Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-12-15
WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
Z ----.11E- \. G.. FRIDAY. DEC. IS, 1854.
TnIngs In the Ground.

[I1, "a Y1.CON, N. c.. FRIDAY. DEC TO- 1904
U1nnlmg Things In the Ground.
II o1tbopular movements the tendency is to carry
4h;,Ioo far-to force change to that point where
..asea 10 be reformation and becomes simply des-
tructiveness This arises in some measure from the
excitement natural TO men acting in large masses
INIT mainly from the fact that there always to be
found persons ready 10 stimulate such excitements to
81 ponr at which thew hope to turn them 10 their
own advantage, as in some few cases they are ena-
bed to do to the great and permanent injury OF the
couse with which they have connected themselves.
Thus it frequently happens that disgust ensces-'na
the public mind forced TO an unnatural tension IN
one direction seeks relief in the opposite extreme anu
that re action than equals the action
The position of things in this otate with reference
to the cause of Temperance shows that even the pest
cause may be seriously impaired by the lndIscreel
zsol Of its most sincere friends the noisy demon
sr.tions OF those who seek promote their own OBJ
iects through its agency. So far as we have been
ube to learn there is little chance tor any EN-
clint action in the Legislature on the subject OF Inc
License Laws although there can exist no reasonable
doubt that some such action is imperahvely calico
fur It is also evident that the cause generally s not
90 prosperous as ii was some months ago why 10
all this! Simply because many Conscientious ou'
indscreet friends and some few, perhaps not quite 50
sincere carried the thing farther than public op"'on
would wa,rant-were too uncompromIslng ana ue-
nunciatory in their Tore and because all or near'y
ali the memorials on the subject presented t" the
Leg>l Iure ask for something closely approxmatlng
to the Name Liquor Lava measure impossible TO
he enacted or carried out in North Carolina.
Il this has been The result of over-exctement IN
cause Of which all admit the justice and usefulness
what is likely TO be the result OF the Know Nothing
movement, which has sprung forward with a vehe-
mcnce Of acton-a rapidly of progress and bitter
ness Of tone, unparalleled in the history of popular
movements in this country? Can the public mind be
kent nm to that ultra tension necessary to the
success of party bigoed in its religious tone and
proscnp,ve in ts relation TO- class OF lawful citizens
Can any considerable number OF American citizens
after the first excitement shall have subslded long
submit to the despoiic rule of any society," secret
Otherwise which prelends restrain their action OF
ppy out their mover ents under oath Far less thar
most people would at first be apt to suppose KICK
ing up has already commenced in New York-lm
menee defections already occur in Pennsylvania
The thing has been and is being in the ground
and the reaction is coming and, as sure as human
nature continuesi es en- t organization, must come
to far greater.
Those who may have been sincere will find no"
far they have been mistaken in their course-tbe DIS
Amounted politicians who may have sought to pro-
mote their own ends will find themselves still dsap-
pointed politicians II will be only after quiet rea'
son shall have resumed its sway that calm and candid
examination will seek out and discover any rea
abuses and apply practical remedies and we do no
nretend to say that abuses do not eXist-demagogue
ism has insullet the intelligence of the citizens O
foreign birth. by appeals to them such, in dlrec
contravention OF the spirit of the constitution, ant
of the oahs of such citizens not always, however
it'll success, as the experiment on the " rich lrlst
hrogue" and sweet German accent sufficiently
showed Homestead Bills and other things of thu
kind. have exhibited tendency to into abus
which re quires to be checked The Naturalization
have, perhaps. in some cases been evaded, though
not to the extent in the mOnner usually represent
pd-not certainly on account of their lenency, TO
lenenr laws are always faithfully administers
than those severe IN their character there beln
comparatively few motives for evasion. Their pro
visions against fraud sufficiently stringent,
faithfully carried ont they should be. II the
are not the fault lies mainly with those Charge
with their execution. The immense and ultra move
ment gotten up is Of all proportion to the occa
sion 1t is carried beyond all reasonable chance q
permanency, practical good. Ii has been run i
the ground and must produce lis reaction.