Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-11-02


In considering the evils % which republican in.
sttutions are necessarily exposed one may sestiOn
for moment which is the greater curse to society.
wild and orazed fsnaticism, that in its frenzy
strikes where it knows not; or that species Of polil-
ieal knsvery which, founded upon corrupt passions,
stimulated BY an unboly ambition and sustained By
perverted talent, makes merchandise Of the most
sacred relations IN life, and CANDLES with the
dearest rights aud interests Of society with as much
indifference as prac!ised usurer viii gamble with
thu miafortunes Of his neighbOr. 1t requires but
moments reflection, however, to determine the mat
ter.
Thefanatic is great curse in soeiety-a perpetual
hindranoe to the cause Of truth in whatever it is
engaged. He aWskens contention engenders strife
-disregsrds the saBeiiy Of establishsdIights-and
lei alone would ofien involve society in the most
disastrous consequences. But fanatiesm is not in
compatible with honesty. Seine of the best men
have kept their friends in constant doubt as to their
sanity. These people generally advance their
theories with 3 holiness worthy of the best cause
and seek 70 attain their ends by straight forward
and manly policy. And thus, by he test Of sound
reason, enabled expose their sophistry and
point out the evils which their policy if successful
would entail upon the county,
Not so with the political knave L he was always
found in the rauks Of error in its warfare against
truth, he would entail less evil upon the country
But unfortunately, the knave, in pOluios as in
morals, not unfrequently DISCUSSES bimsef in the
advocacy Of the right and thus commended to Popu
lar favor an influence in aid of his selfish,
and often peruiciOus purposes that, otherwise, he
could never have attained. In this way much Of
and intrigues of the bad the patriotic impulses of
the masses are made tosubserve the schemes Of
political adventurers.
We would not be wrong, perhaps, in saying that
greater hindrsnoe to the progress of true religion
exists with corrupt men ia the church than out Of
it For the devil is never 30 efFeciuaIy served as
by tn who steal the livery of heaven serve him
in. So in political matters, the knave who espOuses
the patriots cause, merely as means of advancing
his own, is grealer knave and more to be dreaded
than The openly dishonest manWho makes constan
profert Of his shame The latter viii seldom acquire
an influence that viii enable hm 10 do any serious
harm. The former may al any time steal into tbs
councils of the nation and barter away the rights
and liberties Of the people to advance his own IN
worthy ends.
Mankind have suffered, comparatively, little from
the folly Of their rules; but for their Uioes they have
suffered much. History is full of exam, les Supe
rOr intelligence has preysd upo1 the helplessness of
the ignorant-the strong have lorded it over the
Weak-the few have lived in luxury ami ease upon
the labor of the many.
The free government under which we are living
commences q rev era in the history Of the human
family The blessings which it is capable Of con
ferriBg are incaleulable The boundary Of its infu
ence, now and hereafter, is beyond the power of
human reason to conceive How long these bes
sings are to continue-how many generations are 10
enjoy them after us-how they are to be sus aiued
or how Ismpltd under foot is not for us to know
But il has been wisely said that history is philOsO>
ply teaching by example If this be true may
feel positive assurance that he same general laws
that have regulated he rise and fall Of other gov
ernmsnts will determine he destiny of ours; and
that unless we avoid the evils upon which they split
ours must share the same fate Iu looking back
into The dreary solitude of the past, and reading the
epitaphs which history has inscribed on the tombs
of fallen republics what is he melancholy lesson
they teachi That DO free government has been
overcome by force, but all By corruption! The legit
innate deduction of which is, that if the American
people ever lose their liberties it will be by the arts
Of political knavery and the elevation of corrupt
men to high places in the public affairs of the
nation.
History informs us that by law Of Athens every
citizen was subject to punishment who refused to
take sides in the lical parties which divided there
public. This law was fOunled in the deepest wisdom
In political affairs the vicious, the ambitious and
the interested, always active; while it is the
natural tendency Of virtue, cOnfding in the strength
of its own cause, to be inactive It hence results
that the ambitious few viii inevitably acquire the
ascendsncy in the cor duct Of human affairs if the
patriotic many, the people, not stimulated and
reused to proper activity and effort
COncediug these general truths, let US ask our
selves, have nothing to fear Is there no dan
ger to the future Of our republican institutions? 1t
was once said by an eminent state snau, of known
patriotism and ssgacty: 3" Show 8 hundred
political fao,ionisls-men who lock to the SUCCESS
q parry as the means siuPly Of gratifying their
high or their low ambitiou-aud will show you the
very materials for mob really for any desperate
adventure connected with their common fortunes
If he had lived at this day what could be his hopes
Of the future? Let the honest and rejoicing
took around and see the swarm of political adven-
lurers that infest the country on every hand. Men
who in their time have advocated any and every
creed, trifing with principle, and changing their
party relations with ss much facility they charge
their clothes. Men of all purpOses-inco ngruOus
and often cOnhiotiog-with but one feeling in com
mon, that Of self sbasemeut, aud mutual depends
ence for aid in overcoming the obstacles that now
keep Them from the public trenchers. They are to
be found in all parties but with the Democracy
longer than they fail to make it their selfish
purt oses Il has been the chief merit of that party
in times past-sn excellence which none other had
to -zpel such traitors from heir ranks as soon
detected We trust it may never have less Of
this virtue, for in proportion that gives 1t way to
the Vaccinations of such men, it becomes democrat
ised, ard Weakeus the rampant by which our lber
ties are protected Let the patriot look to 1.-THE
country is less IN danger nom fsuaticilm than cor
rUptOn.
The Difference.
The Richmond Wing wishes 70 know the difference
between the Democracy and the oJpos ton at the
north. We should be very sorry to believe that our