The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-06-02
The Tendency OF Party Politics.

\
IL with all our advances in political
knowledge and philosophy, the true sphere
OF government is not yet fully comprehended.
The limits to which the self government of
the individual should extend, and where the
jurisdiction of the State should begin, is not
yet distinctly defined in the popular mind
The great blessing of political freedom, is
the scope and stimulus it gives to the de-
velopment of the individual man-and which,
as he is developed, makes him more and more
his own governor. As the capacity of self
government advances in the individual mem
bers of the body polite, the powers of the
State are diminished, and the province of
government recedes into narrower limits.
As the citizen gains the power of self control |
the rule of the State over him is contracted;
and the perfection of political freedom, and |
the millennium of Democracy, viii be real
lied, when the people-educated by habits
of self control and self judgment-shall at
tain to degree of order, honesty, virtue and
intelligence, that shall ''make them a law
unto themselves" and render the exercise
of the external authority of the State over
the individual almost unnecessary. Self
government lies at the foundation of all true
political lberty-and the aim of sound de
moeracy is, in every form and manner to
foster habits OF self-control and reliance
on his own judgment and intelligence, in
every individual member of the commu-
nifty, as the only means of promoting man
illness of character, the spirit of a freeman,
and the formation of a genuine Democrat.
To be controlled, directed, and protected con-
stantly by AN external authority, creates
e-mindedress and habits of dependence,
that makes continuance of that control ne
cessary. To be kept in perpetual tutelage.
and subserviency to the influence and man
agement of others, is the preparatory pro
cess to fit people for political slavery. The
extension of the authority and control of
government to the regulation of all the pri-
vate concerns of life, is to constitute govern
ment tyranny. The State that is best gov
erned is governed the least where the people
are self-educated and wise. In spite of these
obvious principles, which constitute the basis
of our democratic faith. the course of poll
tics and legislation tends constantly to de-
stroy all individuality. and fuse the men into
masses to be used and managed in bodies
Everything shows a distrust of the capacity
of the people to think and act for themselves
Our own State Constitution has a series Of
prohibitions against the indiscretions of the
people. Legislating for the regulation o.
private morals is an infringement of the
sphere of individual control, ai attempt t.
bring all men upto common external stand
ard of conduct-impairing the sense of per-
sonal responsibility for his conduct, anc
sinking the individual into the mass for thC
peace and good order of the State.
The most dangerous violation of the i'm
portant duty of educating the people by tn,
habits of self-reliance, and the exercise o
private Judgment in public affairs, is per.
petrated by political cliques, protesting tc
be purely democratic, who subject the peo
pie to the rule and vassalage of party
and bind them to submit blindly to its be-
hests-force them to suppress all individual
convictions, yield the rights of private judg
ment and follow as passive dupes, the leao
of these professed guardians of the public
welfare. No sell -abnegation is so complete
as that of a blind political partizan. Al
tyrannies are alike in their effects in subject
ing the minds of men to its control. Part,
tyrants are no less tyrants because they wiel
their authority in the name of the party
instead of their own. Their subjects are N
less degraded and demoralized, because the
bow to the shibboleth of party, instead c
Al. sc Tbara "a
cess to which a people can be subjected nor
destructive of individual independence, an
pure democracy, than the present rule of PAL
ty, and its most outrageous claims to pei
sonal allegiance. We see Democratic paper
denouncng those who wont acknowledge I'll
infallibility of these political popes, as ren'
gades, traitors, sore heads, and mercenar
deserters. To crush out all feelings of pc
sonal and manly independence, all exerci
of private judgement, the members Of Il
party are dragooned into caucdses, an
there unfortunately pledged to follow Il
lead of the demagogues who live on and n,
the party. The party selects the candida
for the voter, to save him tile trouble
thinking for himself, and tie valuable al
efficient means of educating the people
the exercise of just discrimination al
sound Judgment, in selecting for themselv
the men best fitted for public stations,
nullifed by the'usurpations of party clique
This slavish adherence to party-this degr
ding submission to the dictates of its leade
is destructive of the very essence of ID
mocracy, by destroying all freedom of ind
vidual opinion, all self-relianee, and all ST
respect among those whom'it enslaves. 7
rule of party caucus for the selection OF ca
didates we hope is nearly at an end.
r. We infer from the statements in t
papers, that the small poxis prevailing to
alarming extent in Greensboro, KY. 7