Gazette and sentinel., 1860-05-19
LFrom he OpeIousas Connlerl

.HtSyry. E,iitorS-lt Is generally CONGO
dcd, that III free governments, tori>c to
the highest pitch o.! greatness, IN must
pass through an ordeal of SANDER. de-
traction and defamation, which applied
10 an individual III the common walks
OF life would u~vcrwhcim both hiluselt
and family in a common ruin.
This fact has often led men 10 consid-
cr whether there is not something in
srinsically dcmoralizing i'll free i~nstitu-
tions: hut if they would examine more
closely into the nature of things, il
would, think, be found that II proceeds
from causes inherent in the natural
character of mankind, operating in all
time. both in private, as well as in pub
lie life.
With lis here, from the starting point
all men rest upon Terms of equality. ai-
fcctrd somewhat, it i, true, 10y the va
ricd circumstances which surround
them; but when, through the confidence
of his fellow citizens. one Is raised
above the mass 50 that all eyes are nat
uraIly turned upon him. the worst pas
siUnS in tie human breast are excited
IT, dctract from his merits. la the first
place, there are many men, most ambi-
tIous but least successful. that are in
tcrcStcd in dcprcciating the man who RI
scs above themselves: for. since they
cannot toe raised 10 his elevation, thew
will strive to sink him to theirs, to still
keep themselves on a level with him
Then, therels the envious man mo com
mon character {. who finds relief in de-
tracing from him whom other men no.
nor: be watches him with the greatest
~solicitude, to discover a spot or blcmish,
fancied or real, upon which he maydes-
cant: and it is great consolation when
an lllustrlous person is said to do Il
thing unworthy Of himself, for it APP
pears to lower him 10 his condition
Thus, how true it is, thai there Is moth
Ing more required to make a person the
object of envy and hatred, than to d.
serve esteem aud admiration. But when
we add to all these bascr passions, the
spirit Of Party strife, what may we not
anticipate
In our W country, w find those
whom the spirit of d~etraction has most
reicntlcsely pursued. occupying worth
lly the highest stations Of honor and
trust: and those who have been most
deprecated in life. the most honored in
the tomb. Hence we may conclude.
that in a Republic such as ours. the
higher the degree of merit, the more
certain the imputation of unworthy ac-
lions, and unworthy motives, upon the
recipient Of public honors.
| have been led 10 these reflections.
Messrs. Editors, by what has recently
t%ranspired i'll reference to our d.stin-
guished Senator, the Hon. John Slidell.
He, undoubtedly, since tue times of Gen.
Jackson, has been the best abused man
IN the country; and, as we might expect
from the yirulcncG of his traduccrs. he
has advanced in public favor and honor
quite III proportion to the efforts made
to pull him down.
The most serious charges brought
against this gentleman, have been made
i'll conneXiou with the pruprietorship of
a portion of what is called the Houmas
Grant. The falsity of those charges
has been abundantly proven to the sat
isfaction Of every unprecedented mind, by
the Hon. John Claiborne of Ncw-Or-
leans, i'll a publication made in the
course of last year. Lately, notwith-
standing, Mr.. SlidelPs enemies have at
fected 10 find a bonne 6oache coniirmato-
ry of their allegations, in the Report Of
Select Committee of the United States
Senate, which they represent as CON
veying a direct charge against him of
his official influence to obtain the con-
tirmatiou of a title to land, that would
be otherwise invalid. If this were so,
both his official and personal character
would be seriously impugned; but p 0
referring to the Senate Report of the
7th ult., it will be secn that the Chair
man Of that Committee, Mr.. Toombs of
Georgia, e%mphatically denies that there
was any thing before the Committee, or
taken into consideration by it, in the
slightest degree impugning the motives,
the rectitude of conduct, or the integri-
ty of character as a man or as a legisla-
tor, of either of the Senators from Lou
isiana.
Besides, it. has been represented in
connection with this, that the bill pass
ed by the last Congress confirming the
title to the Houmas Grant, was snug