Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-11-13
VILE No trains arriving and the wires having oeen
destroyed, makes its dittcxh to ascertain tue cA''"'
of the damage. e - %@ -: r.[
4 HIT AZ pEMAGoGUIsM.

! ..e A.
| A HIT AT DEMAGoGUISM.
! ". extract Me fsllowing from the baccaiaurea'e
address # Rev. d. Wightman, Presiaen' % ."s
Southern University at Greensboro, Alabama, 10 '"'
last rraausticx class of that institution. 1ou''S
men may read it to profit
| "As esoeated young men--as virtnous ana re-
| ,;,,,,s ,,m,nc men-you are destined TO occupy an
;no, t,mt DoSition in some one or other OF the de-
~ r.ts of service which yoar country in her new
| .nd ,n.nosine circumstances opens to your view
u,,,ss Won are content to sink into the inglorious
pxsocrity to which incidence and love of ease have
alas, consigned but too many who enjoyed adVan-
taces similar to yours. Should your fe-misson lie
in the direction of political affairs let me, with SOL
emnty, in this presence and in these concluding
advices enjon it upon you to carry into the public
service the untalterng principle Of duty the force
of conscientious, hig, answering integrity the I'M
selfish love of country. The arena OF politics IN
representative forms of government. while 1t opens
Of usefulness and the highest posts of dis
tinction to every young man Of ability and deter
mine.c faculty, has its strong temptations and
Imminent liabilities. Under the mask of serving
the public, base selishness may hide its corrupt
ends Expediency and availability will stand be-
fore you, mary time, with wtching face and temp
ting lure inviting you to adeparture from the right
Graft and sycophancy, mining and counterm,nng-
the machinery by which the Oily Gammons of mod
ern demagogusm work their way to the suffragcs of
the masses. and lay their polluted hands on the
spells Of office and consummac their triumphs over
the PROSTATE virtue Of the citzen-a 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 as well safest path of success
Right onward, elevated and honest political prnci-
pie will consult the nobest ends of public service
will attn 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 shift, self seeking and avaabili-
ty running the machine We find it. will end in
utter defeat and universal contempt. President or
premier, editor, soldier, whipper in-nO matter
who-the man who has sacrificed honor and truth
tv sustain policy and party, who has sold the ber-
ties of his country and his very soul for place and
power, is doomed by a law memorable that which
moves the planets to the public scorn--a faint
echo Of the deeper, relentless, gnawing selfconde
nation which already chastses and will ere long
overwhelm him.
Behold yon wreck beyond the Potomac The
Capitol Of what once the model Republic of the
world is converted into military barrack. \ Con-
stitntion revered by millions of free people is
trampled on. The hnbeas corpus writ. the third par
allei OF personal lOerty te OoaSt OF the Anglo SAXON
race, is crushed under the heel Of hireling soldier
A military despotism, grim and boo.lthirstv, issues
ITS irresponsible edlcts. The espionage of an hun
dred eyed police overawes private opinion and free
dom of speech. The pavements Of cities enSan-
guined with the blood of unar,ned men, of helpless
women and children The crash of moneyed insti
tutions the cry hungry thousands, smte the heav
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 boas:u and progressive North
What has clovcn down the free institutions of this
neighborng nation while yet the star Spanglcd BAH
| ner-ensign of departed glory and lbcrty--is
shaken by the shouts Of mobs the huzzsS OF sold
and ruined people. Something more terrible than
the shot and shell that raned upon Fort Sumter
Something that preceded the ordinances Of seccs.
sion and the November elections. 1t was corrupt
ambition 1t was lust of power for the sake ol
public plumber 1t was the sc, 900 offices that con-
sttuted the stupendous bribe for which public lib
erty. free institutions, security and prosperity. were
sold universal suffrage in the hands Of an unin-
telIigent population, demoralized by corrupt intri-
guers!- IA moral pcstilence 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 nquites Of sordii, corrupt public men upon
q nation"