Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-24
NATIONAL INTELLlGENCER,
"A WORD FoR cANpoR IN POLITICS

A WORD FOR CAND0R IN POLITICS"
No candid observer of our current politics can
have failed to deplore the acrimony which has come
10 mark the discussions Of the hour as joined by
the heated disputants Of party. 1t seems almost
impossible for the champions of dissenting opinions
to argue their points Of difference as questions OF
prnciplc, and therefore deserving, as such, to be
considered apart from the motives imputed to their
resnective holders In fact the standard of
inst Judgment is entirely reversed, and men are
foo much ia tho habit of first gratuitously imput-
ing wrong motives to their political opponents, and
of then jumping to the facie but, with discerning
minds, the not very cogent conclusion that the
principles they advance must necessarily be un-
sound or Injurious 10 this way our political dc
bates too often. degenerate into mere wranglc Of
unseemly personalities, by which the cause of truth
is as little sub.erved the propricies of life are
little respected
We have been reminded of these bemishes in
he body polite by the following iudcious and
timely reflections, which we fnd in the opening
numbcr Of the Round Table" new weekly
journal Of politics, literature, and art, just estab-
Iished in the city of New York
'There was time within the memory Of some of Us,
when the Gdium sotogicn the most malignant of all
anmostes Ii has long pasred not to return again, and
now scarcely comprehend how good men could
hate wayay aud murder each other for entertaining
differing theories to God and The life OF the soul But
wa have still with form of snimosty quite as unrea-
BILE and sometimes pTIncious IN It's entire sweep
of influence 1t is The odjRm p0iiticam-pary hatred 1t
has repusve II not its most baneful exhibition in
our own country and the fact that il remains and
in yiruence in this crucial agony of the nation,
OF The darkest ana most dsheatenlng tacts OF the
time.
When this tremendous struggle was forced upon the
nation wise and patriotic men said now we will forget
party aud personal ambition, al stand together
man for the national safety and honor ali party differences
and rvas shall be deferred to the great work OF saving
from destruction the Constitution and the Union But
frat thought doing IL ard the only question
was who should be first to do to sacrifice and suffer- tina.
the nation might live. Blessed days, but all too short
We had not virtue enough for such high achievement
Hardly the fret blood shed IN the grand struggle be
fore the old banners of party unurled again and
partisan strife ragged ieTcely than before; and
it must be confessed, the accusations and
crmnatuns hurled back and forth wholly false and I'M
Just utterly malignant and cruel as at this moment
Let put ourselves ia the position OF dsnterested
observera stranger landing cur shores, wholly gno
of political habits and bearing street talk and
reading newspapers with the superstition that
altering lhe truth Of each other. What must be his
astonishment and horror He the nation convulsed
by the most saugunary civil of any agebrother at
with brother, aud father with s0n-and nearly
fourth part Of the country desoated by the tread Of
mighty armies HI finds at the time the people OF
the loyal States divided into two hostile parties nearly
iu earnestness, aud with the use Of all available means
honest otherwise, for obtaining the ascendancy. If
this rivalry OF men for Office and power, it
would be sad enough time Of such general distress
and peril But 1t 10 apparently much worse than that
The astonished foreigner bears party stGuy affirming
that the otter organized band of traitors actually
desiring the OF the rebellion, and because they
have not the manness TO fight for it, aiding all they
by their lie hears The other party retort that the
supporters of tie Administration fanatics and hypo
critics, seeking the overthrow of slavery at the South by
H.. LEaVa h, al,
speech tie press, and The ballot, every where. The
stranger may we'll conclude that If what these two dy
suns OF the American people ray OF each other and the
GoveTnments but half true the be hope for the
nation there is not enough integrity left any where to
aud it must perish in its madnfss and guilt Yet
Ibls the spectacle present 10 all the world aud We
scod the world because 1t will not think better than
profess be- and viii neither believe in the goodies Of
our cruise ability 10 msiLtaia it, But bet
Ter than The world misludges us, BY own
fault certainly and shal yet prove by great and noble
deeds That We have beed selves.
Partisan abuse and SANDER inevitable, in de
gree, under popular Government We cannot be wholly
angelic strife for power But need we be 80 utter
is false terribly unjust, wholly Infamous IN cur par
tsanshIp3 Let at eat, make an EFFORT toward can
dor and degree Of mutual courtesy Let at least
not ret the truth altogether at defiance characer
cations OF parties and u men There may be temporary
gam by ralsng unjust prudices among the ignorant and
bgoted casscs BY false accusations and abusive ephes
But there be permanent success in the Of such
aud il IL questionable whetrr even for the time
We DO not repe votes than attract by their
Look at the facts All know them to be- in contrast
with the alse aud irritating language Of partisan presses
There msy be n few in the North who desire t. see
this Ul,n destroyed by the conspiracy led by Jefferson
Davis We know no well now, but we suspect some
We cannot prove the crime against them, aud shall be
glad the suspected showing doubts Of them 10
be UNJUST But there is party ot voters in the North
seeking the destruction Of the Union, and that too fer
the sake of slavery The idea il monstrogs il
al.e On the ether hard, there few Northern mer
who desire the destruction Of the Union unless slavery
destroyed They have FIR years ay0wed this But they
not party they not faction, politically
speaking; they voting man, fighting men, but
kndhearted dreaBers aud enthusiasts There is poll
teal party seeking the destruction 81 slavery NJ the
pense ~ the Uron resolved against and reun0I
unless slavery rooted out The people Of both partie
for the Union tis last, aud always, ready to sue
and de for IL Ind both parties have demonstrated then
contests forgotten