The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-05-05
From the Boston Investigator.
NEGATIVE POPULARITY

All honor 10 the man who wrote the following
The article speaks our sentiments exactly - u.
che OF me FIMiSl pernlciuns yet common practi-
! ceS III party movements, is that of selecting men
OF aegntire popularity for important and respon-
sble offices. instead of ihbSe who are character
Ized by their manly independence and manly de-
c's'on oil character Tins result Is generally af-
!eced in this way Men who are possessed of
decision of character, and sufficient inde pendenc.
To i"rm and express opinions of their own, as a
matter OF necessity, frequently come in collisvn
with other Opinlo IS OF different interests These
collisions al times occasion personal i'll feelino.-
| When therefore such man is presented for Of
fca there are not wanting those who will crv.
out, " Oh II won't do TO take him. for he is nm
popular !'' He can't be elected ~ All pust
therefore cast about for some man who IS popular
and IN nine cases out of ten, this yopulnr mar
will be some miserable toad eater who has creni
cautiously through the world without any opinion
"f his owu-who has always been careful to speak
with bated breath and whispers-whO has So adj
Justed every step lostle his neu bbpr or
tread upon his ,oes-whu has been all things to
al men, like the shlpwrecked sailor, this moment
praying fervently To the Lord and The next IN the
Devil. ON the ground that he did not know int,
whose hands he was about TO fall Such is gene
rally the character of yonr q" negatively pppnIar ."
men. Now it must be obvious To the most indif
ferent observer, that no reliance can be placed
upon such men IN case nf emergency When in
office they VIII! pursue the same skulking course
which has characterized them through life =
| They governed by no fixed principles. but act
from the cxpediencv of the present moment. and
though they may obtain the votes of many ON The
ground that no one has any thing against them
yet they command The respect and confidence az
no Every body respects manness and in
; dependence even in an open enemy while double
dealing. doughfacedness. vascillaIjnn. and iosin
eeriy. are universally reprOhated wherever found
Yet while all admit the correctness Of these views
as general principle. many act in direct viola
ton Of them. This is wholly wrong and nn,nst
II is to our independent men that we are To look
in times Of trial for the support and defence ,,e
correct principles. They are the men who in
. turn should be supported. IN times of Trial. in
days OF adversely. your negatively popular
Z man is obvious you get no opinions no distinct
no effective action from him at such times IL i;
only after the storm is over, after the hattie -,
/ won that he is valiant and bold I'm the s,n
shine. in times OF prosperity, and when his aid 10
not wanted. he is Jealous, heroic and couraoeo,e
In times Of difficulty and danger, he is-non
est ineemiuS.
True policy, as we'll as impartial Justice. then
would seem TO dictate, that, in the selection oe
men to I'll important offices. private FEELINGS. per
sonaj dislikes- and individual interests. should he
laid aside. and strong men--of character. firm
ness and jxedness Of purpose and will. be made
popular. One such popular man IS worth scores
and hundreds Of men OF mere negative populsr;
ly."