Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-10-31
FOR THE ADVERTISER.
No. XVEH.
Demagogueism and Demdgogues.

ND IaCl CUIneCteu VIII OuE SeluS' 10
perhaps, more curious and important,
Than the influence of mind over mind.
Thought and will. practically combined,
work with powerful and mysterious agen.
cy over the whole animal kingdom. They
bring into suhjeetion the stoulest hearts
and The most savage natures. One strong
intellect. gifted with the power OF oraory,
is capable Of rousins into aclion all The
lalen: passions OF the soul. and Of leading
thousands captive at lis will. The idea
is admirable it is sublime Is it not in-
dicative of bold design in Providence? ?
For what could 50 transcendent power
be conferred? Is it for naushl? Could
il be for evil! The whole scope of crea-
ton reburs such presump'ions. The hand
of Deity never creates except for good:
his Will never acls without design. For
some God like purpose was so wondrous
power bestowed. And what could that
purpose be, except to lead men from the
error of their ways? from the strong holds
of passion aud prejudice to the ways Of
sobcruess and truth from vice 10 virtue !?
from crime aud oppression to order and
Justice Those then eadued with this
power of control, are in a high degree
responsible. A strong moral obligation
rests upon their shoulders. How guarded,
should be their efforts in the exercise of
this great power? They become to some
degree responsible for the acts aud opin-
ions OF others aud consequently. To that
degree hey add to their own share Of per-
sonaI responsibility. In proportion as the
power is given them to control, in the
same degree is their responsibility en-.
hanced. What a fearful risk of moral
penalty, therefore, do they run, who pervcrt
the powers with which they have been
endued, in leading men from virtue to vice I?
from the paths Of soberncss and truth 10
the ways of licentiousuess and crime !?
And yel this is The case Of Demagosues
Demagogueism, as commonly understood
is a fdctious misleading of ihe people
and Demagosue is The 6aciious misleadsr.
Demagosue is erm@enerc in its use,
and includes variety of species. We
will moi attempt to delineatc each species
or class with particularly. But there is
one class Of which we will speak by way
of eminence. The characteristics are mark
ed and striking. When embodied. they
produce The true political mock-heroic
The genuine type Of political Quxolism
This class is known by ruling propensity
for boistcrous defamation, and for a fred
determination 10 accomplish the most selfish
ends BY any and all means, at any and all
hazards. The true representative of this
class has no regard for moral virtue OF
genuine patriotism, though his mouth is
always filled with these magic terms. Hi.
counIry's ruin may STARE him in The face
still he is bent on accomplishing his selfish
ends. Prosperity may smile upon all
around him, yet he is noisy, grumbling
and meddlesome. His daily business istc
decaim bitterly against The so called ruler.
of his country, and to profess deep indig
nniion- at, some imaginary infringement o.
the peoples rights. lie perpetuafly seeKI
occasions for oralorical display, in which
he paneeyrizes the virue, intelligence, ant
patriotism Of the people; speaks 10 then
n;slUwing terms Of their absolute sovereign
~; and tells hem, that he desires for /,
guido 10 his conduct. no other rule thar
their declared ,UiW. He protests, that hi:
efnrts are all honestly put forth in hi
countrg's cause; Thai he knows no olhe
duty. and feels no other interest; and tha
he wishes no other reward except hi
couniry's approval Of his conduct. He il
always full Of ialIcring words, and higI
sounding phrases. Liberty, equality, tn,
peoples rights,-his own disinterestrd pa
Eiotism, are the never dying lhemes-an,
the soaring Eagle" of his country, III,
ever hackneyed metaphor, Of all his polili
cal rhapsodies. On these he dilales anG
expounds-argues, and defes--ranls AM
(oams When you shall have heard hin
time after lime, you will be forced to ex
claim, as it was bitterly said Of tho boisIe
rous Jeliiies,
on with success this mighty blast did bawl,
Where luuIeSt lungs and biggest words win all
The French have saying, "broucouy
de bruit, psu de fruit" much noise, liti,
profit, nr as we say in English. "grra
!. cry and lille 'ooot," This ..adage applies
with peculiar force 10 The windy Dema
sogne. flc is all iroIh and no substance
The above is 2 delinea,ion of The hishe
or gentry order Of The gifted 'ribe-th'
aristocratic Demagogue. Think it 10
strange that the Aris,ncrat and Dema
gogue are often united in one individual
The union, though somewha, anomalous
can he naturally accounted for. Their
is one point in which the extremes O
these characters meel, viz: in their hairet
and contempt Of the people. Now we lik
aristocracy as opposed to leveling dcma
gogueism ; but it must be an aris;ocracy O
gentlemanly principle! of virtue! of pa
Iriolism! We cordially despise the purse
proud fool who claiIns superiority Of meri
from his il.hoarded pelE-or the naughty
arislocrat who to reach his selfish ends
can lei himself down from his feiened su
periority 10 The demagoSuical tricks 0
fraud and chea'ery
There are other classes oflhc demagoeue
whose characters are strongly narRed
There, for instance, is the Sig, cunning
tricky deceiuer of the people. who wend
his way through The crowd, and aohisper
his sinister tale, like The willy serpent il
the garden Of Eden, into The ears of hi