The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-03-06
Er Ae Ksrala ef Nteeden.. !.

For tie HeyiHld Of Freedom.
..,,.,, and Couservatism-Wha are tkeys
RADICAL, in the strict sense of the term,
:. .pulied to politics. is one who is in
& svor of radical governmental reform;
Dolitical reformsr or agitator.
!. conservative is one who is in favor of
.absripg to existing institutions; opposed
10 reform or change.
Those terms, from time immemorial,
have been applied to distinct and oppos-
ing parties. They will doubtless so con-
8 fpue to be applied, at least until the
,ower of truth shall have blended the
two into one.
Those parties havealike their uses in
& the world, and are more or less significant
IN different countries, according as the
government is just progressive. Where
truly democratic institutions exist, there
can be little or no use for radical party.
When the government is aristocratic, mo-
parchical, or despotic, both radical aud a
conservative party may exist, and both
be useful. This is strikingly true in Eng
land. The government there in the main
3 is good. The use of the conservative
party there is to preserve what's good
s What time and experience have proved
10 be good and useful should be sacredly
cherished. What is wrong should be
s ighted; and il is the province of the rad
ical party there to agitete and reform; to
overthrow the wrong, and uphold and de-
fend the right. We should be unwilling
to censure or dispense with either of the
parties there.
In France the case is somewhat differ
sut. The people there are mercurial.-
They are eminently fond of change. If
they get good thing, they wish a better;
and without preserving what is good, they
cast it away for the hope ofwhat is better.
q As in the fable they drop the meat that
they may seize the shadow; forgetting
that it is only by holding on to the meat
that they can even discover the shadow.
There conservative party would be emil
nently useful. Without further specifca-
& ton, suffice it to say, that where common
law principles have obtained, where the
rights of man are recognized, but where
be is not in the full enjoyment of his
q rights, where unnatural distinctions exist,
making birth instead of merit the qualifi-
cation for public trust and emolument,
there the radicalist may safely work; for
there is basis to stand upon and change
is not likely to produce anarchy. The
s. wealth and conservatism of the country
s will not only receive the new truth, but
retain all that was good in the old. Thus
far, no calculatlep has been made for rev.
clGtion. Changes have only been wroughi
through the ordinary channel opened by
government. Manifsstly, when the end
can be obtained by peaceful means and
remedies, no other can be justifable. i
s. is only when these have been tried and
found inadequate that resort to arms
can Tor one moment be contemplated.
We come now to speak particularly O
our own country and government.
This is comparatively young govern.
msnt. tits now having having its growth
and development. It has not yet reached
Its maturity. Il is emphatically "Youn!
America 1t has a good constitution, anc
II kept oa wholesome diet, the BODY
pollac will ers long become strong ant
sound. If it be content to live on ele
mentary truth, we have no fears that it
digestive apparatus will become impaired
out as many cooks spoil the broth. By
adding too much or too little seasoning
and thus rendering it too spcy or what il
sui worse insipid, SO there is danger tina
In searching after the ideal government
We fail to realize that, and lose the pres
enI on the other hand, fear of senti
mentality, urwillingness to recognize th,
81 elementary and selfeyident truth witt
which We set ont as government. ther,
. uanser that we stagRate or relapse int.
worse condition than that from whicl
We rebelled. From either of these W,
should most devoutly pray @Good Lort
-eiisef u.s." We have endeayored t.
p'sseht the case fairly, and look danger
s4aieiy IN the face; and shall now at
Tempt to examine the radical and conser
''ase parties as they affect this govern
ment
having but recently commenced its ex
a,saee, and havingla down great an,
's'iesident truths for its basis. il woul
s'A nl'ss natural that to preserve and az
1p'n these great aud self-evident truth.
would Be what we need most carefully /
'0A alter In other words, if we starte
s%s hgns. what we most need is to GOV
.ae and not to Charge our course. Cor
assn. and not radicalism, is what "
assa This. it viii be borne in mind,
$50 VI tue government in the main. as
Fl -o's' and not fits specific or particall
pas = or branches. In the States. whe,
- : hzed and stable, there may be, an
h 4sls Is much that might be, and shoul
: 'nanged and bettered. There M:
a'y Be termed radical, and YET be high
nseaeai. =. Ii is where things are fxs
= - wrongly fxed. that change is deu,aD,
Dal As this article was particular
ssisned for this Territory. let us sxani.
s as p''neipiss of radieaiisn and conserv
'' and see what their uses and effe,
E aPphed here. Here everything is u
E aAea and unsettled. What we most y,