The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-01-30
Negative Popularity.

. Negative Popularity.
All honor TO the man who wrote
the iollowing.-The article speaks
our sentiments exactly:
One Of the most pernicious yet
common practices in party move
mcntS, is that of selecting men Of
negatice popularily for important
and responsible Offices, instead of
those who are characterized by their
manly independence and dicision of
character. This result is generally
effected in this way: Those men
who are possessed of dicison of char
acter, and sufficient independence
to form and express opinion Of their
own, as matter of necessity fire.
qucntly come in collision with 9TH
er opinions or different interests.
These collisions at times occasion
personal feelings. When therefore
such a man is presented for an Of
flee there are not wanting those
who will cry out, ooh it won't do
to take him, for he is 'mpopLar ?"
"lte can't be elected" All must
therefore cast about for man, who
as popular, and in nine cases out of
ten, this Popuiar man will be some
miserable toad-eater who has crcpt
cautiously through the world with
out any opinion ofhis own,-who has
always been careful to speak with
batcd breath, and whispers,-who
has SO adjusted every step as never
to jostle his neighbor or tread upon
bis toes,-who has been all things to
all men, like the shipwreckcd sailor,
this moment praying lcrvently to the
Lord, and the next to the Devil, on
the ground that lie did not know into
whose hands he was about to fall
Such Is generally the character of
your neg0tireiY popular men. Now
it must be obvious to the most indif-
tercnt observer, that no reliance can
be placed upon such men in case Of
emergency. When in Office they
will pursue the same skulking course
which has characterized them
through life. They are governed
by no fixed principles, but act from
the cxpediency Of the present mo-
mcnt, and though they may obtain
the votes ofmany on the Ground that
no one has any thing in particular
against them, yet they command the
respect and confidence OF 40 one
Every body respects manlincss and
independence even in an open enc
my, while double dealing, dough-
iacedncsS, vascilation, irrcsolution.
and insinccrity, are universally re-
plobatcd wherever found. Yet
while all admit the correctness of
these views as a general principle,
many act in direct violation of them.
This is wholly wrong and unjust. 1t
is to your independent men that you
are TO look in all times of trial for
the support and defence of correct
principles. They are the men who
in turn should be supported. In
times of trial---in days OF adversely,
your neg0tircy populdr man is OBJ
vious; You get no opinions, no dis
tmct, effective action from him at
such times. 1t is only after the
storm is over, after the battle has
been won that he is valiant and bold.
In the sunshine, in times of prosper
ity, and when his aid is not wanted,
he is Jealous, heroic, and courageous
in times of difficulty, and danger
he iS-n0n est inUentaS. ... /.
The policy as well as impartial
justice then would seem to dictate
that, in the selection of men to fill
important Offices, private feelings,
personal dislikcs, and indiyid-
ual interests, should be laid
aside and strong men-of character,
frmncsS, and liexdncss of purpose
will be made popuIar. One such
popular man is worth scores and
hundreds of men of mere negatice
popularity.