The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-08-11
,se fame ha. leas, 10 fear

from competition
Ii seems to me ,ha, This intellectual de-
velopement of The United States is due
chiefly 10 the adoption Of The great idea Of
universal emulation. Our constitutions
aud laws open every department; Of human
enterprise and ambition TO all ciiizens,wilh-
out respec, 10 birth, Or class, or condition,
and steadily, though cautiorsly exert a
power quite effective in preventing any
accidental social inequality from becoming
fixed and permanent.
There still remains the question whether
the moral development, is coordinate with
those of physical power and mind ir the
United States. A republic may DO safe,
though il be weak, and though il be in a
considerable degree intellectually inactive,
as is seen in Switzerland; bu,a republic
canno, exist without virtue.
1t will not suffice 10 examine the question
through the lens Of traditional prejudice.
A kind Of reverence by all nations is paid
TO antiquity. There is no one tina, does not
trace lis lineage from the gods,or from those
who were especially favored by GODS
Every people has had its age Of gold. or
Auguslan aye, or heroic AEGEAN age, alas!
forever passed. These prejndices are 10,
altogether unwhOlescme. Although they
produce a conviction of declining virtue,
which is unlavorable to generous enula.
ton, yet People AT once ignorant aud
irreverenilal would necessarily become Ii.
centOus. Nevertheless, such prejndices
ought TO modified. II is untrue, that in the
period OF n nations rise from disorder TO
refinement, il is not able TO continually SUR
pass itself. We see the present, plainly,
distinctly, with all lis course outlines, lis
rough inequalities, lis dark blols, and lis
glazing delormites. We hear all its iu-
mrltuous sounds and jarrng diScords :
We see and hear The pas, through dis
lance which reduces all lis inequalities TO
a plane, melOws all its shades into "A pleas
ing hue, and subdues even It's hoarscs,
voices into harmony. In our own case,
The prejudice is less erroneous than in most
others. The Revolutionary age was truly
heroic one. lis exigencies called forth
the genius and the talents and the virtues
Of society, and they rlpened amid the hard.
ships OF long aud severe trial. But there
were selfishucss, aud vice, and factions,
then, rs now, although comparatively sub
dued and repreSsed. You have only TO con.
suit impartial history, 10 learn tina, neither
public faith, nor public loyalty, nor private
virtue, eliminated al iha, period in our
own couniry,* while a mere glance at the
literature, or al the Stage, or at the politics,
Of any European country, in any previous
age, reveals the fact that il was marked,
more distinctly than the present, by licen.
ous morals and mean ambition.
Reasoning priOri again, rs wa did in
another case, il is only just 10 infer in favor
OF the United States an Improvement OF
morals from their established progress in
knowledge anu power; herwise, The phi
lOsophy of society is misunderstood, aud
we must change all our courses, aud hence.
forth seek safety in mbecilily, aud virtue
in superstition and Ignorance.
What shall be the, test OF the national
morals! Shall j, be the eccenlricily Of
crimes! Certainly not; for then we must
compare the criminal eccenlricily OF to-day
with tina, Of yesterday.
Loyalty 10 the Stale is n public vir,ue.-
Was it ever Inexperienced or more univer.
sal than il is now! | know there are
ebulllions OF pass OF aud discomfort, some
times breaking out into disorder aud vio-
lence; but was faction evesmore eilec,ually
disaImed and harmless than IL is now!-
There is a loyalty tina, springs from the al
lection that we bear 10 our native SOIL
This we have as strong as any people
Bun ii is no, the soil alone, nor yet tho coil
beneath our feet aud The skies over our
heads that constitute our county. Ii is
IT. f,.,n,l,,,, .nnalitp and
glory. Who among Us is so low rs 10 be
ilsensible Of an interest i'll them! -Four
hundred thousand natives OF other lands
every year renounce their own sovereigns
aud swear fealty 10 our own. Who has
ever known an American 10 transfer his
allegiance 10 foreign poweIl
The spirit OF the laws, in any country, is
true index 10 the morals OF a people, Just
in proportion 10 the power they exercise III
making them. Who complains, here or
elsewhere, that crime or immortality blols
our slalute.books with licenlious enact.
menls!
The character of a coun,ry's magistrates,
Legislators, and captains, chosen by peo-
pie, reflect their own. 1t is true that in
the earnest canvassing which so frequently
recurring elections require, suspicion often
follows the magistrate, and scandal follows
in the footsteps oil the statesman. Yet,
when his course has been finished, what
magistrate has left name furnished by
corruption, or what statesman has leil an
act or All opinion so erroneous that decent
charity canno; excuse, though il may dis
approved What chieiain ever tempered
military triumph with SO much moderation
as he who, when he had placed our stand.
ard OF the ba,llemenls Of, the capital of Mex
leo, not only received al offer of supreme
authority from the conquered nation, bu,
declined il!
The manners OF nation are the out
ward form OF It's inner life. Where is wo.
man held in so chivalrous respect, and
where does she deserve that eminence bet
ter! Where is property more safe, COM
mercial honor better sustained, or human
life more sacred! -
! Moderation is virtue in private and in
public life. Has not the great increase OF
private wealth manifested itself chiefly in
widening the circle of education and ele.
waiting the standard OF popular intelligence
With forces which is combined aud direct
ed by ambition, would subjugale this con-
tinent at once, we have made only two very
short Wharf.-The one coniessedly war Of
defense, and The other ended by paying
for peace and for domain already fully
conquered.
Where lies the secret Of the increase Of
virtue which has thus been es,ablished.-
think il will be found in The entire eman.
cipation of the consciences OF men from
either direct or indirec, control by es,ab.
lished ecclesiastical or political systems
Religious classes, like political parties, have