Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-04-20

The following well-written article was
furnished the Springfield (Mass) Republican
by its regular correspondent from Burlington
in this State, whom we suspect to he Hon
Fitz Henry Warren. We find very little in
it to condemn and much to approve, and
therefore place it in our editorial columns
believing it to be more interesting and
instructive than anything we could write:
The air is thick with phantoms of coming
events, and the trump t.tones Of new
political gospel ring clear in the vibrating air
| agree with you that the old Whig party is
with the dead. Rottenness entered its bones
long before its pulses ceased to seat. Not till
the corpses of Tam O Shanters weird revelers
step from their open cciins, tallow dips in
hand, will breath enter again into it's nostrils
Some Of its mouldering relics will survive
pledges OF past century, and lingerings of q
day which has gone out n night-men who
have divided the anxiciies of three score and
ten between the cares ot cotton brokerage and
constipated bowels ministering to toes dis
eased, and medlcating preternaturally enlarged
Sims. You can perpetuate the policy, if you
please, long after the party is in dust. There
is no more striking fact in our history than
that the Chief Magistrate gives the character
to the Administration. From Washington
down to the weakness of Fillmore, the wick.
edness of Pierce, and the wretchedness Of
Buchanan, the personal qualities of the
occupant give individuality to the acts. The
elder Adams, President himself, but with a
Cabinet whose chief was Hamilton, and whose
every movement was suggested by h m,
his own features as John Adams
upon it, and made it harmonious filling in
of four years ofhis own peculiar and distinctive
life. The men who controlled the Government
for John Tyler could have been put in Jersey
rockaway, with room for baggage. A President
may not be worth throwing into an offal cart
on the fifth of March, and yet there is not a
crowned king who has such sway while he
holds the sword of state. One man unwisely
selected or wrongly chosen can give you the
bowed decrepitude of party which can be
counted Oh your fingers, and be quartered in
your dining-room. What is this ''opposition"
that you would club together9 Do you expect
to place Gov. Seward and Gov. Everett uis-e-
Uiss Will you pair off Gov. Banks with Gov.
Critienden? Can you wheel in Senator Wade
and ex-Secretary Stuart in the procession of
the dead past and the living presently What
sort of neutral salt will you precipitate with
a mngling of such acids and alkalies as these !?
Ve.ily, "the earth has bubbles as the water
hath, and these are of them"
And, again, delighted as we should be to
associate with these gentlemen of the most
athblest description" as Mr.. Bundle would
phrase it, where is your gainY Will the
Uncertain possession of 10000 votes in
Virginia, 10000 in Maryland, $4,000 in
$4,000 in Missouri, with chance
fr as many more in Tennessee - each
numbering as worthless to change result as
tie scar leaves of an October forest-com-
Fensate you for the indifference, alienation
md apathy of thousands in New England and
he whole North, where we need our full
strength. The arguments which are potential
With politicians have no force with the people.
What care the great mass of our voting
population for the patronage, the parchment
md the plunder of an administration? What
are they for the dirty pudding of your
evenue service, or the leaner drippings of
'our postal spit? They are not ambitious to
anguish in foreign lands in regulation black,
II starve in stinted sizings under the consular
'unting. They do not expect their wives and
daughters to tiaunt in the filigree and 1utter
n the brocade semi-nudity Of Washington
as-light. They have no cousins or nephews
Eho are waiting to learn snobbery and syco-
hancy, for twelve hundred dollars year, in
he gluttony and gambling of the Federal
,apitol. They have no elder sons to be
uttoned and belted into cadet MKT and sent
o burn out their vitals with bad brandy at
rontier stockade or harbor fort; nor yet
ounger ones, to wear armorial anchors and
arpaulin hats, and cheY pig tail twist, and
ann their eyes, on the quarterback of
ag ship or frigate. None of these things
nove them; nor can they be marched to any
uch recruiting staten. The saddest page of
ersonal biography in the history Of your
tate pleads, trumpet tongued," for the
ruth utter. One, whose like no living eye
Til look upon again, sought to unteach the
Doctrines he had nurtured, and the duties he
lad enforced, with an eloquence which leaves
hose Of US who have listened to him nothing
o learn Of the god like gift of utterance-who
led the people in the hollow of his hand, and
whose love for him was passing the love of
voman - and chow was the strong staff
'roken and the beautiful rod?" The glory
# his forehead was darkened and his arm of
,ower was smitten with weakness; and,
weary and woe.worn, he tottcred, broken
learted, to grave which, but for one lapse
rom the consistency of a long life, had rested
n the unclouded light, not Of Time only, but
# Eternity.
Do not mistake the kind and quality of this
movement. 1t is not policy; it is not a
ystem; it is a faith--a belief-a religion
if you can, the number of house.
lolds from which, with the prayer for daily
'read and daily blessing, goes up the suppl
alton that the rod of the oppressor may be
'roken and the bondman go free. Their
idelity to the Constitution is as trustworthy
IS their fidelity to their God; but they will
lot balance expedency and barter the straight
onward manhood of their duty to their fellow
nan. They will not enter into any new league
With darkness, nor join hands with the
lnthrift of silver and gold, for the sinews and
ouls of common humanity. You might as
veil argue with them to forsake their Christian
reed and civilized diet, and relapse into
'aganism, and Polynesian puppy, tattoo and
rain oil, wampun and war-paint You may
IS well attempt to turn buck the widest of
x.
GU can as easily soften, with river water and
ain, the inexorable granite of our loftiest
,eaks. Long may this so bel Pierce the
ky, if you will, with your commemorative
hats. The proudest monument to the grim
I'D Puritan is the living constancy, courage
md endurance which was the epic glory of
lis life.
The New York Tribune, all-embracing as
he air, all-penetrating like the SUMS rays,
vhen speaking to the conscience and convic-
ions of the people, is the lever which moves
he western world; and yet, when it becomes
false oracle and an unfathful guide, it sinks
o the level of journalism, and wakens
10 echo to its bugle charge. Whatever the
Convention at Chicago may do, the popular
lemand for Republican is absolute and
lirect. Who it shall be is of less consequence.
There will be, l should hope, much of concil-
alton toward the moderate sentiment of the
,arty; but, if there are any so hyper
conservative that they cannot vote fer Lincoln,
lane, of Indiana, Cameron or Dayton, let
hem go 70 their own place.