Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-10-29
The mission of the Democracy.

49, tHSJl H0"S'StB bHds Nucu lue
Democratic party ceases for any length
/. ofstime to govern the countrystHs coun-
try, as now organized, will cease to exist.
We say this in no spirit of partisanism,
but FROM earnest conviction. We be-
love in tho doctrine of popularizing our
institutions, and we know that progress
has been made in that direction, and
yet it is manifest there is, proportions
bly, less republicanism among u peo-
pie to day than when our experiment Of
-sAfgovernment was frs. started by the
Trainers of the Constitution. Who can
question thatif any larger proportion of
the States of this Union occupied the
game political status that Massachusetts,
does, that our people would have reach
ed . point from which our present form
of government would prove a failure.
We do not allude to the question of sla-
very, but to that condition of mind and
morals entering into their political and
8 social organizations, which make mani
fest their deterioration in all the ele-
ments ofthsir original republican char
acter. They have colleges and schools:
churches and chapels, capital and labor,
luxury and want; but mono nor all of
these constitute well regulated liberty.
h oIn6tAer countries had them, from
which the Pilgrim Fathers fed. The
worst despotisms of the world have had
them.
The auti-republican spirit of the times,
the abandonment and disregard of the
elementary principles of u govern
fmens, corruption and recklessness in
public men, are not peculiar to Massa-
s'lusetts. We only instance it is pro-
badly the most striking example for our
purpose. ~
Men are growing reckless of princi-
pie, aud proportionably reckless of con-
sequences to the country. The patrio-
tism Of those who should be the stand
ing lights in society has been given
away to the consideration of the dollar.
Men would rather be m~illionaires than
statesmen, and are beginning to value
political preferment very much as they
estimate the stocks at the Exchange
Their ideas of legislation partake of the
same character. Everything is based
upon dollars and cents; and, when their
philanthrophy I've extends beyond
their own pockets to their constituents,
the question is, how much richer it will
make them-what additional advanta-
ges for making money it will afford them
what increased facilities for trade and
speculation it will give. The liberty oil
the citizen-the rights of the citizsn-
the actual necessities of the citizen
peace aud security, political and social
equality-things that concern all alike,
and are especially dear to the great mass
Of our plain, substantial people, are sub
ordinate, and often palpably neglected,
ty-y To such an extent has this tendency
in legislation gone that many good men:
forsetful of themselves, are falling il
with the idea that it is the business o.
Government to take paati Il charge anc
management of the private concerns O
its citizens. Hence VIC hear it Spoken
of as a parental Government, as though
the people were its creatures, and not i
the creature OF the people. uence thu
desire for a splendid Government, a!
though the republicanism did not con
sist in its very simplicity.
The idea has been growing that it j
the business of Government to max
money. Hence the establishment o
banks and other moneyed corporations
In which the States have become par
ties. Some have thought that, it wa
: che duty of Government to fashion thu
morals Of it's people, and as a conse
guance have followed the Maine liquo'
law-ism and all other isms growing on.
of the question of temperance reform
It is this class of thinkers who hav,
, swarmed the country with petty corpo
%rations, in derogatieno of the right of thu
masses; aud who would, if permitted tt
have their way, onvert our institution:
into mere corporations, centralized, un
limited in power, and ending in revolu
t;on1or a king !'zo
Against these combined errors of tn
times-fanatacism error and c~orruptio,
the Democracy have to contend
muchaof which may have crept into thei
own party. Every party has its house
hold n~uisances, and We may rcasonabl.
suppose that tho Democratic party ha
its share of them That the best an
ablest men should be chosen for ofic
a. u no neoossaFy result of our electiv
system, and those who think that th
sonadness Of the Democratic doctrin
viii always guarantee the party fror
elevating the unworthy to honor an
power, will be sometimes disappointed
r. L.