The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-07-21
NUMBER 43.
ADDRESS
f the Wing Convention of Georgia, to their
Fellow Citizens.

quent anu cieaF sigutcu recurrence 10 0rst
principles is essential, we have been taught,
to all free governments. Il is the best Sc.
curity against their errors, and the surest
mode of ascertdining their actual condition.
Comparison with the standard, shows at
once excess of deficiency.
Our institutions, Federal and State, are
based upon the same political axiom, name.
/ ly: that the People have sufficient wisdom
and virtue 10 govern themselves. Starting
from this principle, it is clear that the col.
.inuance and we'll being of our Government
depend, under Heaven, like our personal
success and welfare, upon our own good
sense and good conduct.
If men can govern themselves, and can
be well governed only by political wisdom
and integrity, such things must exist or We
are cheated by illusions. Public virtue, 10.
deed, has almost become by.word. IT'S
an evil omen. To disbeieve it, is the very
atheism Of Democracy. The frenzy of fac.
ton may proclaim such iniidel,y for sea.
son, even as the non existence Of Deity
was once enacted by Revolutionary France.
But the necessities of society must restore
faith and worship.
In seeking for clear maxims Of civil poll.
cy TO guide US in the tangled and stormy
way Of party strife, we have only to apply
lmpartially TO men and measures, the uner.
ring rules of right and wrong making the
public good our aim, and the object of our
atfectlon-first, our coun,ry-neXt, our par.
ty,-and last of all, ourselves. The diff.
Guilty in reality lies not so much in distin.
gushing our duty, as in resisting the pas.
sions that tempt US from it. Nor is the
sound theory Of government more difficult
to reach. The greatest good of the great.
est number, may be easily dlscerned by pure
and vigorous intellect. The practical ap.
pica,ion of that theory TO National affairs,
requires indeed the highes, sagacity. homes.
iy, and patience, no; because wisdom is nat.
urally harder to attain than virtue, but be.
cause SO many evil feelings are at hand to
cloud il.
Right aud truth then directed TO the com.
mon veal, must be the end and aim Of every
good citizen, in opposition to all falsehood,
violence, and injustice. And when every
citizen is wise enough to distinguish truth
and right from the plausible sophistry of
wrong and ialsehood, and having distin.
gulshed, is virtuous enough TO pursue them
in spite of every danger and temptation, our
Republic will be perfect. We are not cred.
ulous enough to believe that the millennium
is at hand. Perhaps II is never destined to
arrive. But only by striving after unatiain.
able good shall we ever approach it. Our
bark is upon the stream of Time, borne on.
ward TO the gulf that has swallowed Up all
commonwealth. The current is against
Us, and nothing but the manly play Of our
oars will resist it. Shall we wiring our
hands, or fold our arms 10 despair because
escape beyond some centuries is doubtful,
and our Ultimate fate cerlain2 Or shall we
not rather put forth every energy, prolong.
ing to the last, our national existence, with
all lls spirit stirring aspirations, winning
wha, trophies we may, and when our desti.
ny is fulfilled, leaving if possible to future
ages, such lessons and examples as Greece
and Italy have left to US?
Our decision needs no pause. The last
alternative BELTS US best, and we have only
to resolve on The action Of the present mo.
ment.
Ii follows from our premises that Right
and Truth being the end and aim of human
majority can retain power, or
a minority acquireit, only appeals 10 the rea-
son Of their fellow citizens, supported by
the strength of fact and argument. Ne
party dares openly to justify other means,
and all excuse the difference between their
theory and practice, by Imputing prior
fault to their antagonists. At length then
we stand upon firm ground. The terms of
the warfare are settled. We have only to
seek its causes and history. These for the
nest part have often been discussed, and are
luckily well known. The field indeed is
vast, aud the objects numerous. But all
ire not principal. A birds.eye view Of the
most important will suffice, and the accesso.
res may be omitted, or sketched with q
rapid pencil.
If ever there was full and fair expires.
sion of popular opinion, brough, about by
legitimate means, it was in the Presidential
election of 1s40. The defeated have un.
wisely endeavored 10 soften their reverses
Of fortune by imputiug it to popular delu.
sion, and the ar, of their adyersaries, who,
as they say, misled the people.
This sub,eriuge is ipadmissible. Il i'm
putes error TO the people, and the people be-
ing sovereign cannot err. II accuses them
of folly, and the accusation is indecent
With a peculiarly bad grace does il come
from the constant sycophants of the people,
whose arguments in general seek to flaster
their worst passions. But in this instance,
if any, the theory Of the Constitution and T
The fact agreed. A more ample and q.
ough discussion on the merits and de"s
Of parties, was never held in .s. ~
Of whole Nation; and to. . ,0o' s"a. ~" :,
American people did p oo pull, Gh';o,. ~
lom u aS @''u - the Deeal0sus nor
, I men nan os56, the Declaration of lnde.
pendep>S. yIs