF the most cruel acts But in
This country the people only exercise the powers OF
government through established agencies Read
the Constitution; that which made us people, and
is full embed yment Of all views Of power and
right And first, we must admire the manner IN
VIII CHI the people through that instrument delega-
ted the powers of Government to their authorised
agents Ii was done the principle of partition and
distribution A certain portion Of power was given
to the Executive another portion to the Legislative
and an ther portion to the judiciary each has par
tic ular department TO superintcnd an exercise pow
e in, distinct from the other.
And this mode was not done for checks Our 90
va rn ment is not system OF checks and balances;
where party lies like tigers in their iairs ready
To spring upon and beat back those who are guilty
of .wfs roachments; but II is done that none
may feel that they have more power than another. IL
is done that none may have or feel they have more
power than they can bear with humility. For the
history of all past time tells that nanno set
worth, Stevenson, eel and the people knew well |
hat IL would be dangerous 10 true liberty to trust
even themselves with too much power. For IL they |
did, they would trust II with the worst possible |
a gent that could have ii. Let those who do doubt
III read the history Of the Demos OF Athens, Of |
Rome and Of Frasce, in the Revolution, and see
what horrible excesses were there committed under |
the halo red name Of liberty
We shall probably give the balance OF this curious
Lecture on Monday.
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I person. IL less than mile. IS
Ifasy Csbman charges more, he can be pr.sseu.