The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-17
POL I TICAlL..
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iia .Asrthc tiinc approaches at which
nominations for the Presidency have
usually been made. the movements of
fhe different parties. and parts Of
RaEtics have become more and more
ac'ive, and more aud more complica
'sttea. sgttea. It has been supposed that the
enormous ANIMAL expenditures at
which, VIC have arrived, would consti-
tntc cohesive power that would
coun.ervail the growing sectional and
facti9nal tendencies Of the tiu,cs.--
Butsthis is not at all certain. On
the contrary, it may be louud an clc-
+sment of still greater Distraction
The expenditures arc now fifty mill.
ions per annum. On the policy now
adopted, depends therefore the ,llstri.
button Of that sum, not only for the
present year, but Of an equal amount
for four years more. The Prcsidcn.
tlal Question involves now, therefore,
the division Of two hundred and fifty
millions. I And when was it that a
-sum of such magnitude could be dl.
yidel without quarrel between the
distributors? Mr.. Van Buren's Ad-
lninistration went down under the
operation Of dividing thirty.,.inc niIl.
ions.
:. Perhaps a careful examination Of
history will show that nothing is so
destructive Of party or POLITICAL har.
mony, as the possession Of large
amount of money or spoils. 1t is GER
thin that the element of avarice is ad.
tmittcdlto an extraordinary share o.
power,iin q case where higher princi.
pies arc required more than ever
Ifthe'number Of recipients is increas.
ed, that Of expectants is increased
still more; and if many are successful
! ll5seeurin;;ss & 9 share, y still greater
sll mint Y I,oii5sss.
sd. u @l5,1 t..:1s 1s fi., III IF
iejThc system Of the late Louis Phil.
sippe was founded on a higher cxpcn.
tliturc, greater centralisrn, and moro
internal improvements than were cv.
er known in France before. 1t fell
PROSTATE in twenty-tour hours. The
throne of Solomon gave way under
lis successor, at Il period of the high
cst'incomc, and the greatest abund-
sancc of gold and silver. The dcmoc.
racy ofHAthcns was destroyed pre-
cisely nj the period when it con-
,nandtd tic largest quotas of her al
ilies--and the temple Of Delplus was
sacked att length when the tcmpta-
tions, ,ofrita gold became too powerful
for the sahctity Of its God. Even
Pitt, the great founder Of modern Ii.
nance, was driven from power by
coalition, at the very time his taxes
we're: the highest, and his patronage
the greatest. a surplus Of twelve
millions made the Mexican war.
But when, i'll addition to the dis
turbing and distracting influences of
aplcthorc treasury, we have those
of unusual and bitter divisions of
sectional and social character, and Of
foreign policy, it is obvious that the
rcpnlsive forces Of political disorsani-
zation have never been so powerful.
We have also another characteristic
Of the times. The great leaders Of
thet past generation have departed
and are sdeparting--and are taking
their leave OF US in anxious snlicitudc
asto the future. Mr.. Calhoun died
with an unuttered speech in portcnt.
Gus domestic difficulties. Mr.. Clay
languishes with an unspokcn speech
ON the new and portcntous aspect Of
our foreign policy. And well may
he be alarmed. Intervention is q
positive and powerful element now in
ouraaystem. 1t results from the
greatness of power, and when was
alpeople powerful without becoming
proud and aggressive, and fond Of
war and Of conquest? WHO can cx.
pect that many years in this active
age will pass over when the love Of
conquest, the possession of power, the
prevalence OF morbid and distemper-
cd sympathy, and an overhowlng
treasury will not result in war?--
And where now are the statesmen of
authority and wisdom to sustain these
impulses? or whore is the progress in
public virtue or private morality to
temper and regulate the minds Of the
people? Do we not see that the
greatest effort of political ingenuity
now is to construct platforms and
strings of words that will best eyade
or!obscure the principles of parties,
and that in private life, the pursuit
of'wealth has become the universal,
allabsorbing, and all-dcfying one?
We are on the eyo Of great events
events 50 striking, frequent, and
strange, that The telegraph and, loco,
motive and press will be taxed and