The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-08-14
From the National InteIligenoer.
A Step Backward.


A New York Journal in a sudden glow Of
radiant inspiration, has just revived a doctrine
which certain character known in history
by the name of Jack Cade attempted, unfortu-
nately for himself, TO introduce practically in
England, some four hundred years ago-viz
the prescription and suppression of EDUCATED
POLITICIANS" The journal to which we refer
we are unable to name, because its name is
not given by the paper into which we find the
sentiment copied, and from which we quote
as follows:
"The country has tried educated politicians for
the three or four administrations last past and had
most wretched imbecile, plundering, retrogressive
governments as the [ we think NATURALLY cOnse-
ouence" at is contended by the writer Tcor tin
ues our Contemporary that the people may do bet
ter by selecting from among themselves farmer,
mechanics, merchants and others, in preference to
lawyers who generally constitute the bulk of 'edu
Gated politicians
Jack Cade reduced this doctrine to prac-
tice, thus
"Diek. The first thing we do, let's kill all the
lawyers.
"Cads Nay, that mean to DO. Is not this
lamentable thing that of the skin of an innocent
being scrubbed DER, should undo a man? Some
say the bee ssings, but say tits the bees wax; for
I did but seal once to thing and was never mine
own man since.
"Smih. Here's the clerk of Chatham, he can
write and read and cast accompt.
"Cade. o. monstrous!
"Smih. We took him setting of boys copies.
"Cade. Here's william!
"Smith. Has a book in his pocket with red let.
tiers int.
''Cdde. Let me alone. Dost thou use to write
thy name, or hast thou a mark to myself like an
honest plan-de man?
"Clerk. Sir l thank God, have been so well
brought up that l can write my name.
"AH. He hath confessed-away with him-he's
a william and traitor.
"Cade. Away with him, say-hang him, with
his pen and iDkhorn about his neck"
Henry VII
It is not very long since we had occasion to re
buke the aTowal of the same doctrine by no less a
parsonage than the present Governor of Tennes-
see, who, emulous possibly of the fame of his great
prototype of the fifteenth century, undertook, in
his inaugural message, to contemn the value of ed
ucaton in public men, We had hoped that this
bright idea of the dark ages had been confded to
his Excellency, but find that it is not.
Baltimore contemporary in commenting upon
the New York article has some excellent remarks
but we think he has not exactly hit the point at
which the New York writer seems to AIM 1t is
not so much to lawyers he objects as to educated
men in our public councils ''The first thing we
do, let's kill all the lawyers" not because they
lawyers but because they are supposed to be men
of education. After we have committed this whole
some, wholesale murder, let make diligent
search for every man who can read or write, for
this will show that he has had the elements of edu
cation, and chang him with his pen and inkhorn
about his neck" The most appropriate answer,
therefore, that can be given to the JacObin senti-
ment that we have "tred educated politicians long
enough" is that which the great master of human
motive has furnished in his history of Jack Cade's
rebellion. If his prophetic vision had embodied
before him the New York or the Tennessee politi-
clan he could not have painted him more 10 the life
than he has done in the few sentences quoted
above.
After the foregoing remarks were written, We
have seen, with as much surprise regret, in
leading and influential journal of New York, an
article recommending that the Federal Judiciary
the District if not the Supreme Judges-should be
made elective by periodical popular vote and for
no other reason than that because Judge Kane, OF
Pennsylvania, has felt himself bound to obey the
Constitution of the United States in a recent case
of abduction of slaves instead of yielding himself,
body and SOUL to the behests of fanaticism Surely
sit is the very error Of the moon-she comes more
near the earth than she was won't and makes men
mad" 1t is bad enough, in all conscience, to have
q State judiciary elective but, if the time is ever
to come when the Supreme Judicial Tribunal is to
be composed of men chosen by and depopdent
OH the vacillatiDg favor of the populace them in
deed, shall we have taken fatal step backward.