The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-05-31
VOLUME L. NUMBER IA.

government to encourage agriculture, and to foster
it above all other business or occupations; and, so
long as that policy remained, SO long it was retain
ed in its primitive simplicity-there was people
on earth more happy than were the Jews. But, in
the course oftime, demagogues and ambitious poll
ticians grew up among them. They must needs
have change. Though above all the people on
earth they not only blessed with the best gov
ernment and the richest land, but were daily fur
nlshed by the hand of the Almighty; they were
daily receiving the bountes of his goodness; they
had been delivered from Egyptian bondage by
miraculous interposition of Divine Providence;
and when hotly pursued by Pharaoh and his host
they had seen Moses, by Divine power, smite the
Arabian gulf with rod, divide the waters, and
roll back the mighty waves, through which they
passed dryshod, while Pharaoh and his host were
drowned; when on their way in the parched wilder
ness. they drank pure water, which they had seen
Moses draw from the flinty rock by smite of his
rod; when they hungered in the wilderness, man.
ma fell from Heaven, of which they ate in gratitude
and solemn thanks;-all these things were fresh in
their recollection when they first attempted
change and that change was to desert the standard
of Moses, and the Almghtys protection, and be-
take themselves to Aaron, and erect golden calf,
and bestow on it the Divine honors which were
due to Him who had delivered them from bondage,
and fed them in the wilderness: that was their first
change. The motives of the Jews in that change
were of character with those which moved ma
jority of the American people in 1910, when they
tal ~, 81 hat1
selves to whiggery. They were wo,t to erect
calf, too-not calf to be made of gold, but one to
be made of shinplasters; kind ofrag-tag and bob
tail calf-a cafto be made with rags and lamp black
worthy of a rag baron aristocracy. But John Ty-
Ter knocked that call on the head, thank God, as
Moses did Aaron's; for when he (Moses) returned
from the mount, he demolished Aaron's calf, and
reconcIled the Almighty with the Jews, whose
wrath had been kindled against them for their idol
airy.
But ere long corrupt politicians again sprang up,
and denounced the government as weak and imbe-
cie. Demagogues and loafers multiplied, who lin
that country as in this, and every other) too lazy
to work and too proud to beg, determined to live
on the labor of others. Not content with that wise
and equitable system Of government which distrib-
uted justice and equality to all and made every
Jew constituent part of the government-made
every Jew landholder and freeman mot con-
tent with that policy which made the Jews an agri-
cultural people, (for which they were peculiarly
fitted, and to which their country was peculiarly
adapted, they sought to establish systems of ine
quality; to divert the public attention from the
humble, punctual, and frugal-though honorable;
pursuits OF agriculture; and to adopt system more
in accordance with oriental grandeur: to this end,
privileged orders and irresponsible institutions must
be Notwithstanding like the policy sought
to be established in country, which has for its
object the oppression of the many to enhance the
interests of the few-I mean protective tariff sys
tem-a credit system-a banking system, and
shnpaster currency,-or, in brief, system by
which swindars may plunder honest men. No
other systems would divert and deceive thepeople
from the policy and sterL frugaty whichit was the
constant effort of Moses to inculcate, and which
the whole frame of government favored. But the
corrupt politicians and demagogues rung change'
change and portion of the people, who had grad
ualy become corrupted with oriental passions and
oriental grandeur, permitted their patriotism to be
shaken. They began to think there was some
thing sublime in an eastern court, which gave char
acter, dignity, show, and power to nation, which
was incompahbleswth simple republican govern
ment. The rage for change spread They must
have court The show, the gaudy tinsel, the |
splendor and the luxuries of a court, captivated
A. 4, LII Al a md Iyi,
ted their tastes. The distempered rage for change
spread more and wider. To have court, they
must have king-not their frugal Moses, or their
Divine Deliverer any longer; but temporal king
who could bestow bounties, and receive batteries;
court, a king, military splendor, central power,
and strong government. Moses, and man cal
led Samuel, who was successor of Moses, remon-
strated agansta change of governmet, and repre-
sented, in the strongest possible terms, the dangers
and fatal effects of eastern corruptions eastern des
potism, and eastern bondage. All their remon-
STRANGE was il. vain; change they would have;
temporal king they would have; an oriental court
and military despotism they would have; and the
Almighty gave them, in his anger, king, and all
the rest soon followed. Saul was the first king un-
der Their new change He governed well Tor
short time, but soon became despotic and towards
the last of his reign became insupportably capri
cious. He was rejected, and one David was cho-
sen in place. David was true patriot. sim
friend of his country, and ardently devoted to
its highest interests. The country prospered under
his administration, though oriental customs, and
the military spirit of the people, grew under his
reign, and with these, increased taxation. Solo
mon succeeded David. He ruled with moderation
and wisdom at first, but. towards the end ofhis
reign, became very tyrannical and laid heavy bur-
dens upon his people. Oppression had already be-
come the reward OF their desired change. Reho-
boam succeeded Solomon. He refused TO tighten
the burdens ofthe people; and this caused a dis
memberment ofthe empire-ten tribes going of,
under Jeroboam and forming a separafe govern