The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-03-10

when we have pen, virgin, so lar as INK Is COLI
| carned-any quantity of satin paper with glded
| edges. ard few gallons of cologne, shall en-
daayor to describe the pecuarties of those chosen
| mortals who live above board-or, at least above
| For the DAILY Crescent.
Hero Presidents.
| In all ages of the world glory and power have
been the rewards of the successful warrior
Among the wandering tribes OF the steppes OF ar
tary and sands of Arabia as well as among the
polished people of western Europe, and the naked
sayaees of North America the best soldier has al
WAYS been recognized as the first man OF his time
At this late epoch of the world 1t would be Idle 10
try to change public opinion to the uncommon
merits of man who has skilfully led the armies OF
his country against her enemes-who has never
fought but against fearful odds, and yet has always
been victorious Nor do we wish to lessen the
admiration for superior generalshp and skill IN the
conduct of war. long experience teaches us that
il liz mans nature to praise and exalt the virtues
and qualities which make up the character OF the
triumphant hero and as we indulge in no VISION
ary hopes of remodelling human nature, we desire
rather to direct its ensites into proper chan
| nels than to dam them up or destroy them alto
| gether. To turn the spreading branches of human
passions into and proper directions. is the am
of the philosopher and philanthropist to cut down
the tree or it up by the roots, is the attempt OF
| the dreamer and the fool.
He is but a poor law-giver who legisates only
for the reason and understanding, without remem-
| berng that men are also endowed with the facu-
ties of the imagination. " Let make the ballads
of nation and will make its laws" was decla-
ration suggested by the fact that the reasons ofmen
| are inferior to and under the control of their imag
| nations. 1t is common observation that in early
ages and among savage tribes the poet. the priest
and the warrior, exercise more influence over mems
minds than the statesman and legislator; but this
remark is generally qualified by saying that us
| knowledge and civilization advance, the power OF
the latter increases while that of the former dimn
| ishes. But is mans nature changed, either by a
progress from the savage to the civilized state, or
by relapse from civilization to savaglsm Believ-
! ing that is always stronger than the circum-
| stances which surround hm--that his nature is
| bounded by circle beyond which the forces of
matter cannot thrust him--we cannot suppose that
the relative strength of reason and imagination is at
all modified by the chances and changes of what
| we choose to denomnate civilization and refine
| ment No! Man is the in all his essential
qualites-n the power of his reason and the vigor
of his Observation-Disclosures he struts in pantaloons
or stalks in all the dignity and grace of primeval
! nakedness.
| So long, then. as men, will they continue
to love the pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious
war-so long will they admire the leaders of armies
| and gamers of victories. Quakerism can never be-
come the creed of the race; and you might as well
expect all men to adopt the straight-cut coat and
plain phraseology of The followers of Fox hope
that their principles of peace will ever become the
law of mems opinions and actions. Is it to be sup
posed that the trainers of constitution made
such chimera the basis of our civil liberties? Can
believe that the sagacity of the members of the
| Convention had not more correctly perceived the
true nature of man, than to create for him Govern
ment incapable ofendurng all the attacks Of the ordi-
nary passions of mankind Much as the benevolent
heart of Franklin mi ht have wished for the arrival
| of the second golden age, when the lion and the
lamb shall lie down together and men dwell with
each other in peace and harmony, could his practi-
| cal understanding have sanctioned system of Gov
eminent whose existence would be endangered by
the expression of of the strongest and most de-
| cided tendencies of our minds Let us rather be-
lieve that our constitution framed by those who
understood human nature thoroughly as any set
of statesmen ever did that they Were men not only
deeply read in the lessons of the past, but also pro-
oundy observant of the facts of the present. They
| hado not only meditated the words of sages and
philosophers; their souls had also been kinded to
glow by the inspiration of bards who sang the gores
and triumphs of the combat. Many Of them had
been actors in the field as we'll as in the cabinet
and he who presided over them was g first in war !"
as well as first in peace and first in the hearts of
his countrymen."
We are not, then, Of those who think that
the permanency of institutions is at all threat
ened by our disposition to admire great generals
and elevate them to the Presidency. 1t is the very
practical nature of our government-its capability
of adaptation to all states and phases of the hui
man mind-ils perfect fitness for man as he is, in
dependent of any ideal condition at which he may
| hope to arrive-that enables us to feel secure du-
| ring the highest excitement of the whole people.
No matter whether the nation be violently agtated
by the spirit of party, deeply moved by the feel
| ings of gratitude which prompts it to bestow the
highest honOrs on him who has CALAMITY led the
armies of the republic, we have full confidence in
the power of the constitution to outlive any gust of
passion or feeling. The wisest man is often pro-
voked to anger, and daily weeps his inability to
| govern his appetites and passions but the storms
of passion are TRANSIENT and when they pass away
leave his wisdom high and pure like mountain
top seen in the distance, and serving guide for
the traveller.
But while we have none of those fears by which
others are actuaed when lanenting the tendency OF
the American people to elevate military cheftains
to the Presidency, sincerely deprecate the effort
to raise any man to that high Office, merely because
he has shown skill and courage in maneuvring
men, horses and cannon. To be sure, it is no des-
picable talent which enables man to exercise these
facutes-the rather inferior qualities of even a
general-with tact and success We may assume
if you please, that the capacity for admins
taton is requisite in the head of an army as in the
head of people, though the assumption is falsifed
by many and great examples in history not hun.
bred years back We will admit that all the moral
and Intellectual requites of President may be