Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-10-22
The Conservative and the Radical.

Some men glory in being conservative
others, in beirg radical and both pcrhap
intend to take possession of valuable ideas
: yet either by going to an extreme, ma
= generate fault The former are prone t
be slow the latter, to be rapid and vehe
= ment. The former are very careful of tn
things that are, and quite considerate as t.
the consequences Of a change: the latte
push on to the things that are tn he, seein,
more in the future and less in the presen
to admire, and withal protesting Il stron;
adherence TO principle without the intimi
r dations Of expcdiency. The former ar,
cautious, having for their special mi-sio,
the work of guiding affairs; while the lat
ter intend to make events more rapidly by
increasing the inpulsive power, not being
easily alarmed with the scintillations o.
mere friction. If the latter propose to
pull down the sun, then the former mean
TO prop it up, at least to let it come down
softly, so as not to jar the globe. Conse-
quences, the value of things as they are.
prudence in changing them, the doubtful
ness Of the future, the numerous failures,
OF rash cxperiments-these, and the like,
are the peculiar watchwords of conser,a-
tIsm Principle, the intrinsic claiins of
truth, what cugh! to be, the defects of the
present, the possibilities of the future
these IDEAS figure largely in the theory of
the radicalist. He shouts them by night
and by day, and may sometimes think and
speak of expediency as mere humbug to
cloak cowardice and selfshness If the
extreme conservative should regard him as
.f'>i, then he is ready to reciprocaie the
compliment by calling the conservative Il
kndre.
Now, to the eye of sober searching rea-
son, each Of these tendencies, the conscr-
vative and the radical, is worth something,
though their peculiar qualities are no. the
same. 1t would be well if they would
consent to keep the peace, or rather if each
would consent to a wholesome modification
mutually profitable Combine the two
and what kind of moral force do you
generate? 1t is like uniting an alkaii and
an acid: the product is neither alkaline
nor acid. aud narha,ns f.- -h...4- -l---
itself, especially when carrying its tenden-
cies to an extreme, would not move the
world an inch in a Thousand years while,
on the other hand, radicalism when as ex-
trcmc, would be liable to tear it to pieces
BY the suddenness and violence of its ac-
tion. Let oil things stand /; let " master
ly inactivity" preside: away with new
ideas and projects keep the universe still
as when old night was the monarch of
space this is the extreme of conservatism.
Radicalism, as heated as its antagonistic is
cautious, is the opposite extreme. Pu, the
two together and then we have the action
Of two important powers, giving us motion
in the forward direction without destruc-
tion. The one lays the track, while the
other drives the wheel; the one impels,
while the other guides and Restraints, so
that the moving mass does not break into
atoms by its own speed. This is far better
than no motion 4; and it certainly is better
than to tumble down bank.
The practical difficulty in respect to
these two tendencies, is to combine them
in due proportions. In reference to each
other, they are very likely to be unsoclal
Tae man in whom they are tolsrably we'll
,mbined-and thero are some such men
presents the excellences Of both, with
out the defects of either, if taken alone.
He is sort of moral amalgum-a conser-
vative radicalist. He never runs up the
flag of prudence so as to run down that of
rectitude. Conscience holds him with the
force and sternpess of an eager grasp He
is never so careful Of what is, as to be un-
mindful of what ought to be; neither is he
by the other. They might be friends,
so disguised with the real, as to think If
jumping across the Atlantic for the ideot
He is never SO wise as to be wanting in
true Christian courage, in dislinctuess and
de6niteness of position, even at the price
of much personal sacrifice; neither IS he
so heroic that he would swallow a volcano
to prove that he can stand fire. That a
thing can not be done in moment, and
that moral causes demand time to work
ont their effects, is made neither plea
against their use, nor an apology for the
evil which they are intended to correct
Real virtue of principle to hold fast to the
essentially right, and good, strong solid
common sense to consider the ways and
means-neither existing at the expense of
the other this is our conception OF radi'
cal-conservatiye Christian. We heartily
wish, the world might be blest with more
such men. Some Of the class it already
has; yet there is ample room for more
Progress is thsappolnineut Of Providence