Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1842-09-17
WHAT WE HAVE LOST,
SOBER, SECOND THOUGHTs.r


has subsidized. Demagogueism can no
longer avail itself Of the prejudices Of ig
no,ance Or the passions Of the moment
Ridiculc, that fourished for the hour up
on the distortion Of fact,1 has lost its po-
tency, and shrunk into that insigniGcnnce
which always awaits it, retreat lcforc
the power Of "thc sober, second ,hought;''
And TRUTH, so lately 'scrushcd 10 EARTH"
is again seen rising triumphant and Pho
nix-likc from the fires fits persecution
Let US pause then for moment, before
this shining tower or:',hc 'srcturned rca-
son." and, in the ca'mncss Of spirit whic,a
it so fittingly begets, survey the sceAcs
through which we have passcd--,hc
grounds, tho incidents, and the cataslro-
phies Of the late political contest in this
Territory.
OF those unhappy and Notifying dis
sensions which prevailed in the ranks Of
the democratic party Of this county, and.
indeed, throughout the Territory, at the
last election, by which VIC have lost one
branch Of the Legislature and are aim IS,
tied in the other, much might be said,
were such our present purpose. Dut the
result is itself sufficient, aud, re think.
most powerful comment upon, the indis-
cretion-and must admonish our political
brethren, in . language more forcible
than tongue or types ran speak, Of the
necessityof union, ifthey value success,
and-of the necessity Of sacyiiices if they
respect principles. To permit personal
feeling either for or against, to decide
the choice, is ut once - admit the power
OF prejudice over reason, and to acknowl.
edge the superiority Of The selfish senti
mcnts over conscientious devotion to 20
litical opinions.
But it is not our object, at this time, t
dwell upon theAc discussions which, We
trust the example Of the late result vii
put at rest forevcr--but 10 glance for .
moment at fhe means made use Of to de
feat what was always more importan
subject than any other TO our people
that Of State Government.
That was question proposed and a
dopted in the Legislature without distinc
zion Of party, and met with almost unan
imous appreciation. Throughout the con
test Of tho last summer, and during the
whole tendency of the question before
the people, i: never assumed for mo
ment decidedly party shape,-and
those Of both parties who discussed ii
both on the stump and in the newspapers
affected an entire freedom from all part,
considerations and all party designs
and yet the only support the question re
celvcd was from democrats, aud the fac
olits advocacy was broughtto bear insid
uously and quietly, but surely, agains
every democr ratio candidate! A demo
Graf no sooner entered the field than h,
vas obliging!y but secretly saddled by
his WING friends with tho generous bur
den OF Convention All this was apra
rent to every one with half an a,,-c-anc
yet, with all the inventions Of which Dolit
zeal emergencies are SO prolific, It VI:
impossible for the most ingenieas 10 ex
tricatc himself. II WAS NC Parry DUES
TlcN-yet the uhigs ,csre uNoyposed 4, Il
IT WAS NO PARTY QuEsTIoN-vek TENN
Gratis alone sustained land there fore
not because they were democrats. but be
cause they were democrats ard went co
state government they must DC pu. down
This was truly ga strong game''-and n,
wonder is that any man got oY1 Who'll,
from such vortex Of confusion. An,
during all the ti,ne that these .abomin
able compounds" we're going on-whiI,
tho wings were gaining weight TO ,hei
arguments BY pretending 10 patriotism
& that scared above party, thus maxim.
head against the question and At III,
Same time scalping the democratic can
dldatcs by deAterous1y identify ing then
With i, and thus killing bothi The question
and the democratic candidates at once
while this delightful operation was goin.
forward, it was rather cold comfort L
500 democrats, some standing idly suck
ing their thumbs, and others swallowing
the wing bait, hook, line and pole, and al
for gospel, just like so many gudgcons
perhaps without once rejecting that al ey
cry swallow they sucked down mon.
strous piece Of wing fus,ion, and tina, a,
every wag oftlleir grinders they cracked
the bones Of their own candi
We have been in few contests, and
hive Witnessed nlany-but never since
We know what electioneering was, have
We seen ,oool pulled oper Tie ryes Of the
democrats SO eiiectua!ly us It was done by
tho wings inthis Territory at the las,
election on the Convention subject. Their
first object was TO kill the question bv
RAISING the rae head and bioody, bones Of
idsaii0n-and succeeding in this their
a -