The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-02-27
.pROpI.E,S MENU

iollowlng scathing denunelatlon OF dema-
gogues and spoilsmen, delivered in the Vir-
ginia Convention of lS29-SO, by the late
Benjamin Watkins Leigh. at may well be
asked" says the American, "if the perncious
effects of the demagogueism Of these 'people's
men," were so manifest to the Statesmen OF
1880, as to call for this eloquent and scathing
denuncatiOn from the lips of the wise and
noble hearted Leigh, what would Madison,
Marshall, Monroe, Randolph, Johnson, Bald
win, Stanard, Doddridge, and others of his
great compatriots who listened with approval
to the words of warning We are about to
quote, think if they were now alive, of the
progress our country has made in corruption
since the period at which that speech was
deivered"
The following is the passage:
81 told the committee Yesterday, that 7
intended to open my whole mind without
reserve. This is the last scene of nv political
life; before came here Iweeded all the hopes
OF ambition from my heart, and | now declare
my conscientious belief, unpopular as the
avowal of 1t may be, that from the beginning
OF time, never any nation made more rapid
progress In corruption than have these United
States, during the last quarter of n century.
beg leave to mention a few, the most obv.
GUS OF many symptoms. Even il this good
old Dominion, for one place hunter TINT was
to be seen when first grew up TO manhood,
there are ten now-yes, the number is tenfold
at the least. They swarm in the country and
in the city-they infest our public places
they invade our privacy, and disturb the quiet
of their industrious neighbors with their
solicitations They are themselves marketa.
BILE commodities; they put up their principles,
their opinions, their votes. at auction to the
highest bidder, setting the highest value upon
their services, but willing TO take any price
they can get. Men, hardly fit for clerkshp,
aspire to embassies, and men who aspire to
embassies will descend TO clerkship-Office
-ofiice and emoumeni, high or low, State or
Federal ANY sort of office, which wil>save
them the pain of earning their living by hon.
est industry. We hear great deal about the
corruption of all orders of men in Great Bri-
tain-what is it! Does any man suppose,
that when Sir Robert Wapole said that
every man has his price, he was talking of
price-to be told out in guineas? No-some
are to be purchased with honors-some with
The power TO purchase others-some with the
emoluments of place. The case is exactly
The same here. $50 to the ant, thou sluggard;
study her ways. and be wise There is II
little white ant in the West Indies, the pest
OF the country--lay the smallest lump of
sugar on n mahogany table, and in fifteen
minutes, there will be hundreds around it,
tread upon lizard in the evening, and the
next morning they will present you the clean
est and most perfect skeleton imaginable.
| So, Sir, the greedy rxpectanis Of office are
continually on the look OUTLET poor Post.
master or Collector be sick and they begin to
| collect thei! volume of Recommendations
| him die, and before his remains are commit
ted to his mother earth, the whole swarm is
at Washington. Then, Sir, look at the daily
Press, which, in this country, is the true er
emplar rita morumque. Why is it, that upon
| all political questions-presidentia elections,
or what n0t-the whole argument turns on
the single point, which side will get the ma
jority! because that is the most tffectual ar.
gumcnt to carry the majority; for, the party
| that shall prevail, is to have the disposal of
honOrs, and Offices, and emoluments: and
partisans are to be excited to exertion, or nc
ouired. only by the hone of reward There
| ia another class of men. who n think) hove
sprung up in Vrginia. or rather BEGAN 10 he
distinguished MS separate class, within the
last fifteen years. They do not regard them I
selves rs n part of the peope-thev profess
themselves the peoples sprrams-fhe people's
friends-the peoples men; meaning nothing
more in plain English, than that thew are the
men for the peoples money. They have no
opinions and no will of their own-whnteyer
the people think. tnev think-wbotev.r the
people desire, they desire-whtever the peo.
ivh,,avor NJ honnr y. '',,,a,.,,at
have to bestow, they expect TO receive il at
their hands. Sir, nm one of the people; and
nave ho'eu 'ne waVs' ana know perfectly
IS ,has. ~, LIZA " 80. a'u '"e l''.S'
wants. In Monarcbies the King 10 the foun-
tain of honor and office: In Republics, the
people. 1here are courtlers ot the people as
WI WI "s '"u'ue's u; hgs: ne motives OF
their conduct IL different only in mode. md IL
is equally true of The courtiers of the people,
MS OF the courtiers of Kings, that, exactly in
pI"pp I'" !" lne con'emp' 'aey entertain ~
lnelT HeartS, LOT tne persons 10 WnOW tnelr
.i''.er'ts are ADDRESSED, ,ne ex'raVaganee OF
Rer,hlc res,s in hat .i,so and hi
Heaven, il vet constitutes the great BODY of
the people-who, possessing the means of
subsistence, improved by honest industry,