Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-23


great want and the great duty OF the hour When
lived aud died in the opinions and practices 10 which they
were born they were obviously in no danger Of falling
into neu errors. And not only their traditionary
opinions and practices might be right might be wrong
but at any rate, the institutions OF society had become
adjusted them to make them consistent with order
Widely different are the times which we have fallen
The people are every where expecting waiting for, and
ready TO welcome whatever purpOrts be the latest
laton of truth and duty Under these circumstances to
abandon them to shallow sinister mad couneis, is
to put religion society law property every thing at risk
accordingly, it will not do for educated men to go
thinking only OF themselves and their families consulting
only their tastes their they must think
OF the public and be ready to labor for it, and make
fees to it, Sefinteres itself dictates this The
siona and high social position all your dreams Of
happy to and the prospects OF your children
after you, wrapped up in the fate of our
try To country therefore, In this of her
| utmost peril, should be our first care.
And this minated before, must be mainly through
agency the great moderaDg and regulating force
of society do not forget that educated men belong to
different parties and committed to different policies
but has it to this that parties and policies every
thing and the country nothing There two ways in
which thoroughly consistent member of party may hope
to serve his countryether by the influence he exerts
other parties by the influence he exerts his
party Much less Is to be expected from the former than
generally supposed and for an obvious reason In civil
dssensons OF long standing each party gradually works
itself up TO entire conviction that truth and right and
humanity its side. So confident this assumption,
intense this feeling that any attempt the part Of OPP
ponents to put it down by argument by rldcue,
contemptuous nsinuatons by seldom has any
other effect than to strengthen it, and turn it into rage
bqt not so with the influence which the example and
sober cOunsels of man of weight and intelligence
likely to have on his party, those who in most
| things 60 with him.
San English statesman of the last century speaking from
personal experience has told that the heads of par
es like the heads of snakes carried by their tails
do not think this description applies very generally to
parties IN this country sometimes almost wish it did
for still have faith in the strong practical of the
masses With for the last twenty thirty years. the
principal danger has arisen from the fact that the leader
ship of parties fallen at least considerable extent
into the hands of two classes of men, the politician
who thinks only of party ascendancy and the theor
list who thinks only of pushing through pet
or some pet sysem-a state of things aordng abundant
opportunity and empt4tion for any amount of corrupt
bargaining Now if the great body of educated men could
be induced to act with sufficient energy and decision feel
sure they would put themselves in opposition to this
dency. They would make it their first each to
make his own party what ought to be- that to say to
bring it under the influence Of its best minds of the high
est and soundes craftsmanship it boast Thus though
acting in different parties they might still be said to act
together for they would act in the general spirit
aud for the general reult-namely to make all par
ties more loyal and more patriotic
"And again say seishness itself dictates this course
Without going at all into the question whose fault it u.s.
whether any body in fault is certainly to be regretted
unite all parties at the North. What is the of trying
shut eyes the fact that divided people are
struggling to preserve the life of great nation? To
pect that either party with all its jealouses and
-nces to the other is simply absurd Unless therefore,
this extremity the leading minds in the community
willing to work day and night and work together, each
one to keep his party from extreme from facous
measures 1T seems to that best hope, under God
will not say last, is gone.
Here probably shall be met by the plea so common
of late years in this country TIE people do not WISH and
will not accept services. Even party will
not listen to us Some, indeed have gone far to
put this general grounds making to be the natural
and necessary result of democratical institutions
public they ray place for of emnence and dis
melton in any thing for much above much below
the common standard: is the paradise of Average
Now in what and how far is this statement
| true9 PROFESSIONALLY in republic, rightly conducted
the bulk of the community likely TO be well cared
for than under any other form of government; and the
that they take Of themselves But how do
they take of themselves far, mean, their re-
a'ions to the State concerned Simply by eecng
able and honest men for this purpose III from any
they fail to do matter whether from the dearh Of
such men, or from perversey choosing inferior men, il is
certain that the republic will to be paradise
or any body. The paradise OF average men / not
asking for and thoroughly instructed statesmen
that they may use the people, but that the people may
them and to suppose the people unwilling to them is
to suppose them to have lost their one subject
while they retain them all others Did you ever hear
of man 10 serious difficulty to his property, reputa
ton, life looking round to find average lawyer to
help him oct OF lit Did you hear OF parish adyer-
tsng for average minister great corporation for
an average actuary or superintendent Yet this would
be wisd itself compared with committing the vast and
complicated concerns of great commonwealth to incom-
eten or even to average hands persons with no pecu
| liar fitness or training for their special task.
Be this, however it may does not alter the facts
10 the We shall still be pressed with the question
Is not true that every republic including our own has
manifested growing distrust of the highest ability in
candidates for the highest placesP suppose we must
answer yes; but with two important qualifications. In
he first place. it is not the people, left t. themselves who
thus desert their great leaders, but the people pacsed
upon and caoled by the politicians And in the second
place, this deseron however brought about often more
apparent than real Much of what is said about the tri
umph OF aranabiity over merit relates exclusively to
eectioneering tactics and the scramble for Office after
show it in thousand ways In Office or out of Office
great statesman is great power in the State.
What then, is the conclusion to which we are brought
Not surely that should have dreamers or vsonaries
or mere theorists TO rule If there is practical
thing under heaven it is civil government-to be framed
and administered practical principles, that is to say
with constant reference to what best not perhaps in
ITSELF but IN the circumstance For this reason the
requisite IN persons who to fill important posts un
questionaby sound practical judgment trained by expe
rence In actual public service But il does not follow that
craftsmanship to be cassed with the trades or crafts
and not with the liberal professions 1t is still liberal
profession, which pposes the business to be understood
10 its principles as well as 10 its application and the whole
10 be based on broad general culture No doubt single
and rare instances have occurred of genius or native apt
tude for affairs which seemed to dispense with the neces
sty of previous training Yet in such cases sus.
pect that one Of two things usually happens-eher the
previous training really acquired though in peculiar and
and compile teDess perhaps indeed is nothing but the vulgar
counterfeit political cunning"