The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-07-20
NEW ORLEANS.
-a0e


Party Bases.
Some weeks ago we wrote an article in which
we endeavored 90 explain the necessity of reward
ing political friends, in order to establish and main
tain, for any length Of time, party powerful
enough TO accomplish any great and lasting pur-
poses. It was then our aim TO show the impracti-
cabiity Of any party plans or party declarations,
which pretended not to consider party views and
party services in tho distribution Of any places of
honor or profit, which might be at the disposal Of
the heads and chiefs Of successful and victorious
party. Such declarations must, in fact, ever be
either the meanest hypocrisy or the deepest delu-
sion Of visionary brains. If the profession is acted
on the party practising it must soon go TO pieces
for want Of efficient and jealous agents, But there
Is the opposite extreme, to which many have gone
in their efforts to build up party--an extreme as
dangerous and as destructive to a new party as the
folly of not lavoring political friends and adherenis.
There have been numerous attempts made, in this
as well in other countries, TO organize and sus-
tain parties the single principle of public plum
der These efforts, however, are more vain and
futile, and call for far less Of our sympathy in their
failure than those which honest and well-inten-
toned, bHt short-sighted and inexperienced, men
have made to build up parties on intangible and
speculative distractions.
A party, in order to be useful, and we may add,
IN order to be successful, must address the higher
q well as the lower principles Of human nature.
Even the most corrupt politicians Of the most cor
runt Of times and governments, have felt the neces-
sy Of some profession Of faith in order to carry out
any settled scheme Of party policy, even to keep
men together for consenianeous action, and give
them the form and lineaments, if not the spirit and
soul, Of party. new party which enouncss no
distinct policy set of principles for its guidance
always will be, and always ought to be, distrusted
by the people Of the country. Il is rare that men
can, without any declared dociFinea keep together
for q sufficient length Of tms 70 reach power aud
arrive at the management Of affairs. But if this
is the case, when men are so long able to smother
their selfish passions as to give success to party
which never presumes to address the intellect and
the conscience, the hold Of such cub-for it de-
serves not the name Of party-on power must be
short and insecure.
When men, without any declared doctrines or
any pledges to pursue certain and definite policy,
have been able to reach place and power, it is
the hardest thing in the world to force them into
any declaration Of principle, or get them to inform
us as to the general measures which it shall be
their object TO carry into practice. The pace-man
is always disposed to be taciturn; for the Sc
cret he is the more real and secure is the power he
possesses. 1t is hard to attack man who receives
salary from the public and yet does them little or
no positive harm hence the policy of all govern
ment officers is to do as little as possibe-for the
less they do the less Probability there is of receiv-
ing censure--and draw their quarterly or semi-an-
nual dues with that punctuality which BELTS men
OF business 1t is when men are anxious to arrive
at power, when they are struggling to gain office
that they are profuse Of promises and disposed to
be communicative as to their sentiments and opn-
ions. Once let them get seated in the chair Of au
thority and they become silent and reserved; they
forsooth too busy with the cares Of slate to tel
the good people what they intend doing for them
selves and the country
Sometimes it happens that the leaders of new
party-or rather, we should say, those ambitious o.
founding new party-aware of the mpossibili1
of keeping men together without giving them som,
common ideas and common sentiments, attempt tt
substitute certain vague and unmeaning general
tiles for those clear and distinct propositions which
are most in accordance with popular taste an
popular understanding These may for time de
ceive men and lead them to believe that declara
tiOn of principles has been made, when such ha
never been the case. But such expedients are tn
shifts of those who, conscious that they have n
firm and solid ground to stand on, attempt to de
lude for time those who have trusted them wit
power. Delusion, however, leads in the long run
to defeat; and the failure to keep party togethe
with the mere lust Of office, without any system {
public policy, may teach US that if man is not alto
gether pure, neither is he absolutely and entirel
base in his desires and conduct.