Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-22
a Crying Evil.

Commenting on the noble and eloquent discourse OF
Everett the character and services Of Webster which
We laid before readers yesterday, the Philadelphia
Press thus refers to crying evil OF the tmes-oue
which is painfully obvious to ALL and to which remedy
should be applied in time, il would preserve ma
onal character from degradation and national insti-
utons from overthrow That miserable thirst for Office
which prevails universally throughout the country and
to which all worhier objects and considerations are
made subordinate is indeed alarming aud melancholy
symptom of personal and private degenerscy In the
earlier and better days of the Republic such fearful
mania ragged in the land On the contrary Office sought
men, aud not men office. And it and notable
exception too at that time to fndlit men or corrupt
men filling any office, high low. The people them
selves being upright and unndueuced by the wies OF
the demagogue honored merit, and searched for it, and
rewarded They would have felt themselves degraded
in clcvatng small men bad to any position Of
trust profit distinction and such men would not have
dared present themselves candidates for their su
;ragrs But the times have sadly changed. Small men
and bad men I'LL nearly all the offices and what is
melancholy the people themselves seem to prefer
such men to worthicr and better.
But here Is the extract from the Press which will be
perused by readcrs!Nith profit and pleasure:
ut Is CRYING evil of times that We have entirely
many men eagerly olamorinC for office and too few
iiouclhiH WHO possess uNlcQge and
enough adorn the positions which their talents Tor in
tricue enable them to obtain. In many if not in most
Of political struggles the candidate least qualified
successful Securing nominations and elections is the
art to which too many OF aspiring men are almost
exclusively devoted the neglect OF the higher
and more useful task ofquaifyng themselves for faith
fu and intelligent discharge Of their political duties In.
deed, IL may almost be sid TO be accepted axiom
that ',he qualification for office tho matter how
Nalted its character Is the ability obtain IT, and nine
tenths Of the political aprants OF the day for al Offices
Ill 4 a. e N.sF.-
bition any other principle To all these men and to
the aspiring youth OF the whole nation Mr. Webster
example Is beacon light that should make the cheeks
ol the unworthy and incompetent who arr con.t,ntly
atruding their miserable cIims upon public attention
burn with shame and point Ingenious spirits NOT
Vet dehscd 10y the prevailing lust for undeserved hon
ors the true path Of an honorable ambition There Is
entirely too much Of tendency in the public mid To
measure mems progress and position rather bv the sta
iOas they hold than by the manner in which tbey dis
charge their duties We too apt ignore the great
truth of the hackneyed coupet
Honor aud shame froa condition rsse,
Act vel your part nsre all the honor lies"
Gradually the imagination Of thousands Of men bss
been intamed 10y the thought that a election to
Congress may transform plain ions SNTH whose whole
e has been spent in such exclusive apuI,catiaD 70 Ms
private interests that he has scarcely ever devoted d,
serious consideration public affairs into sacaci0rs
satesmanor, at AL events into eminent politician
entitled 10 great public consideration. Yet the true
statesman OF this a. Of all other countries cannot be
elected into the possession of high political qahcl.
tons. There Is royal road political learning and
u can no more be conferred 10y the mere stamp of a
popular verdict the polls from ten thousand iniepen
dent "sovereigns, than by the favor OF an absolute
| monarch.
THE eminent public services Of truly great man Ik.
WEBSTER will always reflect credit upon the nation who-a
councils he adorned aud upon the constituencies which
wise enough avail them of hi, eminent IA
e Instead OF suffering small beer politicians TO fastsn
upon them their mediocre vOgtes; and this fact shoui
1t least do something to awaken constituencies through
out the country 10 NE ~rOHg' DO H,Jas,lres when
| they elect INV orthy men to important stations
The cuOgics we have OF our truly rre,t MOI,
the better for they elevate IN national stand
ard Of political attainments and to teach tie ambition.
how much more than mere partisanship they should
! learn