Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-02-12
RepulIitanislll..

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we cannot fail to observe that moral
power has been advancing and drag
glng the opinions Of society after it.
Men are born and become grea upon
thrones, or by the force Of the mind.
It 4 not human fame or influence
winch constitutes this power. These
Things sink in a common grave with
the body, or in few instances live
some centuries. Things only exist
after death in the chronological table
Of history; but Homer has lived in
his works, two thousand years, and
Shakespeare two hundred All played
theiF part, and had their circle Of fol-
lowdrs, and have fallen into the sleep
fof death, and the opinions of man
kind are not universally tending to
any one of them. What then is this
my| ieri4 US agency which, during the
last half century, has So decidedly led
conf4rvatism by the collar as man
woul i a dog?
It is tie combination Of religion
With government; not that corrupt,
pros titate and pncongenial alliance
of church and State, which has made
the followers of a holy profession the
dependent. suitors Of the earthly IA
yori ties Of foGtune-not that disgrace
full partnership, which, by the accom-
mod alton provisions Of the articles,
as ID England, can demand and Sc
cure the moral strength Of one mem
Der of the. finn in behalf of any time
serving measure Of policy, either of
the wings Or the tories, as they hap
gen to be in the ascendancy but
that infusion of the blessed clements
Of christianity into the principles Of
GOV frnmenB thus forming basis Of
the equality of mans political and
meIal right. This blending of the
ten4 is Of religious and political truth.
is what is understood by democracy
"a government Of the people, pred
icat ed upon the intuitiye sense Of
each man Of his privilege Of thought
and action, only encountered with
the necessary restrictions of society.
to which he cheerfully submits in
cons liberation Of the enjoyment he
derives from living in that state.
I his is the power which has been
the leading horse Of mankind, and
which, with q sort Of spiritual traces
has been dragging after it the opinions
bf men. Those who believe in the
divine right Of kings, in hereditary
SUCCESSION, III the obligation to obey
laws because they are, and not be.
/ caus the people have consented tc
them, are clustering in very fear to-
gcther, and winding a rope round
the Old rotten post, and trying to ar
rest the progress Of the power Of de-
1nocracy But all will not do, The
rising generation will follow the in
4clination Of their nature, and viii
seize hold of the traces of this pow
cr, and give a helping hand, until the
old post is upr6oted from the earth.
Behold how great fire little
spark kindletli. A little more than
two centuries ago, on a barren heath
upon the coast of England, on a
stormy night, 4 band Of fngitives was
hRddied togetber-Inen, women, and
children, of all ages-braging the
terrors Of the elements, and looking
out upon the draary waste of waters
for the comingtf the bark which was
to bear them from hon away from
the place Of their earliest affections
and most sacred otiations But
with thls devoted body was the high
priest who had united in the insepa-
rable bands of u MON religion and
government, and writ ten out the
great charter Of hum4 IN happiness,
and entrusted it in the hands of des.
tiny. This persec uted minority was
an umble beginning for the glorious
consumption which " L now behold
in the universal power Of democracy: