The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-07-09
From Meals Saturday Gazette
DOUBTFUL COMPLIMENTS.

Whenever man does brilliant thing,
nowadays, and distinguishes himselfi in the
field Or elsewhere, forthwith somebody puts
him in nomination for Presidency, as re-
ward for merit; but we trust for pardon in
declaring that were we great man, or in
danger of being involved in such predica-
ment,-it is matter of fancy, altogether
but were we 10 wake up some fine morning
to find ourselves famous in arts or in arms,
it may be as we'll to state in advance of the
contingency, that we should decline the
compliment of the nomination aforesaid, and
refuse "to rum" using all possible effort to
escape from the tribulations of the executive
chair, as position not at all to be coveted
by those who have achieved renown in any
other way.--A candidate for the Presidency,
say ye! What popularity can stand the test
without being sadly stained and woefuIly
tarnished by the hard campaign which waits
on such doubtful preferment! Think ont,
we pray you. Now, percbance, you are
honoured and beloved by all--not tongue
not journal, but is vocal in your praise; !;
and when you move, the nation, as one man,
is quick to pay your reverence. There are
now no differences OF opinion as to your vir-
tues and your genius. 1t is thus to-day
but tomorrow, when the dark shades of
nomination rests upon the laurelled blow,
bark to it, what howl! And one-half at
least of former friends devote their energies
TO prove that the world has been mistaken
that you are not so great man as you have
been reputed, if, indeed, they do lot round
ly intimate that you are not great man at
all. The newspapers TEEN with hostile
squibs and disparaglng sneers ;--every act OF
your life is dragged forth to be distorted
and perverted; and you are remorselessly
charged with pecadilloes, sins, and crimes
that you never dreamed of. And should we
succeed-what then? The war of detraclion
still goes on; and at the end of this terrible
probaton-worse, in all respects, than an
ordeal of fre-we retire to the shades of
private life, to count the spots cast upon our
escutcheon, and to wait the iardy action of
poslerity to disspate the fogs and clouds
that, for this generation at least, are sure to
darken our fame--A nomination for the
Presidency, quotha!-Ifwe were the gallant
Taylor, or any other man of martial renown,
we should be half inclined TO take the sug-
gestion as an affront, and would at least
peremptorily refuse to be put up as target
for the practices of political gunnery; for the
obvious reason that we could not believe
that our well-worn lonors are to be at all in
creased by such process. Let some one
else be pilloried, to encounter the obloquys
thereunto appurienant. We like it not.
1t is true, no doubt, that real merit can only
be made to undergo temporary obscuration.
1t may be that in the end tshines the brigh-
ter for these rude attritions. But it is a
question whether this affords equivalent
compensation for the annoyances, disquiets,
plaques and perplexties which swarm around
the victim of political elevation. Even the
stings and arrows Of his enemies, sharp and
CALLING as they may be, are perhaps trtie
to the troubles he must undergo from the
solicitations and pertinacitles of friends, gap
ing for the loaf, and hungry for the fish,
Ones ear may be closed to the camor of OPP
ponents; but the adhering partisan, who can
keep him from the premises, or bar the door
against approach, with his claims and his
services, and his barrows loaded up with
whole reams of recommendation? Who can
satisfy them all; or meet the demand ofI
more than one in thousands, conscious though
we may be, that the nine hundred and nine
ty.nine Of a remainder are at once converted