The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1852-12-17
THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION.

tendant upon political strife had subsidized or
Gained down, the opposition presses would
have ceased their.ruthless attacks upon the
President and his Cabinet, or at least a por-
ton of them would have been magnani-
mons enough to have observed respectful
silence in cases where honesty and candor
dictated praise rather than censure. Such,
we regret to see is not the fact. On the con
trary, if there has been any change it is in
the adoption Of a more reckless and vindic-
tive course of denunciation of the President
and his Cabinet. We can make large allow
ances for political excitement, concede much
to party prejudice, but an indiscriminate
course of ccnsurc of an opponent, whether
he may be right or wrong, is inexcusable, and
denotes an entire want Of honesty and regard
for fair dealing on the part of those who
adopt it, which, if practiced upon in the bu-
siness relations Of life, might tend greatly to
increase the number of .convicts in the peni-
tentiaries Of the different States. .-, ..
1t is not in this or that particular case that
the President has been denounced, and abus-
ed, by democratic editors, but his whole of
fetal conduct has been misrepresented, and
every sort of effort made to prejudice the
public mind against him. These gentlemen
seem to be impressed with u belief that the
greatest amount of service they can render
the. public is by writing long editorials daily,
the burthen of which is "President Fillmore,
his trucking policy, the Cuba question" &C..
We know we have not opened democratic
paper of any note within the last four weeks,
that did not contain two or three long articles
with some such heading as quoted above
1t is prolific text, from which they all preach
with amazing volatility. 1t overrides and
undertakes all other subjects IN their estma-
tion-in their fiery zeal to show that the
President is all wrong,intcrnal improvements,
the public lands, the Nicarauga, and all
other questions sink into insigniticance and
that stupendous humbug, Bill Seward, who
but recently frightened the whole South out
ofits propriety, is permitted to dwindle down
to his proper proportions. Even Frank
Pierce, the lucky, overwhelmingly elected to
distribute the crumbs and comforts of office,
aud to bring the government back to the
good old republican track" from which they
say it has strangely wandered under wing
misrule, is almost forgotten amid the inces-
SAINT cry about Mr. Fillmore, "the Crescent
City," and "the Cuba question" No act of
the President is worthy of praise every |!
thing he does seems to call forth their powers |
of condemnation. One half the energy and |
ability wasted in misreprcsenting and abus-
ing the Administration and its policy, if dis
played in behalf of some substantial interest
might result in great amount Of public
good, And this wholesale course of censure
IS not confined to the veterans of the press,
The men who have grown grey in the work
Of Misrepresentation; but the ''young ,uns.o
who have just got seated irsuit edftonai
chair, adopt it at once, and take to abuse
and aspersion just as naturally as asses take
TO thistlcs.
Well, the present Administration is draw
ing to close, Mr.. Fillmorc's term of service
will soon expire, and then, we presume, the
tune will be changed - the papers that now
ienounce him will be filled with laudations
Of his successor, whether the policy he may
adopt be a safe and patriotic one, or other
wise. We can no more expect them to deal
honestly and canddly in the one case than
he other. They have been indscriminate
n their ccnsure of the head of the present
patriotic administration; and it will excite no
surprise to find them going as wide Of the
ruth and facts under the power coming in,
although instead Of censure their columns
viii be filled with laudatons and praise
Happy will it be for the country if Mr..
Pieree's administration shall furnish as little
-eai grounds for complaint, and shall be cha
'acterised by the same wise, prudent, and
policy adopted and carried out
by President Fillmore. We trust it may so
urn out; and above all, we hope the wing
press will not initiate the example of the de-
nocratie editors, by insttutng factious OPP
position to the new administration, but will
that which is right, and censure
only where censure is due. ....
CLEAR Spring ENGLISH School.
advertisement for the Second Session of this
School will be found in our paper to-day
We have an acquaintance of several years
standing with Mr.. HALE, the Principal, and
have no hesitation in saying that he is well
,,,l;6od for tba roenn,sihla dut;ao of tbo