Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-03
TOWANDA:
Thursday Morning, July 8, 1852


tion of the present. and direct it upon the
probable wants and necessities of the future.
The spectacle of nation undergoing or
ganc change seldom recurs in an ordinary
lifetime. We who behold this great struggle
for national life are accustomed and are teach
ing others, to regard it as sudden and violent;
while the truth is, that various causes have
been at work every hour since the birth Of the
nation to produce just the effect now being
witnessed, with various emotions, by the civil
lied world. Nor is this struggle unique in
kind, cause and probable result. Every na
tion worthy Of the name has ita record Of ex.
perences exactly similar. The only material
difference is that we have larger repertory
of fact and experience to resort to than any
that have gone before. Shall We wisely open
our eyes and make the most Of this extra priv
ilege, and thereby gTavitate to q firm anchor
age among nations, or shall we refuse to be
taught by fact and experience and enter upon
the precariouS revolutionary existence enjoyed
by the South American and Mexican Repub-
lies ?
These are serious questions It mag he
proper to refer to our national past in plain
terms. As people We have been neither dis
interested nor virtuous. We have not been
true patriots. If the interest of any class have
suffered, that class itself is to be charged with
the blame We have habituated ourselves
to the thought and practice that certain elias
es needed protection from the rapac;ty and
bad ambition OF other classes. We have ere
ated this idea and taught the people to har
Dor it. Why Because we have been mis-
ers heapng up certain kind of capital known
as political capital, with reference to the ag-
grandzement Of organizations of men. The
fact is, that every class is in this country, able
to care for itself. All the patronage any class
or interest needs from parties or go7ernm eat
is simply relief from outside influences That
the rich are the natural enemies Of the poor
in this country is false teaching. And that
the poor hate the wealthy is equally false
These are some of the falsehoods which have
been disseminated am org the people by de-
signing men for selfish purposes, and which
have had their share OF influence in precptat
ing the present struggle. Time was when
these appeals to the worse passions of men
were the stock in trade OF the democratic
party.
The fierce struggle in which We are engaged
will operate in many ways to elevate US in the
10 of r. .,1I-.
jury and excGutioner of our great popular
crimes. It will act as the idol breaker in the
temples we have erected for the worship Of
falsities. 1t will act the great physicians to
purge popular opinion Of its gross impurities
and it vii! cleanse the political and moral at
mospheres of their corrupt and heaveninsuIt-
ing StencheS, as the hurricane puFfes the OF
mosphe.e Of the natural world Of pestilence
aud plagueS. Whatever n1oy be the immedi.
ate loss, the nitimation can be nothing but G.
great and saving gain. Posterity will see that
this war was as inevitable as it vas necessary.
There is another great evil of which we have
made no mention, and which such strife as we
are now waging is destined to prove cor
rectiVe. Heretofore We have sought men for
place not so much for their peculiar fitness, as
for that something which may be anything or
nothipg,- g,-availabiiity The meaning of this
term is vague. The nature of the quality it
pretends to name and define is necessarily
gross and impure. Sometimes man is avail.
able because be has money, and can bear the
expenses of campaign or, he understands
the ropes" that lead to the most excitab!e
passions of the multitude, and is therefore
available Or, he is great political general,
or manager, and can move puppets in high pa.
ees. But how seldom have we heard men
urged for place, among the managers because
OF their peculiar descent and fitness! No won
der if we have been nearly wrecked by bad
rulers and mised by evil counsel No won
der that we are disfguring the ago with the
most stupendouS civil war yet recorded in his
tory ! All this must be charged before We
can hope for stable government aud uni
ted people. Mere politicians must 60 the
wall and the real men, who constitute the sp-
nal marrow Of the nation, must be brought
forward end put in their places Those who
have served faithfully aud we'll must be con-
strained to continue in the public service
The best men-men who can be trusted
whose lives have grown to be sufficient guar
an tees of their ability and integrity-tbese
must be preferred in the new order of things
Aud we stands upon the threshold of that new
era in our history. Already it is time to act
in obedience to the behests of that better fu
ture which must succeed this better present