Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-11-03
People Of Iberville

Are you pepared TO sacrifice your consciences
10 the commands Of an unholy OIigarchy, who
says HOW you shall vote? Read the following
truthful remarks from the California Chronicle:
With all honest men, conscience is and must
be the highest earthly tribunal. In all guess
tons touching right and wrong, virtue and
vice, his last appeal must be. as his first should
be, to this monitor. Apply this to politics, to
elections, to candidates. How shall he act in
casting bis votes Suppose he be a member of
one of the political parties, and men are nom-
mated by that party, for office, who he fully
believes are not fit for it. Can he by any pos.
sibility owe an allegiance to that party which
compslls him to violate the monitor within'
We think not. He must hear the voice of con.
science, and the moment be disregards its
warnings. bis purity is stained, his honesty dis
honored. The practice Of parties aud Of psli-
teal men has forced Us to appeal to a court
higher in our estimation than all human convo>
cations, parties and combinations of other men
can possibly be-. five have, by a mistake az
an imprudence, placed our allegiance to them
in such a position that we must commit . moral
outrage upon the only guide we have-our
consciousness Of good and eyil-thus adding
guilt to folly 10 order to be consistent, let Us
withdraw that allegiance, so far at least as it
trammels our free moral action, and thus not
stain the souls purity for the honor of the in.
tellect. Vote for no man if the voice within,
which is more nearly an echo of Divinity than
anything else can be, tells you not to do so.-
Never sacrifice the %admonilions of the souls
divinity at the affairs set up by human hands,
for the merit proposed BY human agency
Better a thousand disappointments and defeats
from the public, than one reproof from that
friend which hever ~fatters, but approves wises
ly.
If every man who really desires the best good
Of the community, the publication of elections,
the elevation to office Of only good and pro.
per men, would act thus, taking his own cen.
science for guide, instead Of blindly following
all the dictation Of party, he would contribute
more effectively and Immediately to the desired
result than BY any other means perhaps within
his power. Let each honest man refuse to
for any and all whom he believes either
dishonest or incapable. It requires but this
action on the past Of honest men, who bad as
the signs may be, compose 4 large majority Of
the community, to reform ef1ectually the poll.
teal evils Of whichfs so much complaint II made. |
It would very soon force managing men and
conventions to the only chance Of success, the
Of unimpeachable candidates.
There can be no valid objection to political
parties, properly organized, nor to allegiance
% party authority, properly exercised. Ia
Of individuals having unity Of
purpose, their strength is made effective, their
'hjscts more certainly obtained. Party allsQi-
lnce should extend thus far. But the moment
he moral sense, the innate consciousness Of
ight is attempted to BE- controlled. party be.
ZONES an evil, an oppression Of the individual,
wrong upon the public. Then il example, 10
leQoralixing, its influence one Of degeneration
md corruption. At this point, every GOOD
nan should assert bic individual iudspepdence,
'od fling his weight and influence into The
Gale Of vissus, We hope that every man
DO 60 in the present canvass. Thus the
aosa| tsstie can aad aisaA he fought.
witty -----