Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-10-28

tional grant of power asked for is for the nul
hc good, it should be withheld, and the GO
ernment rigidly confined within prescribed O.
Bit
In this connection, do most solemnly d,
clare, that, at this very period of time, believ
that the heavy and weighty responsibility rest
upon the great Democratic party ofthis nation
OF recurring once more to first principles-t
the original desi gn of the Government-and.
possible, to bring back to its primitive repub
llcsn simplicity and economy;and also 10 eonGn
1t within the ancient Land marks as laid dow,
by Jefferson and his patriotic associates in tn,
earlier and purer days of the Republic. l.
1T there are divisions of the Democratit
party, claim to belong to that division of I
which will stand firmly by the combined and
recorded judgement of the people, p-...n will
if it has the power, carry industry, economy,
reform and rigid responsibility into every de-
partment Of the Government. / belong to that
division of Democracy proper, which is pro-
gressive, not in violation of, but in conformity
with the law and the Constitution, and which
holds that man is capable, when it becomes nee.
essary, of altering or amending the law and
the Constitution, so as 10 conform to his advan.
ced and constantly advancing social and intel
lectusl condition. / am we'll aware that there
are some whose fears are easily aroused, and
who become greatly alarmed whenever there is
proposition to change the organic law, either
of the States or General Government, which, l
apprehend proceeds from want of confidence,
on their part, in the integrity snd capacity
OF the people to govern themselves. To all
who entertain such fears, will most respectful
ly say, that entertain none, and with due def.
erence to their fears and opinions, will ask the
question. If man is not capable, and is not to
be trusted with the government Of himself, is
he to be trusthed with the government of others7
Who, then, will governl The answer must be
Man; for We have no angels, in the shape ofmen,
as yet who are willing to take charge of our polit
ica affairs. Man is not perfect, it is true, but we
all hope he is approximating perfection and that
he will, in theprogress of time reach this grand
and most important end in all human affairs.
. have not deemed it improper, nor out of
place, on this occasion, to make a single allu-
sion to the young men of our country. Many
of them; while at our academies and colleges,
and when in the study of their professions, i'm
perceptiby imbbe notions prejud,cal to De-
Their wealth, and too frequently
their preceptOrs-meny of whom are bigotted
and supercilious on account of their literary
and assumed superior information
on most subjects-inspire their students with
false ideas of their superiority, n,;xoa With
a super.bundance oe selfes TEEN, which causes
them to feel that the great mass of mankind
were intended by their Creator to be "hewers
of wood and drawers Of water" that it is in
this Government, as it was in olden Rome, be-
tween the Patricians and Pebeians, where in
fact, the people never enjoyed, for one moment,
that pure liberty and freedom of thought and
of action which is enjoyed by the people of the
United States. TO this class of young men 1
have few remarks to make, in reference to the
principles of Democracy, the scope and design
of which / greatly fear, they have, as
yet wholly failed to comprehend, and if
comprehended not duly appreciated. And in
doing so, l do not intend, on this scco-
sion, to enter into any analytical or metaphy-
sicsl disquisition upon the great principles of
Democracy. At present l shall content my
self by yassuming and taking it as conceded fact
that Democracy, or mans capability to govern
himsef,is principle that EXISTS; that it is inhc
rent in the very nature Of man, that IL is that
ingredient in the compound called maa, which
enables him to determine between right and
wrong in all political affairs. In this principle,
called Democracy, consists his capabiity of
1t is that which enables him
10 reason correctly, and to lift himself above all
animal creation. Il is this principle that con-
stitutes the intelligence of man; Or in other
words, it is that in Man, which partakes most
highly of the nature and character of Him in
whose image he is m.de-wheh term the
divinity Of man, And in proportion as this
Divinity is enlarged, man becomes more and
more capable of self government, and still
more elevated in his character. | will also as
sumo, what know none will venture in reason
to deny, that this Dirin'ty of Nan can be en-
larged, and that man cen become more God
like than he is 1t is the business of the
Democratic party to progress in the work OF
this principle of Divinity, or De-
mocracy, aud thereby elevate aid make man
more perfec.. I hold that the Democratic
party proper, of the whole world, and especially
of the United States, has undertaken the po-
laicaI redemption Of man, and sooner or later,
the great work will be accomplished. In the
political world, it corresponds to that Of Chris
tianty in the moral. They are going along;
not in divergents, nor in barrels, but in con-
Ferging lines-the one purifying and elevating
man religiously, the other politically, Democ-
-acy progressive, corresponds also to the Church
Militant: both fighting against error-one IN
he moral, the other in the political field. AT
what period of time they will have finished the
work of progress and elevation, is not now Tor
me to determine; but when finished, these two
ines viii have approximated each other-man
being perfected, both in religious and IN
5olitical point of view. At this point IT is that
ba EbHFTh Militant yc;1I rive NOV and cease to |