Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-07


diaused, like a subtle poison. through every
branch OF the public administration depending
| upon II. Have not Senators of tho dominant par
ty--ccvated by their character as well rs thcir
positon--openly proclaimed in the Senate cham
Der thcir socnn conviction TINT the Government
ct the United States. of which they form part,
rs the most corrupt now existing on the habita-
Bile globe2"
The time has come then when patriots and good
mon Of all political denominations must serious.
| ly reflect upon tho ducs which they owe 10 their
country irrespective Of moro party considerations.
II we mean to preserve the noble heritage Of froe-
| dom which ancestors have transmitted TO
us, now is tho timo to mike the effort Public
morality ~ tho only basls on which FREQ institu-
'ons can stand IL that is Sappod, tho od
hec itself must ernmbc to the ground.
! | have not been an inattcntiyo observer fellow.
citizens, of what has passed in other countries
Ms well ns our own, during the cveu,ful epoch
in which we live. ] have witnessed the down
! fall Of nm ancient monarchy in Europe. | have
seen II constitutional representative government
established upon its ruins aud IN eighteen short
wears. | have seen thnt yovcrnu, u,cnt subvcrted
! by arevolution. 10 make way, after brief aud
convulsive period Of anarchy, for u military des-
| poism.
! What occasioncl the premature downfall Of tho
| representative government ot frnncos TWAS po-
| liticul Eruption undermining it at its base Lou.
| is Philippe and his ministers. instead of resting
! support. sought To rule il by an open and shame.
l"sssyscm of corruption. The elective franchise bo-
| tngconiined 10 comparatively small portion OF
the nation, nnd TINT fraction being itself corrupted
| 10y the Government, the mass of tho po ,pe could
| right themselves only by revolutions nnd the Gov
| crnmcnt cll.
| II isa remarkable instance or the certainty
! with which effects follow their causes in tho po-
lilical world. that NJ. dc Tocqucye, ono Of the
most profound political phos pliers Of or any
other age. announced from hi, place il the Cham
| her Of Deputies. while nll seemed sure and stable
| in tho eyes of the Government, that tho coun-
| try wns sleeping upon volcano, md that .
| revolution was ut baud Aud what the
ground of his prclction2 There Ind then
| been no popular tumuts--no public disorders.
! lie pointed alone To the deprivation Of tho pub
| lie morals by the NAL prnctices OF the Gnvcrnmont
tn the system Of political corruption it Ind in.
| trodnroI. and on which it reliel-as the fatal
cause which mus, inevitably bring national
| catastrophe.
| Now, fellow.ctizcns, take upon myself. with
some knowledge OF facts in both countries To say
that great ~ were the abuses then committed by
! the Government of F,ance, they were. in no
respect, grcn,cr than those which tins day re-
,cacd to ns hnbtunl systematically prncticed
by our own Government. fortunately ior us. our
political institutions have, IN the general right
of suffrage. furnished the people Of America with
nm efficient instrument for the pcaceable corrco-
lion "i these abuses, il they chosc to make Of
! it. This grent right, Mr.. Jefferson has emphati-
cnlly told us, is the appropriate aud 'peaccable
corrective of abuses, which in other countries are
| Topped by the sword of revolution" But If the
| people. enslNvcd by their party lenders will not
npply the corrective,it il tho same thing if they
| had it not and we must then like other nations,
run the risk Of violent reactions md revolutions,
of which few can forcsec the issue, whom they are
| once entered upon.
| We have had impressive ndmontions TINT these
not mere visionary spcculations, even IN this
! lind of the largest liberty What have already
been the results of the hccdlcss exercise the
party cnsInyomcnt of tho rights of suffrage in the
hands OF certain portions Of the American people?
Have we not seen vigilance committees iorciby
supersedng, in several large communities, munl-
cinal governments that sprang from the forms Of
popular election hut whose abuses and corruptoDs
were great that tho most virtuous, and in gen.
cral, pcnccoving citizens, co-operated in their
| overthrow; aud even those who gave existence to
them by their su1ragcs, looked on and rejoiced in
their downfall.
And what is that but revolution ? And may
| not what has occurred in your cities, occur in
process Of time, on tho theatre OF the nation, If
such enormous governmental abuses as have ex-
posed to you this day. be permitted to 60 on, not
only uncorrccted but accommodating, and acqui-
ring n more daring boldness bv impnty? Leave
no: I beseech you, feow-citzcns. this dear native
land of ours 70 the cruel alternative OF tame sur
render oI ttS llberu"S, OF oi Ecsort W u
revolutionary vigilance committee taking posses
sion of the Government at Washington.
No, fellow citizens let ny organize legal,
constitutional salutnry vigilance committees at
the polls Let us throw off the deb1sing shnckles
Of PARTY thraldam and assert tho majesty and
sovereignty of the popular will. Let resolve by
the potent voice of our sntfrages exclude from
the high places of the Government th,sc. whether
individuals or parties, who have in any manner
sanctioned participated in, or been accessory to
the gross and daring abuses which ai>honor the
country, while they imperil its Liberties.
know there are many Of my Democratic friends
who oa,hc and detest lhes, official iniquites rs
do say to them, then. respectfully but earnest
ly-do not make yourselves responsible for nm nc
cessory to such abuses, by giving your confidence
and support to those VIII, practice them. Stand
IN in the virtue and maniness of your own free
dom You are the rghtful masters. Do not con-
sent to wear the tarnished and dishonored livery
of your servants. You owe nllegi lance but to
your country; and she now calls upon You to per-
form your duty, yonr whole duty to her. fearlessy
as patriots, conscentously as men.
1t is the fatal doctrine Of passive party obedi-
ence and non-resistance doctrine SO long uud
successfully inculcatcd hy the party in power
that hos brought the affairs Of our country into
their present deplorabe condition. They have
assduously taught that the first and indeed only
duty of every man, in the exercise Of his civil and
political functions, is to follow and obey his party
leaders: that the predominance of his party, un-
der oil circumstances, and whatever be the conse-
quences to his country. is the one paramount and
absorbing object which should engage all his ZEAL
to the disregard Of every dictate Of conscience,
and Of patriotism, |
This mercenary and slavsh doctrine has been |
enforced BY tho terrors of excommunication op |
the one hand.-by the lavish promises of reward |
on the other "To the victor belongs the ep0lls |