The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-19
From the Uaionville Is. CD Journal.


M me neads tllS hrtic'es LOT tHo coHsiucfhi on,
and may say for the appreciation OF the South
crn people. do not propose to open anew the
party politics, whose wounds have been so lately
closed, If not hsaled-that time has passed, at
least for the present, or sleeps in abeyance. But
when we cannot or dare not extol, sustain, and
support-aye, and praise only 10 whisper, the
character and name of one who has been, through
his whole life, the firm, independent, and honest
advocate of Southern rights under the Constltu-
ton, then we are fallen and degraded indeed. 1t
ia tfite and common saying, that we hive fall
lea upon evil times - that the world grows
worse, and men are not TO be trusted as former
ly. This Is, unfortunately, too true at present.
I'd yet, in the main, men are ut all times pre- y
much the same creatures OF epidemic Influences,
be they atmosphere. j, moral, or poll cal. Ii
is the principle which may be predominant at
he time, on which depends the moral and poll
teal character always o-relativcs) of COM
munity, whether they are good or otherwise
In these times of President-making, and rail-
road making, and money making-when candor
and manly sentiment are made to succumb to
willy intrigue and cunning duplicity-when the
spoils of office are seized with avdty, full
justification Of any and all the means by which
they may be attaned-when all are for party,
and none are for the States il is not to be won
dered at that Z" the post of honor is private
station" And looking as we do now, with
reverence aud admiration upon the few distin-
gushed men of other days, who are left as
connecting link of the past and present, we are
very apt 10 believe that they acted their part OF
usefulness and duty in times when vice had no
prevalency, and impious men had no sway But
this is illusion of the fancy, or rather reason
Welding TO Imagination the homage due to an.
cestry. They have had their day of tria-thsy
hf 10 passed the ordeal of corruption, of Il
al urement of office, and party delinquences, an.
like the three children from the fiery furnace,
they stand forth the more conspicuous, for the
impurities that surrounded them, and the more
admired tor the virtues that passed them through
the flames, unscathed and undefled. 1t has
been said, and it may be true, that political par
ties are necessary in all free governments that
it counteracts tendency to a consolidation of
power in the hands Of those who rule for the
time, and excites proper vigilance upon cor
rupton. This is theme of political di. QUESTION
too fruitful of inquiry to be dwelt upon her if
had even the taste or the powers to render il
interesting. 1t is enough for our purpose to
say, that no man who has fully and indis soubly
| connect ed himself to party, can ever be trusted.
This may seem hasty and rather uncharitable
dctum--b but it is, nevertheless, the fact He may
adopt and honestly maintain principle of party
for the time, and be independent; but whenever
he has been initiated and become portion of
party organization, he enters far into, or lends
himself to corruption 1t is fact undeniable,
that men will sustain, by connivance, if not
openly, acts Of turpiiude in party management,
which they would shrink from being responsible
for in their private character as gentlemen.
Hlce it is, that when the strife is oyee and
pass On has subsded--when another generation
has buckled on the armor and taken the field, in
GOODNESS and sober thought the world will award
the need of praise to him who has held his
conscience in his own keeping. Not to weary
your readers by abstract propositions, suffer me-
by way ofillustration, to present to them a brief
notice of gentleman, whose age, whose past
fe who intellect, whose endowm nts and
manly frankness, exhibits spectacle of moral
and political integrity and independence, unde-
tered amidst the frowns and mprecatons of the
North, which entities him to the gratitude of
every Southern man, and which should cause
his name to be honored among us as house
hold word forever The name of that nil
man is James X. Paulding of New York-a
name chaste and honored in literature, pure and
unsued in morals and private life; distin-
gushei and unimpeached in high public func-
tons; honest and sE,ere throughout long
life of activity and uln So and whose old
age is employed in guarding the sanctity and
integrity of the Constitution, and defending the
down.t rodden rights of the South against the
ruthless rapacity of his own countrymen of the
North
A sketch of the early life and course of man.
hood of men of genius, is always instructive
and interesting and very much over estimate
the good feelin Of my Southern cohntrymen, if
they should manifest a etlargy or indifference
to appreciate the character Of one 80 highly en-
titled to their notice, however feeble may be the
effort of the exhibitor. ! have no motive to
crafty but truth and justice no end to accom-
plish, but 30 far as may arouse my country.
men from a fatal torpor-that they may give
honor to whom honor is DUE" and sustain TT
bold daring of one who he's stood by them in
their hour of woe, and battIed for their honor
and their rights whilst they had q banner to fight
under.
James X. Paulding was born at place called
Pleasant Valley, in the county of Duchess, New
York, the 22d of August l778, and is conso
quently, now in his seventy. fifth year His
family is coeval with the State of New York. "a
he now resides on farm, which is part OF an ex-
teDsve tract of land granted to one of his ances
tors by William the I'LL His father was a man
of property at the beginning of the revolution,
in which he bore his part as staunch old Wing
He was member of the first committee of safety
in New York, and commissary general of the
State troops The son of his elder brother, WIS
John Paulding, one of the captors of Maj Andre.
In these times ofvisciating patriotism and white
washed sensbity, it may be thought by some
of very little Importance, what part the ancestry
of Mr.. Paulding acted in that world heavng
drama. But with him and with us, it il proba-
| bly, cherished as memento above all price.
And will here say, without Boosting or any
invidious application, that would not exchange
a knowledge Of the gallant deeds of gallant
ancestry, in tha, fight for right and liberty, for
Gall the blood of all the Howardsn
But let us pursue our subject. The father, in
bis capacity of comnissary general, whilst the
army was starving in the Highlands of tie
Hudaon with cold and hunger, from the inability
of the Congress to afford The proper supplies,
upon his own credit and responsibility fur
nished the poor soldiers wi h the means Of com
| fort and subsistence. When the war was over,
! he presented his account to the auditor generals
office for adjustment. 1t vas refused or rejected,
and he returned to his family ruined man. TO