The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-02-17

u
to-day at indianapolis 1t evidently has some
vitality yet; the party that adhered together
through heated canvass, assailed on both
sides by confident and triumphant opponents
and to a man gave their votes to their candi- |
date in prospect Of certain defeat-sacrlficins
their own political prospects to their cause
are not the men to forget or desert their prinr
ciples,, while there is still need to proclaim
and vindicate them. !. f-.uot
1t is not the first time in the history Of the
progress of truth and right, that popular dis
credit and prejudice have been entalled upon
sound principles and good cause, hy the or
rors and follies Of those who supported them
The errors Of Know Nothingism are none of
the legitimate consequences of Apprehension.
They were faults of its organization and the
peryersion Of its principles by those who en-
tered its ranks for sinister, and selfish pur-
poses. les original principles and sentiments
which touched the heart and were approved by
every American mind, and when first promul-
gated swept over the country. and demolished
oil other parties, are still sound and true
have the same power and eiIicacy-and are as
deeply seated in the affections OF the. people,
and they have yet their influence in tie pol
itcs Of the country. !, f.-'.i.'. - .,--,
Religious prescription and slavery or anti
slavery were no part Of its original ele-
ments, but were issues foisted upon it by in
truding politicians to feed the passions OF Sec
tional preiudices and religious fanaticism, on
the storms of which the designing intruders
hoped to ride into power. The ordeal
through which the party has passed has pur-
ged it Of these mercenary adherents. and the
nine hundred thousand men who voted for
Mr.. Fillmore, IN the face of certain defeat,
will not desert the Cause till its final triumph.
The party needs to be organized on its orig
inal basis, and reavow it's fundamental princi-
Piles, discarding all the issues, and modes of
proceeding that have given point and effect
to the assaults Of its opponents. 1t should
have no religious 3tests-it has no concern
with sectionalissues. tits not unjustly Pro-
scriptive. Itcontends only for that superiority
which circumstances in the order Of Provi-
dence have conferred on our native citizen, to
yield which. would be gross deriliciion of du-
ty. The American genius must be stelfl IN
deed, il the preparatory discipline and educa
ton, which the circumstances of American
history ought to have effected. have not fitted
Americans for the administration, ola Repub-
lican government, better not only than for
eigners generally, but any class of foreigners,
even the best educated. Have the people OF
this country been manifestly, from the begin
ming oftheir history, under the fitting hand
OF Providence, for their great mission, to no
purpose? Pioneership in the conquest and
subjugation ofrude nature on a primitive con
tinent, was school that afforded lessons for
the nurture of a free, self reliant spirit--for a
bold and Independent mantness--fora an actCiv-
ity and energy of intellect that must have
raised the dullest race above any people that
had not these stimulants 10 activity. The
physical features and aspect of our land have
their moral influences; its grandeur Of scene
~; its vast magnitude; its boundless fertility;
its inexhaustible resources; the stamp it bears
of Gods munifcence; the proofs everywhere
visible of His design, that it was created and
kept for an advanced civilization and noble
race, must have inspired its native people with
sentiments and thoughts that could not have
been acquired in any other scenes, orby any
other men. IL the mountain air and sublime
scenery Of the Alps have inspired the Swiss
through all ages with a love Of freedom that
has never moved the Lowlander OF the plains
the air and scenery Of America ought to have
Inspired spirit of Democracy into the hearts
oiits citizens, superior to any other people.
To deny any superiority to Americans is
to abrogates the fundamental virtue of Democ.
racy itself; it is to deny its primary and al
most only excellence-to make that for which
our fathers struggled and suffered ior-wh oh
the foreigner abandons home, country and
family ior-and which We sigh for as the sure
coming gift and blessing to all the world
an idle phantom-a delusive vision.
We do not. with grateful hearts, turn our
eyes to Heaven and give thanks for our De-
mocracy because it gives US greater worldly
advantages and better government than
any other people have; bur becaus, it ins r.,
us with nobier principles and sentiments
frees the soul from slavish fears and Deepen.
dence -quickens the impulses Of intellectual
life, and dcvelopes the higher spirit of man
and then as the fruits Of these newly awaken.
ed moral forces, free government aud nation
a: prosperity follow. Democracy must sink
into the heart and have its home with peo
pie before it brings forth its benign effects
Have Americans for generations, breathed
with their native air, the spirit Of Democracy
and mbibed none of its inspiration? Are
they no more elevated by, its benignant in