Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-11-13
A HIT AT DEMAGoGuIsM.

We extract the following. from the baccalaureate
address of Rev. DR.. Wightman, President OF the
Southern University at Greensboro, Alabama, TO the
las. graduating class of that institution Young
men may read it to profit:
=" As educated young men-as virtuous and re-
li0ious yenne men-you are destined to occupy an
npoi tant position in some one or other OF the de-
partnents of service which your country IN her new
and imposing circumstances opens TO yorr view
unless you are content to sink into the inglorious
nedocrIty to which Incidence and love Of ease have,
alas consigned but too many who enjoyed ad'nn-
tages similar to yours Should your he-mtsSon he
in the direction of political affairs, let me- with sol
emnity, in this presence. and in these concluding
sdvces enjoin it upon you to carry into the public
service the .unfaterng principle of duty the force
Of conscientious high, answering integrity the I'M
selfish love of country. The arena OF poiltics IN
representative forms Of government. whie 1t opens
a career of usefulness and the highest posts OF dis
tinc,iou to every young man of ability and deter.
inmate faculty, has its own strong temptations ana
imminent liabilities. Under the mask of serving
the public, base selfShness may hide its corrupt
ends Expedicncy and availability will stand be-
fore you, many time, with witching face and temp
ting lure, inviting you to departure from the right
Craft and sycophancy, mining and countermmlng-
the machinery by which the Oily Gammons Of mod
ern demagoguiSn work their way to the suftrages Of
the masses and lay their polluted hands OH the
spoils of Office and consummate their riumphs over
the PROSTATE virtue Of the ctzenall this will come
recommended to you by the example of men who
hold their seats in cabinets and WELD the power OF
nations
But hesitate not to believe that the clearly defined
line of rectitude in politics everywhere else is at
last the sureSt well safest path OF success
Right onward elevated and honest political princ-
pie will consult the nobleSt ends of public service;
will aim at strengthening instead of pulling down
the moral force and independence and virtue Of the
masses; it will, in the long run, win the battle,
while trickcry and shit, self seeking and availab
ty, Crunning the machine as find il, } will end in
utter defeat and universal contempt. President or
premier, editor, soldier or whipper n-no matter
who-the man who has sacrificed honor and truth
to sustain policy and party, who has sold the liter
tics of his country and his very soul for place and
power, is doomed, by law memorable that which
moves the planets, to meet the public faint
echo Of the deeper, relentless gnawing self condem
nation which already chaStSeS and will ere long
overwhelm him.
Behold yon wreck beyond the Potomac. The
Capitol OF what was once the model Republic of the
world is converted into military barrack. Con.
Sttution once reyered by millions of free people is
trampled on The ha6edS corpus writ, the third par
arl of personal liberty the boast of the Anglo Saxon
race is crushed under the heel Of hireling soldier
military despotism, grim and bloodthirSty issues
ITS irresponsible edicts The espionage of an hun
drcd eyed police overaweS private opinion and free
dom of speech. The pavementS of cities are cnSan-
guined with the blood Of unarmed men, of helpless
women and children. The crash of moneyed inst
tutions, the cry of hungry thousands smc the hcaV
ems What has produced this terrible change in less
than FIVE months? What has let Lose these powers
of diScord, and flung this black eclipse upon the
glory Of the mighty, boasfu and progressive North:
What has cloven down the free institutions Of this
neighboring nation while yet the star spanged ban
ner-ensign of a departed glory and lIbcrty-iS
shaken by the shouts of mobs, the hUzzaS of a sold
and ruined people? Something more terrible than
the shot and shell that rained upon Fort Sumter
Something that preceded the ordinances Of seces-
sion, and the November elections 1t was corrupt
dmbitipni 1t was lust of power for the sake of
public plumber 1t was the 10000 Offices that con.
sttuted the stupendous bride for which public lib
erty. free institutions, security and prosperity
sold universal suffrage in the hands of an unin-
telgent population, demoraized by corrupt intri-
guerS "a moral pestence in the very heart of the
nation, communicating their religion at its fountain
heads injecting their literature, ard rendering the
masses Of the people servile tools in the hands Of
corrupt party leaders! ] turn away with horror
from the contemplation Of that doom, written in
blood with which swift and just Nemesis will Wis.,
it the iniquities Of sordd corrupt public men upon
nation"