Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-11
NATIaNAI. INTETIIGENrEp
IyA llO4SllL az LIzI4AANLxIx Oll IL,
PARTY SPIRIT.

A literary friend now in Europe met lately with
a book, the contents of which pleased him so much
that he kindly took the trouble to transcribe and
send US one Of its papers. In his letter accompa-
nying his extract he says 81 have lately been
much attracted by little book with which it is
likely you are acquainted, but which | am sorry
to say | have only known a week Lord PAL
Z urn - ---~----A.- &c -
...s.o.,, al prescribing u copy Jor.-e
man lately, is said to have remarked I only
wish this book had been written when | was as
young as YOU The book | mean is emitted
Essays Written IN tho Intervals Of BUSINESS,
and is believed to be by the author of Pd'tp van
sArtageldc,' poem as remarkable, according 10
general criticism, as | think these Essays Inc
enclosed paper upon PARTY SPIRIT IS possibly the
{ least remarkable of the collection, but 1t Is the
only one upon politics and there is something IN
its lofty tone and searching truth which will please
you and your readers. | have therefore written
q it out bodily, in you should not nave the DOCK
{ 1t seems to me there never was Tune when party
spirit was so little excited at home as at this mo-
ment. Thinking the present lull might answer
{ as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the
good traits of good men in all parties, and that
this Essay might be read with interest and profit,
Il send it to you"
From Essays ,crittea az the Intervals of Business"
attributed TO The author Of Philip Vaa Artepeds.
Party spirit gives pretext for the exercise of such
scorn and malice could not be tolerated if they did
not claim to have their origin fervent wishes for the
public welfare 1t in idle contests that energy
which the State has need Of BY the perpetual inter
change hard it tends to make people suspicious
and uncharabe; inclines them to think lightly of
the kind OF offences which they hear often charged
against their eminent public or it gives them
habit of using ephets and affecting sensations of moral
indignation which bear proportion to the thing ITSELF
or their real feelings about the thing, of taking
the names of truth and virtue in vain
Under the influence Of party spirit nation sometimes
towards its dependencies and in its foreign relations
with the whole force of the country but with por
ton of it only bearing reference to the of
strength in the ruling party.
Party spirit makes people abjure independent thinking
II leave nothing alone 1t must upif hand in every
mans quarrel knight of old, but with small
of chivay 1t forces its odious friendship its
unprovoked hostility where neither is fitting Even the
wisest require to be constantly their guard against it,
or nsdious prejudices like dust and insects the
glasses of telescope viii blur the view, and make
Party spirit ncnes people attack with rashness and
defend without sincerity Violent parsans apt
treat political opponent in such manner when they
argue with him, to make the question quite personal
if he had been present it were and chief agent in
all the crimes which they attribute to his party Nor
doeshe accused hesitate TO take the matter upon himself
and in fanced sefdefence to justify things which other
wise he would not hesitate moment to condemn.
These evils not be allowed to take shelter under
the unfounded supposition that party dealings differ
much from other things the world to be governed by
looser laws than those which regulate other human af
fairs 1t very dangerous thing to acknowledge two
sorts of truth, two kinds of charity.
Is there no harm looking further than the worst
motive that can possibly be imagined for the actions Of
our political adversares Are to consider the oppo-
site party as SO many Samarans and is there netting
we have ever heard read which should induce to
abae our Jewish snpahy to these brethren Of who
do not worship at temple This is an illustration
from which political bigos escape Even their
own professions OF being always in tho sieLs -h ony
bring the instance home them. The Jews we're
right about the matter in dispute between them and the
samaritans Salvation is with the Jews" But this is
never held out to us as any justification of their behavior
To hear some talk would suppose that political
distinctions natural distinctions and that they de-
pended upon a mans personal qualities. These people
seem to think that all the good ranged in
one SIDE and all the bad the other Now the utmost
that be reasonably alleged is that there exists in most
men predisposdon the other Of the two great
parties which found in every free country but this
cannot be depended upon the which determines
men in general to attach themselves TO party.
As il is range themselves side, and some
on the other just they used do in their school games
and with about much reflection. large number Of
persons in all ranks hold hereditary opinions There
thousands who make their convictions political sub
jeots subseryent their feelings members Of class
and 10 what they believe be the interests Of that class
Then there are those who think whatever the little mob
in which they live peases think and this is the
comfortable way Of thinking Direct seinterest decides
some men the merest accidents determine others. For
instance how much Of mans opinions through life will
depend upon any strong minded earnest person that he
may have lived with a time when he uniformed
himself and malleabe Remember too that it requires
but slight bias TO send into party for, let him
agree with only in few points and he will be set down
belonging to it, Then perhaps, he is called upon to
act in way other politically, and very little de
termines man whose thoughts upon the subject have
been altogether vague and few Thus political charac-
ter is impressed upon him without his having had much
to do in the matter but afterwards many things will pro-
badly to deepen that impression and to him
a decided partisan.
true analysis Of the composition Of parties would af-
ford good lesson Of political tolerance We should learn
from it what mixed thing party Isl that there is no
single law that will explain its cohesion and still less