The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-04-30
The Science Of Assuming "Position'

Have evermore faint Of vanity.
y. was ever the misfortune of budding
greatness to be misrepresented, misunoer'
,,ood and otherwise generally aud Part'cu.
,arly grossly maltreated. This shameful
and reprehensible treatment OF those Ju''
entering upon the thre-hold Of promising
future, is Justly chargeable to the account
of those Jealous and demented lnd'Sluu"'S'
who. unable, from their own lmbecii''y' 10
Chamber up the steep ascent of fame' persist
in vain attempts to keep others down 10 'he'f
own grovelng level. They never recognize
,nv difference in talent, and see no more
majesty in lion than in sheep, hence the
tenaeitv with which they show fight, to put
down any attempt on the part OF certain
individuals to seize on particle Of notorlety,
beyonI their legitimate share. That they
,rs mot always successful in their efforts to
en,rap unwary mortals INTO their meshes'
and thus keep them down as deep IN the
mud as they themselves are in the m'fe, Is
more attributable to the facility with whicn
.omc Of the beset individuals manage thc'f
cards. than to the strength Of the ''hands'
they hold. As general thing, these rising
men-we are now speaking of politicians
plot and scheme necessarily, to snow the''
wares in the best light; nor is there Jere-
INV DiJdler in search of Il dinner about
town. who will resort to so many anu such
Transparent tricks to maintain his 'posl-
,;on.n This course may be rendered neces-
sary. however, by the tenaclty with "nich
they are besot by those who would prevent
them from leaving to posterity
,.ooe q, the few, tn immortal names
That were not born 10 dc
r, tb;, as it may, certes it is, that no
,oouer does IN aspiring individual ''"o Il
c,toric Of his friends desirous of placing
him on tho road to prsferment, than he Is
a. once seized and possessed Of adctsrm'H'-
ton to define "his position," and d! once
rusbes into print with vindcation OF his
mast actions and his present status. IN
nroof Of this, we may cite the reader TO the
l,ts letter Of the Hon. EDWARD BATES, OF
Missouri, and to the leader in the last num-
her Of the B,tqle. Several admirers OF 'he
former, mentioned his name in connection
with the Presidential contest OF leoo, ana
thereupon, that amiable and talented gentle
man seized upon the first opportunity as
-, fitting occasion to 'deine his position"
Asreg,rds tho latter instance s.ted in proof
Of "our position" we may say that, follow
ing close upon the announcement OF the
harrison County Flag Of its preference Tor
T.. W, BagBlrr as the Democratic nominee
for Lieut.. Governor, We are treated TO
leader. from the pen of the said BABBiIr,
defining his s:position." To the Opposition
.press.' which has persisted in mlsreprescnt-
ing the "vicws and position of our anna
bic and puissant contemporary, are we
Indebted for this early defining Of his "po-
si,;op., as understood by himself and his
call. boy, the editor Of the Harrison County
Flag. The "opposition press" should feel
encouraged in its labors TOR the cause oi
truth, from this candid acknowledgement OF
their powers in bringing out in bold relief
the "proud position" Of one Of lowa's
gifted sons!
4. we are led to believe that our neighbor
considers the people at large would be re-
lisyed of much solicitudo were his "posl-
ton" thoroughly known and comprchcnded
and feeling naturally anxious ouEself' that
n matter of such momentous Importance
should not be lost to the world, through the
promptiugs of that green-eyed monster'
;salousy, We here publish representative
extract from that lucid document: Read,
and mediate:
While expressing our views frankly on all measures
n, nubic policy have never been nor ntended 10 oo
ro lel as In our EDITORIAL capacity an opponent % the
Administration democratic President e!es,en ps qua
democratic party Of the Union "elesa'
the Democratic party Of this nation As UNIV III
pie In aim aud actlnnone and ifdiSis'oie now Is
sysr has been from The days OF Thcmi, Jefferson.
Such is the science of defning sour posi-
tion," as e1empli6ed by the few truly grea'
men Of the nation. Verify, It's thus the
elves Of great men all remind US
We can make our lives sublime.