The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-09
The Flash Preaching, Flash Politics And
Flash Literature OF the Day.

1t is favorite scheme of philosophers to
classify the mental and physical creation---to
give ages Of Instinct OF reason, of reptiles, of
monsters. On q smaller scale and confined to
narrower limits, we have periods of local ex-
elements At one time injunctons in the
courts of law are all the rage; at another, in.
dictments are in vogue. Then again we have
our railroad and mining manias, our great dis
plays in living, grand social entertainments
and extravagaDces, and now we have hit upon
an age of fash preachers, flash politicians, and
flash literature.
The two latter belong rightly enough to our
fast times. They are the legitimate fruits of
our period of sudden transitions. rapid mo-
tons and marvellous conquests The eddying
currents of society are raising from the bottom
and sinking from the top the social and polit-
cal elements. Life has become a scramble, and
it is giving up precious batch of flash litera-
ture and politicians. There has been but one
avenue to success: policy has been the con-
trolling law, and it prevails as much in the lite
rary as in the political world. Craftsmanship
has been depressed; books evincing GER
tain measure Of solid reflection have been
counted a bore. 1t is impossible not to see
this, even in the highest ranks Of diplomacy.
The recent conferences at Vienna between the
ENJOYS of the belligerent States the furry ut
London on the subject of our relations with
England, were mere games played by polti
clans There are no questions of serious diffe-
renee between the people Of the United States
and the people of England; all is between the
Cabinets of the two countries--an indulgence
of flash diplomacy by those flash politicians,
Marcy and Palmerston.
We indulge the hope that we are coming to
q new and higher order of poltics-to the
sway Of craftsmanship. Just now Congress. is
engaged in purely political mannuvre pre-
paratory to the Presidential election. They
could and would elect Speaker in two hours
but for the necessity of preparing for next
years operations on the broad field of the
Union. We have fash administration, we
had flash inaugural, and shall have fash
Message; but the time is rapidly approaching
when such tricks will no longer win.
But the most remarkable feature of the times
is the descending effort Of a considerable por-
ton Of the clergy to populafize the ministry
to create n mere fash sermonizng. That
Office, heretofore regarded as isolated from oil
professions, disconnected from all mere secular
influences, il becoming democratic political
institution, vieing with the fierce leaders OF
party in the depth of it's follies and in the
breadth Of its designs. II is working its way
into the very centre Of our political disputes
becoming party in it's most loathsome aspects.
What is actually occurring in Congress is en-
tiled to but little weight; it is outside of Con
grees where the great causes arc operating TO
shape the destines Of our country.
Within five years, for instance, almost an en-
ire revolution has been made in the bases Of
religious operations and in the character of re-
ligious instructions and teachings Throughout
the federal Union. Three thousand clergymen
sent to Congress q remonstrance against the
passage of the Kansas act. They thought it
their duty to descend from the pulpit and to
enter the political arena. They undertook to
decide that popular government, when applied
to Territory, was moral hcresy, demanding
their reprobation, and that politicians and
statesmen advocating it we're committing acts
of treason against the cause of religion. II
was an easy descent from this position to the