The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-12-31

number Shall we deer from all that have preceded
in discardlDg the valuable lessons OF practical life.
The democra!c party has nurtared OF the brig
poltieal STARS that ever shons upon nation One b,
one they have set in the peaceful evening Of life. Her
| and there few splendid uminariss renain formns
connecting links bewses the present aud the pas 500,
the last of these whose childhood memories embrzcs
even the dark hour Of the revolution. will hAy passed
The grave in peace, shall mar the quiet Of tneir
declining years with The rude and ungrztel imp
that they have outyed their usefulness and thss fame
But motto must be, a1 tho dead bury
their dead" our mission ia 10 the living There Is !
point beyond which il is inexpeden ry our respect
tor the od fashioned" and swell esabs he'd !" aud thai
point reached whenever il becomes essary 10 sacn
ce what proper to-day that may n pear consistent
with what may have been proper yeats ago Is 1t for
10 prescribe naxims which shall be bi nding upon the
to lift the shadowy veil which hides the u.wrs and read
the wants, the condition, and The des iIBs OF covpssa1
generations yet unborn And ysi our nghi 70 regulate
The conduct OF chidrens children clear ss that
of revolutionary fathers 10 control OF The middle
OF TIE nineteenth century.
| II Frankln. Hamilton. or even Washiagson,
could rise from the grave and survey The splendid heights
OF civilization TO winch have aaiS ed the improve.
in government which the experience OF seventy
years has deveopedhe Investigations in every branc
OF philosophy which have distinguished The progress OF
academcal learning-the hunanizng reulta OF The pro-
fooad inquiries which have been nsitu ted into the ORR
gin END principles OF the laws Of naonshe triumphs
OF repablicansm over the multitudinOcS cxemplifca-
ons OF usurped authority which have, IN various
binati0as. constituted s anlagonsmhs truly for
midabe government Of Great Britain, long the 'ns-
ess o the sea- and tha sefconstituted artser cf the
disputes OF all the nations OF the globe in v0cn Of her
soiena pledge, retiring from the capital 0 rse Turkish
empire before the advancing armies Of the saocrat OF The
noSlh--hnally, the revolutionary band on "three mil
lioas, confined 10 the limits OF The thrseen original
Staes increased 10 than twenty mIlflOns, occupy
ing adomain bounded only BY the two setting
example OF the employment OF unrivaled Iower only in
eevaHg the tendencics Christening The vtucs, and lib
eralzing the practices of manknd if one OF these
mighty dead" 81 the reyou,ion .tsad before us ia The
vigor OF life and behold what have beeld he would
doubtless be astounded al the stupidity OF t4 politician
TOO cowardy 10 admit that humanity is elevated,
refined, further advanced in lis sublime march from
infancy 10 manhood, nearer the goal OF its mighty des
tiny, than seventy years ago Who are they that would
back the rvuets to look Tor knowledge Who
are they that would have US gather sands upon The
naked summs OF The mountains, instead Of delvng
its base Who they that would send the cioues
to gaiher, in fragmeniary PARTICLES. the mighty volume OF
the ocean They are The gauni, pzssionlcss white
obcd, shadowy band that wilt in the sunshine OF phos
ophy, and delight 10 spend their days aad nights the
cold, dark gloomy cavercs OF rvsfsm, communing
only with the dsim bodied spirits Of tie theoretical he
and sages oi ihe inaginaeu, whoec exploits and
lore are recorded IN a thousscd volumes which have
been dignhed BY the name OF history How long
10 be the dapes Of faschoo< and the adj OF gno
rance Have learned <othng from the history o
thousand years! Have "a not improved by the pages
lies similar 10 our owa Have no. been warned by
the examples OF yrsnny that drencAed the earth IN
blood Have we not all the advs.sAfes Which oar faith
crs had and may We not saperadd whatever has nier
vened their day and ours Were they more. or
they lers, than human beings! Were there mines oil
knowledge . which we have never bad access Were
there fooni AIMS OF political phiosopaY which are now
dry Are 10 be iod that The statesmen OF the Last
century coAid look down the OF time, and pre-
scribe wb Atever should bc necessary for ronduc
der all the varying forms OF human society the changing
relations OF governmental organizations, ne dtcoveries
IN the ns tora world. asd the inprovemens and nvest
cations metaphy ysicai and lega science Does knowl-
wRSe
Have we inherited nptbisx OF the greatness the wisdom,
and the virtue Of the sanumbered tribes Of The human
race! w ~ common Scse 10 the leas common only
TO those dead. and txried. and saved in beaveni
We OF thosc that believe oaly a nonstrous lie,
eman' ng from toe devil, and denounced BY God him
self, aas perpeAszled the doctrine that inferior
respect 10 those that have preceded We believe
our course - onward and upward, and that. a. Amen
eans The Aigh- born destiny - ours TO effect the po-
ing has seen clearly demonstrated in The expert
OF the world than that "poser ever stealing from
The many 10 the lew" Democracy has never wanted al
mirers fax beyond the ranks OF party and II has
lacked enthusiass TO degrade to the dust How many
OF the noblssi apIs Of earth have been called 10
ovss hai strange fatality which sesns regularly TO have
attended the proudes sirih OF heaven But shall
weep the records oil the past Shall call up the
fghfn ghosts, and reanimate the dust OF departed
prssi Snail ssr' be tbs ignobe task OF 'ummoning
the councils OF cexenerae thrones and the evidence
OF b~soue and lsscivious mobility, TO show that
Is not capable OF governing h.osef Are We not called
upon rather to walk in the bgh, OF those glorious po-
ls,tcsi suns that seventy wears ago bsamed with in
nona power upon the western hemsphee' Il there
not to nober philosophy 10 the sublime and bound
less proteAtatops OF Jefferson and enry than 10 Re
found the cold and hearess doxmas ot continental Eu
rope Tbs revolution of seventy and the constitution
OF nine but the prelude TO that great drama OF
government which Iniended to be performed IN the
American wofId. The mighty ACTORS who opened the
have passed away the tnrf is hardly upon
the graves OF those that defended the liberty OF man
against the violent and the most powerful opposer
Il has found ia the earth. II little dreamed by
our fathers that with them should die the hand that dared
TO the knife upon the aeczyng body Of antiquity
Let fulfil the strokes which their departing spirits lett
suspended in the air There are heights which we
have not attained, and depths which have yet to
fathon. Even the theory OF our own government
10 my ys,ery TO The masses of the people How many
subscribe 20 the great doctrine OF State rights How
many have contracted n perfect OF even liberal ac-
qnaintance with the TACT that they are citizens OF
independent States, well members OF great con
federated republic Il 10 the duty Of every ctzen TO
anime the ground upon which he standsto make an in
vsnory Of the rights which he derived iuom God, and OF
iho.. OF which he has been deprived b oas.
Politics has bat two theories dssposisn and dsmoera
cy There middle ground bet ween he absolute sub
lection and the abaolute Independence OF the masses
There possibility Of compromsss between tyranny
and submlssen. Government never waA intended 10 en-
large bat instituted expressly to restrain the hber-
ties of men He has read history little purpose who
.upposes any form OF civil poity operated other
aaled by Nature and Natures God 10 Tho Govern
msnt a human necessty-the result of the vices and
mperfec,ions and not of the virtues al mankind Had
Eden bsen desecraed absolute empeross and
sti,uonal kings would have summoned from
the right tread upon the necks OF their fellows
The plains and valleys Of earth would sill be rrl-
gaed by the river OF vlrtae, and hecatomhs OF living
h..~nA -