The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-02-27
al,EOPLE,S MEN,

following rcnthing denunciation of dema-
g"gues md spoilsmcn, delivered In IN, Vir-
ginia Convention Of ls2s-ao, BY the late
benjamin Watkins Leigh. ut may well be
asked" snys the American, sir the pernicious
effects OF the denagogueism Of these apeopie
men, were so manifest to the Statesmen, Of
lsso,ns to call for this eloquent and scn,hinp
denunciation from the lips of the wise and
noble hearted Leigh, what would Madison,
Marshall, Monroe, Randolph, johnson, Bald.
win, Stanafd, Doddridge, and others of his
great compntriots who listened with approval
to the words of warning NC are about To
quote, think IL they were now alive, of the
"progress our country has made in corruption
since the period at which that speech was
| deliveredw
The following Is the passage:
81 told the committee yesterday, that I
intended to open my whole mind without
reserve. This is the last scene of NV poitirnl
life; before came here ] wepdrd all the homes
"f ambition from my henrt, md now declare
my CONSCIENTIOUS belief, unpopular rs the
nvownl OF It may be, that from the beginning
OF time, never any nation lnnde more rnpid
progress in corruption Than have these United
States, during the last quarter of n century.
] beg leave to mention n few, the most obvi.
GUS OF many symptoms. Even IL this rood
old Dominion, for one place hunter that was
to be seen when ] first grew up TO manhood,
there are ten now-yes, the number il tenfold
at the lenst They swarm In the country and
in the ciy-tley infe-t our public pinces-
they invade our privacy, aud disturb the quiet
OF their industrious neiyhbors with their
solicitations. They are themselves marketa
BILE commodities; they put up their principles,
their opinions, their votes ut auction to the
highest bidder, setting the highest value upon
their services, but willing 10 take nny price
they can get. Men, hnrdly fiji for cIerkshp,
aspire tn embassies, and men who inspire To
embassies will descend to clrrkship-Officr!
-offre and emolumeni, high or low, State or
Fedrral!- amy sort of office, which will suyc
them The pain of earning their living by hon
est industry. We hear grpnt deal about the
corruption of all orders Of men in Great Bri-
tain-what is il! Does any man supposc
that " hen Sir Robert Walpnle said, that
every man has his price, he was talking of II
price to be told out in guinens? No0some
ARE to be purchased with hpnnrs-somr with
me power to purchase oihers-sonr with the
emoluments Of place. The case is exactly
The same here "Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
study her ways, and be wise There IL n
little white ant in the West Indies. the pest
ct the countrY-ay the smallest lump of
sugar on mahogany table, and in fifteen
minutes, there will be hundreds around it.
tread upon n lizzad in the evening, and the
next morning they will present you the clean
est and most perfect skeleton imaginable.
so, sir, The greed, "Xpprimi- If .ffic. nr.
continually on the look OUTLET poor Post.
master or Collector BE- sick and they begin to
collect thei. volume OF recuinmpndntions-let
him die, and before his remains are commit
ted 10 his mother earth, the whole swarm is
NJ washington. Then, Sir. look nj the daily
Press, which, in this country, IL the true er
empiar rhG morumque. Why is it, that upon
all po'itlcal presidential elections,
or what n"t-the whole argument turns ON
the single point, which side will get the ma
J"rity! because that il the must ffrctual ar
gumrnt to carry the mnj"rity; for, the party
that shall prevail. il to have the disposal OF
honors, and Offices, and emuluinrnts; and
plrtisnns are to be excited to pxertiorl, or nc
CURED, only by the hope of reward. There
IL another clnss of men, who Il Think have
sprung up IN virginia, "r rather began to b.
a's.inaushed as sepnrnte class, within the
last n''reh years. They d" not regard them
s"'Ves rs part ct the p"ope-thry profess
themselves 'ht peoples serrants-ihe peoples
triends-the peoples men; meaning nothing
more in plain English, than that they nre the
men Tor III" peoples money. They have no
oP'"'"hs ana no w''l OF Their own-whatever
the people 'hlnR' lacy thlnk-wi'alevrr the
pie wiH. they nre content-nnd therefore,
Mh"eVe! "l hon"r or emolum"nt the people
,h,.ir b,nds NJ, ~. ~. ~. 10 receive " a,
have noted the wnys. md Know nerr." "l'
how To appreciate the motives aud the merits.
81 lhesr our KIND offei"us friends and ser.
,";" y, h =" m"n" s ,ne mug IS me 'oun-
n.onle Tb.r. mr.. c,',,,,;'.r ~ '"e
| well m courtiers or Kiuvs THO n,n,;,.., -,