Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-07-13
A coon POLITICAL HoxILY.

Y
remarks msde by the Boston Atlas on the
( occasion of the recent anniversary, ana we
would like those of our readers who have
not already seen them, to participate in the
same pleasure. The Atlas by no means be-
longs 10 the milk.and.water school. and
/ some OF its expressions may sound harshly
1 to the extremely fastidious, or to those
who regard politics only as game which
l is played by and tor the benefit OF riva,
I a.pirants to office. We think, how ever, II
here ever was = time in this country when
the truth ought to be spoken boldly, the
present is that time. and in the following
| extract. some Wholesome truths are spo-
ken with boldness and pointedness that
can hardly fail of producing good effect;
The Declaration of Independence Yves
1 the sincerest piece Of public work done III
the eighteenth century. Its beautiful phra-
! seoiogy. almost scriptural ia simplicity aud
point, demonstrates in every iine me dead
is earnestness Of its authors. We live IN
an age OF platforms; il rains crecds; we
grow sick of declarations. They are mere
Sham bulletins of the weakness and selfish
4 canning OF their trainers. These ephemeral
4 productions are made for day, they I've
/ but iay, aud then sink into the receptacle
4 OF things lost onx earth. But the noble
proclamation which summoned this nation
( into existence and announced It's birth 10
/ the world, can never be forgotten. Il will
/ live for the admiration and study of man
+ long after we have passed away. Aud
4 VIVA, great deed Of ours will loal down the
i stream OF time to bear it company-what
brave cuts pokcn ' ord OF the present will
/ link US To the minds and hearts Of our chit
dren! Are we content TO be recorded Is
merely money getters or money sPenders
Have we no great chances worthy OF Inn
provement
This noble sincerity which the story of
the revolution deveiopes. is lesson Tor all
/ time, but i, is especially lesson for time,
4 like these. Lying is the fashionable vice
of the day. We are not what We seem
we do not mean what We say-we are tond
I OF show, and care little for substance. The
politician talks loudly of public virtue, and
takes brides in the lobby; parties rejoice
over victory Of principle, thinking I'll the
while OF the distribution OF the Offices; phil
anthropists 90 about droning of human pro-
grtss and putting shilings into their pocks
etS. Il is all show, and TO get at the
truth of it you must 60 behind the scenes,
/ where YOU will find Aminidab Sleek count
ing his money into the lap of wanton,
while pbilanlhrcpos Foxy inyents new
religion No man is hero of his valet,
and no movement great to its managers.
The contagun mas reached our literature,
and any book can be putfed into veritable
gospeI-our science, and We swallow the
Quacks bread niils-our religion, and we
run after the star preacher. And yet of
what infinite Importance tu US, OF all peo-
! pie, is sincerity We. too, have our prob
/ lem to solve; il prcsses'itself uporus, and
will take no denlal-the old problem, in 4
/ new form, of human slavery. Quietists tell
i us that it will do we'll enough il only lie,
/ alone-ihat 1t will take care OF itsel. Yes,
/ il will take care OF itself as the pes,lence
/ does, and it will care for Us in the same
i tender, merciful manner. For already il is
/ gnawing at the vitals OF the republic, and
i flchns, little by little, our moral courage,
1 our 1--we of free Institutions, and our power
I OF libersl thought Moreover. Whatever
may be our abstract opinion, the revelation
/ is already upon US. The gentlemen OF Pail.
Mall manners, sof. speech and misty
thought, who hare undertaken 10 suppress
I agitation, will be swept'away by lis progress.
as midges are driven before gale. These
s. feeble and fatuient creatures need not dis
/ turb US, for our danger is in quite differ
I ent direction. Our earnestness may run
/ into mere emotion OF the Lydia Langui-h
| type, and our loud protest against wrong
! dwindie into an hys,erical shrek. A liberal
sentiment once mpde chattei, TO be truck
ed andffaded with, becomes the sorriest
and most damnabe sham in this world vi
shadows and deiusons. All that We have
read and shuddered at in the history of
priestcraft becomes truth itself beside the
perjury Of rirtueus sharper, who uses the
sutierings of mankind to promote his own
base ends, and FL his own worthless belly.
A sham piilanthroplst is an incdrnate lie.
There is no pharisee, no Mendez-Pinto, no
Caslostro in the books like him. That
such creatures do especially abound IN
these times, and have taken upon them
selves the care Of a most uI<Hppy nation,
are facts more positive than pleasant. Tney
have assumed duties which honester men
have lief, neglected. The mind and thought
Of the country must assert itself, and mere
playing at patriotism be given up at Q nee
ard forever, II The republic is 10 be sustained
in lis grandeur and integrity No good ci.-
izen can do his duty By proxy in times IKE
these. No man has right TO shrink into
corner, and leave his country at the mer-
cy of shutters, trimmer. and dissenbiers.
One thing is very certain. We have ar
rived at point beyond which shams and
pretenee will 10 longer stead us. The
laws of cause and effect will not be sns-
pended even FOR the benefit of magniiice nj
Columbia. 4 weak people, husgng the
pitiube delu=ion that money getting is the
veritable heroic, ignoring the teachings Of
history and the simplest truths OF political
morality, must come sooner or later 10
shame and confusion, End that Judgment
Of the God Of Nations " hich no shekels Of
Ininted gold can avert
A fire occurred in Chicago, last Monday
afternoon, on Madison Yves, of Market
street. which entirely consumed three WOOD
en- houses, and considerably damaged a
block Of brick buildings. The fire origin
ated in a house used for rectiiyng spir Is.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT CiscIssATi.
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