The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-05-08
NUMBER |.

man nature aud, far from being the faith Of iunij~.
les and Missionaries, we ayow, as part of our dc
mocraic creed, that this faith is essential to tbs
character Of good practical statesman that ever
truly great legislator is not limited IN the action q
his mind to experience, TO eNunp pies, to decide
cases, acknowledges there is ipeul which states
and nations should strive to realize.
To any one who admits the distinctions Of ncr-,
ais, this proposition is capable of dcnonslraiicr-
Politics, rightly considered are morals applied t,A
public affairs for the providence Of God is sTprCn''
every where He is the God Of nations, us well ~.
the God of nan. Now then, 20 into private lil;,
YOU'VE MEN, you who are striving to build up
for yourselves pure fame will YOU seek in iho,r.
around you for the high ideal of moral worth
Shall the example of men around you, swayed To
and fro by the passions Of the moment, sound by
disappointment, kmdling with excitement, debas'G
by desires, ever the drpes of their selfshness ;?
shall The example of beings, as imperfect as eacls
individual of our race, constitute the rule of con
duct If it We're so, there could be LO such thin,
as striving after virtue ; for no man is in himself ,s
personilcatiCn of virtue man has realized per-
lection. To establish, then, rule of morality,
dtduc6d from the practice Of individuals, has, for
its necessary result the abandon ment of highest
cAccllcnre, and substituting for ii in perfect expert
cnce. Such Il system would destroy all morality
would substitute human perfection for the divine
Jaw, Ntl'Hl piSSIUIS VI lbT INC DTlgUL
though unroa,ized image Of the div inc man, which
God has in planted in The heart.
The sane is true of politics, Follow experience
ard You may renew monarchy ,ieudalisn, the domn-.
ion OF selfish stock aristOcracy. lOu necessarily
vtate legslaicn,by proposing in the outset to shape
il after in perfect models. Democracy, on the con-
rnry, seeks 10 represent To itself in ideal rcpub-
lie, possessed Of all The qualities belonging to the
social ccGdi'iou in harmony with each other, and
each adopted 10 It's end, 1t is necessary for the
statesman To have in his II ind The conception of II
perfect legislation that he may thus, by the CON-
parison, be constantly led to discover existing de-
fleets, and to move, if slowly yet certainly, in the
paths Of in prCyGnent.
The in mediate tendency of democratic legisa--
ton is towards Il true and full declaration Of HI
tionu md dependencies "a perfect relief from the lasS
rcnann bonds of The old colonial system, " lie
was but Il branch Of the false mercantile sy. III
| hat system founded commerce not on reciprocity
hut on privileges scared by treaty or enforced ly
oppression, making con mcrce, which should be IL
pledge ofpeace, The iuilijl parent of wars. This
system was dominant in European policies for Il
century. Cur declaration ct Independence was
lis death warrant ; and though it still fingered into
the lap Of better century, it never could effect {,
reversal of lis deem. hen these United States
began their existence rs nation, the traces If the
false mercantile system We're buricd deeply nin
The code Of every European maritime power
The principle involved in our very existence as u
nation, was perpeiually con ing in conflict with The
many European abuses which pioirrd,d themselves
into our path, and attempted TO block up our plo-
gress, FOR the nations Of Europe 10 recognize II
colony Ms an equal for the nonarths and arSccra-
ces Of Eurcpe TO admit II democratic republic To-
canal rluence in the iutcrpr.t,,n of in,rrno,ionnk
lv implicJ cbpuyes il, The urourun world ~ vast
M those w,irh were effected our irdrp, ndruce H.,
self FINLAND has not vet learned tc rrsucrt orr
r,pul lie = her couul The same ypirit which. in
the DAYS Of WASHINGTON dictated lis refusal 10 sur
render The north western no,tcs in,pircs her com
sells now in her arrogant usurpa,ions ON our north
eastern frontier. Alistorra,ic England has rot vet
learned a due respect Tor the Ilcbinn R,pubiic.
which is spreading her language iiom one end of The
continent To the o,hcr. On questions Of inicrnafion
al law democracy, Inserting equality, and submit
ting self restrained. 10 the limitations Of justice
tends towards establishing freedom Of goods for
fee ships md guarding vessel on the high seas
floating colony.
I'm like manner democracy rpho'ds American IN
du.try. psscris IL ind,pcudcncc In n inrurr cen
,ury, Finish legislation did. us il were. forbid ALI
American manufactures in wool and in iron. and
buil, nm Tuy,ish industry Ly probilitory lu,ys y
ENGLAND would n, that time in Defiance of rnr.i.h
co,, pr,ition. have succeeded in manufacture.
Them " hen there was no tnIlir nj ALL prO,illtOry
laws were rcouircd. 10 rcslram the active enter
pri.e cf our fathers. The consequence of hi. re-,
tyranny WIS American iudcprudance-rot us a
struggle for power to apply the somc iIl'c SYSTEM
but as an assertion of the right Of freedom of EN-
erprSe and industry. powerful party among W
has attempted 10 renew the tariff policy of that Old
mercantile :, stcm,-a system which has never slit
cccdcd but III connection with the dominion Of the
seas ; Il system which, m H. Old intensity, has he
come in possible every where, aTd against which
inc curren' o. ""'ohc"s ,n'"'"N sweeping
win irresistible energy 10 li"'' me prosperity
oil manufactures TO su'h ah """iuaI," 'es'S"'i.h,
would be IKE bnidns fortress on we VERGE
bun, winch me dceP waters OF Tie MISSISSIPPI hit
already undermined
But the industry of New England has not only
been led nis this most dangerous position ollcaniig
for support on floating tariff regulated by unccr-
tain nalorilics. and modified by changing Interest,",
il has been made a victim 10 the false financial sys-