Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-07-28
THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES AND THE

Tor POPULAR appointments, OF the lnCuUUtIlCy VI
government Office The first embodes in itself all
that can disgust and revolt an honest generous
heart The scenes which characterize canvass
particularly for federal honors, are in multitude
if not in majority Of cases. enough to scken every
high-mnded conscientious person, and we are fire.
quenty amazed at the spectacle of such persons en-
tering into so wretched an arena. We believe that
if Washington himself alive and were become
candidate for the Presidency at the present time
he would be daily denounced by his opponents as
recreant to all the principles and virtues which are
the bulwarks of government and the ornaments of
humanity. man. however upright and estimable
he may be, who engages now in political contest
must first make his account to be assailed with all
of defamatory missiles in the shape Of news
paper and stump charges. His whole life will be
ransacked and every act of it misrepresented dis
tOrted or perverted in way to render him as obi
possible to the people. We do not pretend
to say that there are no exceptions to this abomi-
nabe practice system of yilliication in our cleo
pioneering campaigns. There instances, but Oh
too rare occurrence in which rival candidates and
their respective friends observe the most courteous
and respectful bearing towards another give full
credit to what is commendable and exemplary in the
public record and private history of each, and are
satisfied to confne their discussions wholly to the
merits of the questions whatever they may be, upon
which they are divided. This is the true and pro-
per way to conduct such an affair We would not
ourselves for all the honors and emoluments of the
best Office to which could be elcvated-not even
excepting the Presidency itself (Which We never ex-
poet to reach) get up in stump any other fashion,
and deliberately represent an act of our competitor
in way to injure him, unless that act was obvious
ly fairly susceptible of construction that would
warrant us in so treating it. and then should use
no other language than the most decorous and ami
cable, and indulge in no mpugnment of mOttres.
But we startCd by saying that we knew not
whether the candidate for popular trust or the in
cumbent of government Office the most or
least attractive position. We have given briefly
and mperfectly some of our views of the first, and
we will say n few words about the second If the
is TO be stunned for the scandaous extremes to
which political vitUperation, mingled not unfre-
quenty with personal asperSioEs, is carried, the
other is equally, f not more to be avoided for the
abectness Of the terms upon which offices Of gov
ernment are now held. We live in land Of free
donor, rather, we live under free institutions;
and souls nurured iE the precepts of these
great guardians Of the rights Of man, breathe and
utter adherence for any badge of servitudc which
the Executive arm can attach to office holderSS.
The humblcSt clerk in the humLlcst bureau is an
educated freeman, and freeman only can he en-
JOY the blessings of popular government. Were VIC
the President OF this glorious republic, il would be
our constant study, aim and delight TO promote in
every way that we could the cultivation and Invigo-
ration of those manly sentiments and ennobling vr
tues which constitute the good citizen and true pa
trlot We would scOrn to intimate to an incum-
bent that we considered him bondSlnan to our
will and pleasure, that expected or wished
him to mould his thoughts after ours. We should
Ge>pSe, reject and dismiss any man who approached
us in craven spirit OF eastern slave, either to
ask Office whilst holding one, instead of in the
pride and manlincSs of an American freeman. We
should tell every appontee to exercise all proper
occasions and in proper way, his privileges
citZen-to enjoy, without any fear of our diSpleas-
use, perfect liberty Of opinion and Of speech, in
conformity with the letter and genius Of our insti-
tutiOns. Before would be guilty of the crime of
sitting or extingdishing in their boSomS the spirit
Of independence which qualities him for the appre-
citation and enjoyment of the blessings of faith
fully administered government, we would have
right arm cut off Ours is no land for obsequious
slaves in the shape of office holders.
To crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
That thrift may follow awning.
We had infinitely rather rule a people, every
one of whom knows his rights, and knowing dare
maintain them" than over race contaminated by a
single vein of recreant blood. The offices of our
government were never designed to arm the EXecu-
tive with the power TO enSlaye the conScenceS and
will of incumbents, and we hold that this perver-
sion Of the true intent of its trainers by any PreSi
dent, is not only volative of his high trust but
dangerous TO the public libcrties.-Iet Express.
HINTS on TRAvELIxG-Don't wear your best pink
Grape bonnet or people will think you have no
better opportunity than the inside Of railroad car
to display it Plain straw is in far better taste
Light-colored gloves an abOminaton for travel
ing costume Pack your jewelry in your trunk in
stead of hanging 1t about your person and don't
judge your fellow travellers by the spendor of their
dress or the number of yards in their mantillas.-
Dsagreeable mistakes have been made in this way.
Don't estimate it useless be polite the spccta
clcd old lady behind you, the pale young girl at
your side They may not belong to the butterfly
ranks of fashion, but they the less capable
Of approaching that kind of etiquette which springs
from the heart Don't talk and laugh loudly and
boisterouSly in the cars or steamboats,. Your pr
vatc affairs may be very engrossing to yourself but
they can hardly be expected to interest the public
Don't load yourself down with paraSos, fans, bas-
kets, parcels, shaws, reticuls, and books enough
to last you during voyage to Europe; the less
"hand baggage" you can get along with the better.
Don't discovee just the boat is the point Of
starting, that "you left your shawl on the seat in
the cars" and send your luckess escort back to find
it, unless you want to disgust him thoroughly with
lady travellers. Don't begin to complain when you
little tired. Some ladies think it interesting
to behave like grown up children such occasions.
Nobody likes to hear people fret over WEAKNESS that
cannot be helped. Remember that others besides
yourself may possibly be fatgued. Don't find fault
with all the hotel accommodations you meet; don't
scrutinize the napkins and turn the plates upside
down. and declare it impossible to eat your break
fast without silver fork, and allude ostentatiously
to what You have been accustomed to-" Those
who know the world will need no more convincing
proof that you outside the pale of really good
society Just make up your mind before you set out
from home, that you will look on the sunnest side
of everything, enjoy yourself as much as you
possibly can, and use every endeavor to make the
journey pleasant to those around you, and it will
be very singular if somebody isn't the better for it?
A more revolving chapter of barbarities we have
never printed (says the New York Observer than
that which records the Horrible Prosecutions of
Christians by the Turks" " hen those awful de-
tails are read, and in connexion with the massacres
in India and Syria and the constant prosecutions in
various portions of the Turkish Empire, it will be
and felt that the powers of the false prophet
reused as in death struggle to destroy the peo