Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-05-19
Conservatism.

dedd-NcigI hts A1CS4Sag w. 60 = - -
dened with lis drawbacks. Az the times
Of British reforms aud other European at
tempts at regeneration, a heavier burden
than struggling against opposition, was tn
pushing along halfway people. Dufin
the "crisis" Of our own Revolution, Will
the thousands were yeaining for Liberty
the hundreds, too languid tc assert thei
own rights, were crying for "reconciliatioi
and accommodation. So it is now
While fierce battle between two politica
parties for the ascendency ofprinciple is 60.
inc on, set Of third-party mongrels, claim
mo to be sort of intercessionists, and not
claiming TO have any principles or purpose,
Of their own, are coming into the arena to be
stumbled over by the contending parties.
The "Union Constitutional Convention
met in Baltimore and nominated Bell, OF
Tennessee, for President, and Everett, Of
Massachusetts, for Vice President. These
are the third-party candidates. Bell is a
good man, but why run on such a ticket ?
Everett is the learned granny who went
crazy over the Mt. Vernon Fund. Both
are III some respects fit representatives OF
the fag ended toadyistic fogyism which put
them in nomination. The latter suits the
place exactly The formeris accounted too
good; and but for the obsoletism which has
been grounded into him by the backward
latitude in which he keeps himself, he would
never receive the nomination at their hands.
There is deal Of mischief concealed in
the Conservatism which this party claims.
Ii is made up partly of material which was
once sharp and bright, and pure metal; but
which, abandoned by the people and left
out Of use, has become rusted, dull, and I'M
fit for anything. The party has an exist
ence only in name. There are generals but
no prigates. Generals who, in the North
offer themselves to be bought up by one
party, and in the South by another. Hay-
ING, as they themselves assert, no principles
worthy TO be embodied in a platform, they
grant themselves out of the fight and are
just pitiable and stupid enough to come be-
tween the armies and receive the arrows Of
both enemies.
He is lacking in spirit who cannot antic-
ipate reforms; but he is a very dolt, and
worthy only Of pity, who cannot abide BY
them when they are made plain to him.
Who ever established and maintained rep-I
utation for sagaeity OF ability under any
name BY plodding his weary footsteps, all
the way through life, over an open, broad
road that others had cleared for him? One
or the other of the progfessioni6t parties is
right. Either slavery to be extended isl
right, or slavey to be checked is right; and
one or the other of these ideas will prevail.
The longer either is interfered with by anti
working parties, theworse will be the result,
in the end, to the people. What an easyG
task it would have been, comparatively, to
have settled this question at the establish
ing of our Government But there were
slow men then, who put fears and doubts
in the way Of decisiyeness; showing that
those who are always anesting progress are
the very persons who bring about the sev-I
crest crises. They are the very characters
who, had it not been for PAINE and 9th
ers like him who worked night ana day toI
stimulate the people into eagerness for their
rights, would have checked the ReyolutionI
and prevented the inheritance Of our liber
ties And Chey--the luke-warm--are for
gotten; while the memory of both conquer
ers and conquered still lives. Better be al
Douglas and lead the people into progress
i've measures than a conservative and let
the Government 60 into stagnation Bets
ter be Yancy and rule or ruin, than l;rn-
guish into forlorn Gushing. Better be al
Seward and cause the nation to be felt and
honored all over the world, than allow it to
wither under the blight Of decrepit eonsery-
atism.
This third-party referred 10, can have nc
effect here in the West where the people,
will not allow themselves to be humbugged,I
but it will have its effects in some of the oil
der States where the people once being lead-l
ers, like the Phemeians, have come to
standpoint, and will remain there unless
forced out Of it by outside pressure. And
then when too late, the infamy at the bot
tom of the matter, viii be discovered, as
has that ofthe Fillmore ruse. We are tired
Of these noony politicians. Lovers ofprog
ress everywhere are VERY Of those who
are unwilling to disturb things; who are
sorrowfully anxious to keep everything bal
aneed; who must keep up the old fashion,
IL x,.... ~, Il.