New-York tribune., 1842-03-08
Ma Exresos's TH1kD LEerrRE.-In entering

,i,.rne OF Civil History Conservatism had stab
Iised the nor erchie5 and The reverend ierachies
Of the ancient world The contest Of the PI-t5e
iats aud ,he=P Patrcians-of the Rich AID the
Poor-reappear- in all times and in all countries
Nor have the their only place Of meeting IN
national couacil. and in bloody oattleields, but
the combat rcncws ..elfi every man life
This is the antagonism Of Memory and Of Hope.
of the Past and the Future Of tne understanding
and the reason-iti= The antagonis.l1 Of The two
poles Of Nature.
Mr.. EMEasos repeated nn ancient though az
unwrirten tradition OF the origin of this contest
Saturn he said gre" wearg OF sitting alone or
witllno,c but Cranus-t.le Heaven-to behold MIN
and he created oyster He would act again,
and created another oyster, and 20 ne vent on
creating nothing but oysters. y, Saturn. said
Uranus create t ner work. tic old j, not good.
Bnt Saturn answered j fear there is not only the
alternative OF making and not makins-but OF IN
making; you my power has an epb and a ;io"
today Is lis ebb and if it be pat forth nor what
have done would be destroyed. So Saturn held
| what he had go,-but said Uranus, You cannot
hold j, but by making more your oysters are but
barnacles and cookies and ,oon they will b., peb-
bles Of the sea.shore. SEE, SAID Saturn. that
YOU are in league with Night. And Saturn was
silent again and the world went Oh Tor a Thousand
years Then Saturn made Jupiter; and ne feared
| again and Nature trozc. and Jupiter slew Saturn
to save the world.
This said Mr. Emerson, is the eares, political
conversation between Conservative and Radical
that has come down to us.=lt is evcr thus In
novatoni, the salient energy; Conservatism Is the
pause after the first movement. THERE'S always
"a meanncSs in the arguTaent of Conservatism Joined
10 Il certain superiority Of fact ii is fingers against
eyes: the fingers clutch the fact while Conscrv;s-
lisn will not open ltS eyes 10 see better tact
But ii SAYS to lnnovaton-'you ara as C.nScrvi-
tiv. as I: YOU would tear down my Conservatism
but Only to build up OF your own. And to
this Innovation must confess IL weakness. Con-
ser,atism stands on mans inconestibe iimita-
tons: Reform on his ilimitahlc nilnitudes; Re
form is iirma,ive-ConservatiSu negative: Con
sevatsln never puts lis foot forward 1t tends 10
universal seeming and treachery. Reform in
cnes 10 asinine resistancc-to kick with the hoot:
it demands an ideal justice. and skips and ignore.
stubbsrn facts.
Each is good half, bat an impossible whole.
Is it not true that there is no perfect example OF
chcr-lhat there IS no hig, we call hlm
who il not sometimes a Radical, and Radical
who is sometimes Wing! Docs not Heaven
give the crown of It's suty-to
him who combines both these elements We do
not honor the rock that always rcsistS the wave.
nor the wave that always dashcs upon the rock
the superior beauty Is Tint OF the oak. which dc
ics with its hundred arms the storms OF century
and yet grows like saplmg. So all through na-
ture combines the Past with the Present we ad-
nirc the sca-shcll with its nodes and its spirals-
I IL 1'-Hl
Mr. Emerson said he could not recognize Con-
scrvatisr or Reform in any Of the popular polit-
cal parties OF the day. Eaci suits its present |
purpose, is Conservative Innovating; neither j.
consistently wholly one or the other.
There is something in Conservatism which de-
mands our reverence. The youth, of course. is an
innovator bvbirth: he stands on the planet u uni
vrrSaI bcggar. In his first consderation-torc cloth
ine, food and fuel-hc is met by the warning TINT
all these haze ownrrs-hc must 90 elsewhere.
Very well, he says, gentlemen OF the world
but, since am born, be good As TO tell me where
is my good lot 2 Touch these things at your
peril cry the gentlemen of the world "but come
and work for us, and we'll give YOU bread But
in wha, consists this peril - In axes and knives
and Imprisonment But what authority do you
threaten :! BY that of Law. Is your Law
just?' AS Just for you as it was for u.s. we
wrought for others, and got what VIC have.
But is it Just u AS much so the case admits
not quite just, but nearly so: it is more just
now than when were bOrn-wc have made II
better III none of your Law, says the youth 7:
am Law to myself | ask neither TO com
mand nor obey.
With equal eancstness replies the upholcr of
the establishment lourotiections are over-iine:
look at me- | have risen early and ocd !Sany
wears, and ncvertroublcl myself about the method:
laid 10 my bones and rot what | have by labor.
and YOU must show your warrant before YOU
ride into my estate and scatter tas Your OWE.
Now, says the youth, You touch the heart OF
the matter; to effort and labor ] pay homage
bat | find this vast network which YOU call pro-
pcnv extended over the planet; cannst touch
the blcahcst cras OF the mountains but a
corporation starts up and says it is his and as |
am peaccablv and quiet, and though | coud we'll
enough die. n. for myself, since ii seems was
sent into the world by ;ni,ake-all the seats
being already taken-stiii declare that II the
Earth Is yours so Is it nine. can | omit 10
claim nj, own. Besides, | know Your ways; for
YOUR craving ht,rnor the possession u the Earth Is
not sufficient: you would pluck down the Sun II
YOU could and for the Moon and North Star you
will find occasion Ill your bed-clamber.- hat
your convenience could spare Your l..ide could net.
Mr.. f. continued al some length this balancing
of claims-setting forth the obligation OF society
TO see that the welfare of all is uniniurcd, and say
lug that Conservatism in its love OF facts forget
principles 1t comedies that Reform wonld tall,
to the purpose if man still in Eden while
Reform retortS thar Conservatism assumes sick
ness rs a necessary fact. and strives for miuga-
tions and not for remedies. L, makes Society !
Ho.pitnl-t puts the Universe in flannel and slip
pcrs-givcS it !. bib and makes it swallow pills
and herb-teaS. 1t makes Of ii sexton with his
spade and his song to mon-
Ashes toashes and dust 10 dus:
Here's The hole, and In YOU must
lNl,o,aver !, ,ouchc. !, tbrc JacrnIas idi1ration