Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-01-28

art,
Has backen'd and defled the human heart /;
The mcanest meanness, and the vilest vile,
The basest baseness and the deepest guile.
That ever tiDgcd the conscious cheek Will
shame,
Destroyed character, or damned name,
The crime cf crimes-is clearly that which
must
! Result, per Sc, from VIOLATED TRUST.
Though trusts are various, Gas all agree,
In weight -extent-importanc and degree,
I Yet still the principle involved in each,
! (We care not what Dishonesty may preach)
The principle is recognized as just,
That EVERY fairly delegated trust,
! Which, as trust is nlutu'lly believed,
AS such impaired, aud as such received,
! despite of all the arguments that wave,
/ The scruples from the conscience of knaye,
However deep in subtle tactics skilled,)
! SHOULD DE IN TRUTH AND HONESTY FULFILLED
! This is the doctrine, Equity proclaims,
| Sustained by learn'd and yenerated names,
Aud this the doctrine. to which Truth has
given
The broad, approving seal Of righteous Hea-
ven,
Destroy this sacred principle and then
Can justice dwell among the sons of men?
/ Could peace and order here consent to dwell,
Or would not Earth, itself, become Hell
OF all the trusts, which can to men be
given,
(Not to include the Ministry Of Hcaven)
Those trusts are clearly greatest, which relate
To man considered III his social State;
Those PUBLIC TRUSTS, which always must en-
brace.
The veal, or woe, of thousands of his race,
These trusts are truly sacred. and as such,
vile cOptaD1iDatiUp touch
Cannot pervert them, without spreading i'll,
Beyond the basest purpose of the will,
Sad ills-alas which III their scope must
urge
Their dire EFFECTS to the remotest verge
Of that society, through which they spread,
Like bitter waters from fountain head.
The Legislator, who receives a BRIBE,
Director INDIREcT-though all the tribe
OF causuistic quibblers should unite
Their deepest skill to prove that black is
white
That Legislator violates his trust,
Becomes defiled-and ceases to be just
'Tis true, no man can deem it very strange,
When mere ogi,,tons undergo change;
But when opinions plainly manifest
The FACTS and PRINCIPLES on which they rest,
And TECsTs are THUS confded--clearly then.
Opinions TEsT the HONESTY Of men,i,
IT'S true, the bribed apostate may proclaim,
A host of facts to palliate his shamc,
Facts, well prepared, to meet his wrctched
case,
Aud mitigate the horrors of disgrace.
Ies-he may prove or try, in vain, to prove,
That scruples rose, reluctantly to move
His artess mind-which had-alas to strive
Against the fact, Shat two and two make fUet
Thus to '' Conclusions he was .'torced' to
come,
And darky wrote his artful letters home;
To prove his conscien ce is not made of flint
He drops sly preliminary hint
Suggests his 50 doaJts," which finally prevail,
And then he halts, in matters of detail p
He deprecates the spirit of the times,
And speaks of party" as he should of crimes,
lie modifes his motions, day by day,
As, for total change he paves the way,
Is anxious still to justify his views,
And still defends himself. though none accuse;
And when he hears the biting-tauntirr iibes.
This sensiti're recipient of brides
Retorts-and pIunges deeper in the tolls,
And proudly bca.s his infamy and spoils
- BE fore high heaven, he plays his frantic
pranks,
Abhors corruption and supports the Banks,
Still for g democracy, he rants and raves, i
Nilest of hypocrites and worst of knaycsl
Appeals to his " constituents P'-ah why?
/ or they confirm his damning infamy :,
If that base man detestible appears,
On whom the orphans cries and widows tears
Make no impression from whose callous
heart,
No sigh of pity, or remorse, can start;
W ho basely cheats the mute confding dead
And drives the orphans forth, to beg their t
bread,
In sorrow and in wretchedness to roam.
Expelled by FRAUD, from happiness and home,
Ii fraud like this, must ever be despised,
Can greater rfrauds-though artfully disguised.
BE less detested? Less abhored because
The fraud in making mot in breaking laws
Has been committed? Then, if this be true
The world may bid integrity adieu
Is that base man the guiltiest of men,
" ho fires some cottage, in the lonely glen.
s he not baser? Equity exclaims,
" ho wraps Cry IN devouring famcs2
And if ?-who his guilt can tell?
ihat tights tie torch and utters-" AL is
accN %
And SO the Legislator IF he would
Ia axe every Ill, and couEtervailing good,
, " nich man enjoys, or suffers, here below,
A. ana justly balance human veal and woe,
We must proclaim that man 10 bo tbo -.
Che most detestible-the most accursed
y hose actions tend-directed bv his will
70 have on States the greatest weight of III
The brlbed apostate, who on States would .
he greatest curses, in the forms ofIaw,
he sad effects his villany imparts,
lay reach ten thousand times ten thousand !.
hearts,
h think of TnIs.-in weighing public crimes.
Y HI oh i.a,,