Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-12-30

that if the power of bestowing these is vested
in the people, the people will be coar,cd by
those who seek after them.
We are upon practical, not speculative,
question and that question is moi as TO the i'm
possible attainment of theoretical perfection,
but as to the comparative merits Of different
schemes OF poty. Power must rest in some
part of the community. Patronage must i'm
medatey or ultimately rest with thcm that
have the power. Shall they be the people at
large No, says Lord Sydeuham for if the
people are to choose their ministers, they who
would fill ministerial places will debase them
selves by pandering to the peoples prejudces
But what if we cnrust this delicate office TO
court or prince, for the purpose Of making the
duty be more uprigh'ly discharged, and cxalt-
ing the character of the candidates for favor
Are we so blinded By the evils Of popular can
vass to have all of a sudden forgotten that
other time-servng, that old species Of fawni NC,
that worscr form OF fattcry, which the friends
OF freedom and of purity used to charge upon
the parasites Of princes the crew of courtiers,
the mnons who pander TO the propensitlcs, not
Of the people, but the despot Then shall
power aud patronage be vested in a patrician
body, in class of men whom ga man of cdu-
cation" might well find not 'unbearable ~ The
class fawned upon would here no doubt be found
more refined in It's tastes, and must be propti-
ated with more dainty fattery. Yet ques-
if tlo l.
Senator would be less given 10 crngc, than
they who, instead Of trowdiut in the anieroom
Of the noble, after more homcly fashion take
the hand of the peasant and The mechuac. |
greatly doubt if less !alSrhocd will be found in
the smoth speeches addressed to the select pa
trician circle than in the boisterous harrannucs
delivered 10 win the plebian. One ground of
my doubt is the recolections which we all have
OF the scenes of endless intrigue and wide
! spread corruption displayed by the aristocra,ic
courts of modern Italy, tosay nothing ofancient
Rome IN her more patrician days, and another
ground ofmy doubt is precisely this, That men
are more prone to practice deception in secret
than in public, and therefore more likely to use
unworthy acts in the closet the appointed scene
of intrigue, than on the musings from whence
the gfossef species Of intrigue, et least, must
for ever be banished.
And here is furnished very striking proof
OF entire careleSsncss with hich this political
/ reasoner made his observations upon America
and formed his opinions respecting her people
/ lie plainly aitrms of all statesmen in the T.
ntcd States that "lheir only objects are pccu-
/ Iatlon and lobbI9g ;" and thclr means of being
enabled to pcculatG and Job are "the basest
tiattcry ofihc people" Now surely very lit
tie reflection would have suticed 10 satisfy any
conSlderate person that this charge is wholly
impossible. The existence of such violen,
party divisions, cnd the publicity with which
every department OF Government is administer.
cd, make pcculation impractlcable. They
might as well be charged with "compassing
and imagining the death of the King" It IS
an offence which in such a country can have
no existence. But this manitcst error in,o
which the writer has fallen, while it ohowu the
strength Of his pro'ud,ccs against the Amori-
cans, proves also the weakness OF his means OF
annoyance, and il is 4 sufficient answer 10 much
of his general lnycctiyc.
As to the standing topic of vulgar mtunors
let 1t be fairly stated that there are many parts
both OF France and England 10 which we should
not think ci resurtlng were we IN quest Of pat
terms Of polished monrers. Even while repre-.