The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-09-06
Cause and Effect Explained by an Inn
partial Review OF our Political
History.
IsUBJECT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 81

SUBJECT CoNTINUED-NUMBER 3.
To the Editor of the Pioneer and Democrat
The qualities of men depend upon blood
and education-m mainly upon the "points," to
use stock raiser's language, of both sire
and dame. The development of marked
characteristics is a work of time-of gene
rations-and favorable agencies. But the
educator of men generally, is the community
in which they are born and bred Few, if
any, rise much above the common level of
the people among whom they have always
lived. Those who so rise are eccentric and
solitary, uttering an unknown language
which disqualifes them for all useful ser
vice, among their neighbors.
The etymology of popularity is people,
arity, and means agreeing with the people
Where the people are homogeneous-of
similar nature and ideas-there is a great
development of their leading points often
times an excess, amounting to deformity.
The representative men Of such communi-
ties, are always sincere, positive, bold, per-
sistent, consistent, and uuyielding. They
are consequently powerful. They, among
the representatives of heterogeneous COM
munities, are like trained regulars, COM
pared with raw militia men. When, in an
open field, they make charge, the latter
fly like flock of panic stricken sheep be-
fore them.
OF the original thirteen States, there
were only three, the respective populations
of which, possessed, in very high degree,
this important characteristic of homogenei-
ty. They we're, as already indicated, Vir-
GINA, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.
1t was the first two, that precipitated the
Revolution. They fairly dragged New
York and Pennsylvania after them. They
initiated and guided the whole series of
movements, which made the thirteen colo
MES free and independent nation. Vic
tory achieved, they quarreIed about the
disposition of the great prize, their united
energies had won.
Each of them became the lumirary of a
political system of States, revolving with
its satellites, in different planes, around
the great Central Sun, the National Con-
stitution.
Without satellite-with its political
idea in state of nebulosity, not yet reduced
to republican form and density,-South
Carolina, like some great mysterious comet,
made an orbit for itself, eccentric and sOi-
tary in its perihelion, approaching danger
ously near to the Constitution in its aphe-
lion, wandering off so far, as to excite WON
der whether it would ever again return or
not. IL its movements through our complex
system, various have been the speculations
as to the distributing influence it might ex-
ercise, and probable results, in case of near
contact or collision.
The want of homogeniety in the large
populations of the great States of New
York and Pennsylvania, and especially so
in the latter, deprived them of moral force
and of that moral power, to which their
meterial Importance and numbers would
seem to entitle them This is easily ex-
planned.
To know people. it is only necessary
to apalyze and comprehend fully the men
who represent them-the men of their
choice. In our country, learn the politi-
clans, the county, district, and state men
and you know the people who honor them.
Applying this test, Aaron Burr, Martin
Van Buren,, and VIM. H. Seward, are the
representative men of New York politi>
clans. Able, bold, cunning and ambitious,
enterprising and energetic to advance indi-
vidual sel6shness, they are not troubled, like
the men of Massachusetts,, with conscien-
tious scruples; or like the Virginian, with
old distractions, pride of consistency, and
the point of honor. But, like the soldiers
of fortune in old feudal times, they fight
wherever, and under whomsoever, the pay
is best, and the victory most certain but
pay and victory must 60 together.
New York has never produced states
man of commanding moral influence. The
apparent exceptions: Alexander Hamilton
was born in the West Indies, and Silas
Wright in Massachusetts.
The prominent feature of New York poll
iticians, is cunning united with audacity,