The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-02-05
Thursday Morning, February s. so.



Personal Independence.
There is no baser servili.y. than that which re-
suits from ,so great desire for popularity. A
demagoeue, is cringiny spaniel. with thousand
masters. He has a. many owners as q stray cur.
He ticks the hand of svery voter that is extended
to him. He has no m~s independence than
clam. He sees everything, smells. tastes, hears
everything; but says nothing, and il he has any
opinions Of his own. fears nothing SO much as that
thy may be discovered. He tries to keep
smooth, calm surface, 80 that whoever attemPts
to look int him, viii see reflection of the look
er's own opinions, rather than through the sur
lace. into the inner nan aud his internal ma
chinsry. Thiscrinsins servili.y is moro eIcusable
in the poor wretch, who il ehattel, and belongs
to his master by bill fsaie, a. If he were horse
or sheep; but in men, in freensb, who are
masters Of their own persons. who have vol,ion
to think and power to act independently, il Is ut
terly contemplate. IL is shocking to live where
society is u perpetual masquerade; where men
carefully mask all their opinions, all their ami
nnesities, all that rebu.e Of wrong. Of violence.
Of vice, Of injustice. which every honest man
ought to ,eear lake a helmet upon his 6rou. De-
eet. faisehood and hollow hypocrisy. characterize
Aocie,y, too much. Men who have in their hearts
deadly hestilitiss toward sach ether, who secretly
desire the ruin Of each ether, actuatsd by this
love Of popularity. become contemplate cowsrds.
fearing each other. and meeting tsgsther, ex-
change the civilities Of words and professions.
and smile upon each other, while the malice Of
hell 10 ranking in their bosou.. By this want Of
frankness aAd caador. instead Of meeting together
asd calmly and freely comparing opinions and ad-
justng differences, men smotbe; and conceal and
cover up their animssitss. until they break ont in
violen, quarrels and fatal street fights.
Why should any free, upright man. be afraid to
svew his opinions' If he sees society rotting
down Piece-meal around him. through the prsva-
lsnce Ct one vice or another, why net asnounes
that vice, and exert all his personal influence
against it, Must man be braced up by a socie-
~, to enable him to oppose intemperanee! l, has
occurred to US. that good, old fashioned personal
Influence, and individual effort, to suppress wrong
doing, has found but poor, feeble substitute, in
the efforts Of societies and associations; and that
the plan Of forming associations for reforms, 10
only cowardly way Of shrinking from the re-
spsnshity Of individual, personal exsr.ion to sf-
feet reform. The tendency Of such associations,
10 always to weaken personal independence. A.
long as the oppositioe to intempersncs. locks a.
self up in the Division room, operating only
through selfish principle Of association, it will
be powerless and imperative. We wan, to see
more mea and fewer societies. We want to see
more manly independence. We want 70 see the
time, when if a measure is proposed, which i, is
thought may be popular, men will netsll flock A.
ter it like flock Of sheep following bsll-wsatt-
er. without nquirins if the measure is e1pedisnt,
and above all, il IT is just. We want to see the
time come, when 4 clamsr cannot be suddenly
raised against an independent press, which fear
lessly states the Truth and canvasses public men
and measures.-a clamor that good men have not
the courage to allay and to combat with o,nnipo-
tent moral eourage;-when if a subscription pa
per is started, for one purpose or another, every
man will weigh and consider well and decide
whether it is right and proper for him to subscribe
or not; and when No man will subscribe through
a base fear Of losing popularity if be refuse.
We want to see men 20 independent. that
il they have signed tbs Recommendation Of
one young man fer Csdetship, they will not,
to secure favor from the friends Of another sppli-
cant for the same Office, sign his Recommendation
also. We want to see members Of the Lexisla-
ture, who have tho manliness to say yes or no;
without any hemming or shutting or dodsing. II
people believe it ia szpsdieat and right to try the
experiment in Minnesota. Of a liquor law, like
that in Maine, which is yet only a. experiment,
even there. Of course they can petition tho Leg
stature to enact such law, and the Legislature,
we hope. upon due deIiberation will do just wha,
they thiak right and proper abou. it. Has,y Leg
isIs,ion always brings after it train Of regrets
So much are we in favor Of the free, Independent
judgment Of every member Of the Legislature. ON
this question. being fully protected and freely ex-
ereised, independent Of all outside influences and
all Tea" Of ioss Or gain Of popularity. that We
are ready and willing to defend, now and iorsyss,
as Gar as the influence Of ihis press may 70, the
conrss and the conduct Of any member. who in
our judgment acts independently in voting on The
passage Of the Maine law. Bat if, upon fairly
canvassng the subject, it shall appear to BE- the
evident conviction Of the public mind, that the
enforcement Of saeh Law, however just hs pro-
visions. Is wholly impracticable in Minnsso,a--i
il be Palpabis that through fear Of losing populari
~, the Legislature proceeds to enact this law,
with the deliberate fore-kaowledgs and intsu.
that it will Be dead letter upon the statute book
We shall not hesitate to denouncs those who vsts
fSs h. a. time serving sycophants. unworthy Of
trust.
To EvEny CcurrRY NxwsPAPxn IN TIE
UNIrrDSrArrs.--B,s bren Of the press; aaay
of yeu sand your Journals. cot inss the world,
without the name Of the town and State printed
nndsr the title q yesr papers, signiying in what
State or Territory they are respectively pubIshsd