Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-06-27

creased interests; you give scope ~ on
the rabid passions Of cupidity and ambi-
ton. The love of power, like The love of
gain, is encronching and aggressive. Both
grow upon the affections Of man with
like rapaci,y. The. majority thus appro.
PIRATES what does not belong TO Them ana
if they have more Than their due, the mi
nority are sure to have less !han theirs.
Under s,his spirit Of encroachmenf, the
rights :of the minority are in danger Of
being Icompletely absorbed. This ID The
instructive lesson Of history.
Tire interests, then, of The people, that
il, of the collective population can be pro.
perly fostered only by controlling the
movements oil numerical majorities Against
their repealed eucroachmenls, the intc-
rests of minorities must be staunchly de-
Tended. Majorities should not be allowed
10 Judge absolutely of their own rights. and
then oclhe rights of minori,ies-ihrir po-
lilical opponents. This would be placing
The laler entirely al The mercy Of the
former.
With like evil results is The influence of
party. True il is, a man cannot uniform
ly work for the good Of The whole coun.
try, if he he enshackled by party lies.
Fiom The blind prejudice and pinched
habits of thinking, excited by parry rela.
lions, a man loses the ability OF rising to
The elevated platform OF the true states
man. lie cannot. like the latter in his
broad mental vision. lake in the whole
range of Interests in his community or
country. There is something in the very
nature of small party tactics that cramps
and circumscribes The mind. There wants
the elastic bound Of thought, and the bnld
freedom Of opinion peculiar TO un.
trammelled genius. The mind moves in
a limited circle Of thought. described often
by men, unified by nnIuro or education.
to grasp the principles Of science, or 10
mark The boundaries of knowledge. II is
a plain fac, in mental philosophy, that the
mind, like the natural eye, from habtual
conlractedness Of view, loses its expansi.
biIty. II comes 10 conceive narrowly and
TO feel narrowly. 1t gnes on in its pinched
habits of thought and feeling, until at length
it becomes divcsted Of oil magnanimity.
Nor is party influence less powerful in
its effects upon The ont,rard being Of men.
Hpw often, from the violence of party
spirit. are men forced into rash and i'm
pruden, conduct despite their batter judg.
men, and resolution! A man may see
The good and approve is-ye, so strong is
The current Of this feeling, it often WATTS
him along al full speed against the inclinu-
,ions Of his heart. and the convictions OF
his judgment. Ills only chance of escape
is 10 fall in with it. or he is subjected 10
persecution and prescription. IL requires
more than ordinary ifirmness 10 stem The
fury of this dreaded current in our free
country. Ii is all powerful to bear down
every thing belnre il. Yet if man will
really act the paIl Of q patriot;- he
will pu, forth his efforts honestly for the
good of his country-he will be obliged to
stand up against This spirit in oil lis vic.
lencc. He cannot serve his country and
his party too. He must often desert tie
one or The other. TO desert The former
il. as we have stated, no trivial mater.
lf a man do. he will be often forced to
stand alone, and, then. lie must have an
iron soul. thai can resist the shocks nf
envy, hatred and ridcule. He will have
10 see the weak and The unprinciped seat,
ed above him in power, commanding The
plaudils Of the crowd below; while nc
himself must bear, with Stern composurc.
the Kisses of the multitude. and the neg.
lect Of all except the vrtuous. He will
moreover, Le compelled to labor against
po,2er, and under The shofIs Of malignant
ridicule. But The true Statesman aud the
high souled patriot, will bear all This.
For this noble self-sacrfice. be is. how.
ever. not without reward, Ho bears along
with him the uprrovals Of conscience, aud
the consultations of Philosophy. To stand up
manfuIly under adverse trials or opposing
difficulties, is The true dignity of virtue
the sublime Of character. i, is the spirit
that led The martyrs to lbe stake and
the gibbe;-lhat carried to the block
Raleigh 'and Sidney. Buoyed by The
encouraging hopes of a pure morality, The
sterling hearted pa,riut will not yield 10
disorders il the public mind, or
TO transient hatred and obloquy. He will
rise superior 10 the uproarous clamors Of
the disappointed and evily disposed. Re.
lying on the high wisdom Of all OveruIins
Providence, he is taught 10 regard all
alteration ofInoral power, as anomalous and
transiIory. He is brought 10 believe tina,
moral rule however erralic for time, will
soon regain its ascendency, and adjust us
devialions thai in the great mind of ON.
Impotence. justice always retains her sway
in undihinished purify. Weakness and
viIany may for while be allowed 10 pros
per, 10 The noglec, Of virtue and worth.
But the philosophic statesman, who trusts
in the efficacy Of moral government in
the universe, will feel and know, that such
is only transient; and that vice
and vilainy, by their accidental elevation.
are not in reality exalted. Circumstances
or station cannot change The migrated
merit or demerit Of mini or heart.
"Pygmies are Pygmie, though perched on Alps,
And Pyramids are Pyramids in yales."
1t may he inferred from our remarks,
that we believe a statesman should have
no party: which. with many, is 10 have
no political principles. This is not our
No man can be statesman in
the Just sense of the term. without certain
fixed principles. touching the theory and