St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-11-27

present alone is ours. The platform
of any political party is but one ele
ment, and not the most important one
in determining the action of consci
entious voter. Coleridge, the poet
was once asked ifhe believed in ghosts
he replied, "No, because he had seer
too many of them" don't believe il
political platforms for the same reason
| have seen too many of them, ant
some of them l have helped build my
self. A platform is structure not to
stand upon, but to step from. They
are very easy to build and very easy
to unbuild, and when they have serv
ed the purpose for which they were
framed they are generally cast aside
as useless lumber; or if you turn them
on end they make very tolerable
screens. s"& H
Nor are we to Judge of the Repub
lican party, or Of any party, by the
motives of the conscientious portion
of them. Without doubt there are many
good and pure men in the ranks OF
that party who really believe that
they are, promoting the interests of
liberty and humanity by giving that
organization a Jealous support. A
mans motives are of great Importance
when you are called upon to pass a
moral Judgment upon him; but they
have nothing to do with your estimate
of the wisdom or expediency of any
particular measure or policy for
which he is responsible. It is an un-
happy truth in history that the
greatest misfortunes which have visi-
ted humanity are due to men who act
ed from the purest motives. Course
on his virtues they've undone his
country" says a poet-Young, | be-
lieve. Indeed a man whose motives
are generally suspected to be bad is
on that account restricted in his pow
er of evil. A curious illustration of
this general truth may be found in
the early history of that very subject
which is now agitating mems minds
so strongly. l mean African slavery.
In the early part of sixteenth century
the introduction of African slaves into
the West Indies was zealously promo
ted by the benevolent Las Casas, a
Spanish Bishop, because the poor In
dians, who were fainting under the
lash of their cruel task masters, might
be relieved. In his zeal for the par
ticular object he had in view he did
not see that he was substituting one
kind Of cruelty for another. There is
no doubt he was one Of the best and
purest of men; but there is no doubt
that he did great deal of mischief
and helped to lay on humanity one of
it's heaviest burdens.
The success of our institutions de-
pends upon the intelligence and the hon
esty of the people. Neither of these el-
ements can be dispensed with. Now,
the politics of our country are getting
more and more into the hands of poll
ticians by professionalism whose in
fuence and consideration depend upon
the Offices they hold. These persons,
if they are above the general level of
the people in intelligence, are below
it in honesty Of purpose and purity of
motive. A gentleman who has seen
good deal of life both in England and
America once said that he had never
seen politician in either country who
was not rascal, prefxing to the word
an epithet which your imaginations
will easily supply; and with reasona-
bic limitations and exceptions l am
much Of that mans way Of thinking.
Or, to put what just now said in
another form, the people are falling
more and more into two classes those
who take no interest in politics and
those who take no interest in any thing
else. But the spirit of our Institutions
will not permit any citizen to take alb
solutely no interest in politics. Nay,
more !; large proportion of these de-
linquents will be found what may be
called the favored classes-men of
property, men who have been well cd
ucated, men Of high social position and
wide social influence, men who have
the most at stake and should be most
ready in efforts and sacrifices.
Your attention was called to, a
speech delivered by Mr.. Banks on the
25th of September, in New York.
That speech is, in many respects, a
remarkable production, especially tax
en- in connection with the character and
position of the orator. Mr.. Banks is
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. That is a national body /; his
function is a national function. AS
such, permit me to say it was not in
good taste in him to entertain the cit
izens of Northern metropolis,
with elaborate disparagements of a
whole section of our common country.
What would have been said if the
Speaker of the House of Commons in
England had seen fit, in speech from
the hustings, to draw comparisons be-
tween England and Scotland wound
ing and insulting to the latter? The
public sentiment Of England would
have Indignantly rebuked him. And
shall it be said that the men Of the
South are more allen to us than the
ScOtchmen are to EnpliShmen ? To me.