Southern pioneer, and Carroll, Choctaw and Tallahatchie Counties advertiser., 1841-03-27

the master of the Roman people and the senate,
under the pretence of supporting the demo-
cratic claims of the former against the aristoc-
racy of the latter. Cromwell, in the charac-
ter of Protector of the liberties of the people,
became the dictator of England and Bolivar
possessed himself of unlimited power with the
title of his country's Liberator. There is, on
the contrary, no single instance on record, of
an extensive and well established Republic be-
ing changed into an aristocracy. The ten
denotes of all such governments; in their de-
cline, is to Monarchy; and the antagonist prin-
ciple to liberty there is the spirit of faction,-a
spirit which assumes the character, and in
times of great excitement imposes itself upon
the people as the genuine spirit of freedom,
and like the false Christs, whose coming
was foretold by the Savior, seeks, and were it
possible, would impose upon the true and most
faithful disciples of liberty. tits inperiods like
this that it behooves the people TO be most
watchful of those to whom they have entrust-
ed power. And although there is at times
much difficulty in Distinguishing the false from
the true spirit, a calm and dispassionate inves-
CATION will detect the counterfeit as we'll by
the character of its operations as the results
that are produced. The true spirit of liberty
although devoted, persevering, bold, and un-
compromising in principle-that secured-is
mild and tolerant, and scrupulous as to the
means it employs, whilst the spirit of party,
assuming to be that of liberty, is harsh, vim
dictive, and intolerant, and totally reckless as
to the character of the allies which it brings
| to the aid of its cause. When the genuine
spirit of liberty animates the body of people
to thorough examination of their affairs, it
leads TO the excision Of every excresence which
may have fastened itself upon any of the de-
partments of the government, and restores
the system to its PRISTINE health and beauty
But the reign of an intolerant spirit of party,
amongst free people, seldom fails to result
in dangerous accession to the Executive
power, introduced and established amidst un-
usual professions of devotion to Democ acy.
Before concluding fellow citizens, | must say
something to you on the subject of the parties
at this time existing in our country. To me it
appears perfectly clear that the interest of this
country requires that the violence of the spirit
| by which those parties are at this time gov
erned, must be greatly mitigated, if not en-
tirely extinguished, or consequences will en-
sue whic h are appalling to be thought Of
If parties in Republic are necessary to
secure degree of vigilance sufficient to keep
the public functionaries within the bounds of
law and duty; at that point their usefulness
ends; beyond that they become destructive
of public virtue, the parent of a spirit antag-
onist to that of liberty, and eventually its i'm
mediate conqueror. We have examples of
| Republics, where the love of country and of
liberty at one time were the dominant pas
sions of the whole mass of citizens, and yet,
with the continuance of the name and forms
of government, not vestige of these qualities
renamed In the boSomS of any one of Its
citizens 1t was the beantifnl remark nf n dis
: tinguished English writer, that "in the Roman
) Senate Octavius had party, and Anthony
a party, but the Commonwealth had none'
J Yet the Senate continued to meet in the TEN
pie of Liberty, to talk of the sacredness ant
f beauty of the Commonwealth, and gaze at tn,
r statues of the elder Brutus, and of the Curt
: and Decii; and the people assembled in tn,
7 forum, not as in the days of Camilus and tn,
Scipios, to cast their free votes for annua
r magistrates or pass upon the acts of the Senate
4 but TO receive from the hands of the leader
of the respective parties their share of tn,
spoils, and to shout for one or the other, a
those collected in Gaul or Egypt and the les
ser Asia would furnish the larger dividend
/, The spirit of liberty had fed, and avoiding
the abodes of civilized man, had sought pro
lection in the wilds of Scythia and Scandn
avia. And so under the operation of the
same causes and influences it will fly from oul
Capitol and our forums. A calamity so awful
not only to our country, but to the world, mus
: be deprecated by every patriot. and every ten
D dency to a state of things likely to produce it
t Immediately checked. Such tendency ha
!, existed-does exist.
r Always the friend of my mycountrymen, never
their flattererit becomes my duty to say to then
D from this high place to which their partially
r has exalted me, that there exists in the lant
: spirit hostile to their best interests-hostil,
to liberty itself. 1t is spirit contracted in it
: views-selfsh in its objects. 1t looks to tn,
. aggrandizement of few even to the destruc
r ton of the interest of the whole. The entir
: remedy is with the people. Something how
9 ever, may be effected by the means whicI
!, they have placed in my hands. 1t is union tina
S we want. not of a party for the sake of tha