The Placer herald., 1863-02-28
THE PLACER. HERALD.
AUBURN. FEBRUARY %, 1858.
Conservatism-What it Means.

the mouth Of every coward who seeks to
avoid responsibility; of every schemer desir
Gus of cheating his way into Office; of every
toalv, boot licking for the crumbs of place
If this word is correctly understood and
properly applied by such persons,-if it is
but the open sesame to such characters, 1t
were better purged from our language, than
that its sound NAV longer corrupt the un
derstanliny of nank ind. The verb transi
tive "conserve" is derived from the latin
words con and serpo meaning "to hold, keep
or guard" The noun ICONS ervatism' " ebl
ster tells us, means 1.-THE desire and effort Of
preserving what is established" 1t thus
appears both from the roots # the word
and from this stasdarl authority that the
sense Of the word is no: understood by
what are commonly called politicians.
The body polite like the human person, is
subject to disease and corrupting sores.
The true physician enquiries diligently and
honestly for the malady and once it is dis
covered, siraightway makes it known to the
patient. If the system needs purifying, he
prescribes the necessary medicines TO pre-
,uce that effect; and if the antdote should
prove nauseating and he patient refuse to
use it, he tells him at once that without he
takes it, the maIaly must grow worse. If
to prevent the cancer spreading and eating
up he system with its virus, or if the frac
ture is past re'uniting and amputaton neces-
sarv, he is ready with knife and saw as a
faithful surgeon. He is conservative, be
cause he holds, keeps and guards, the DO y
Of his patient against the nroads of disease
and death; aud his practice is conse vatism
because there is a desire and The effort to
preserve the life that is established. But
few, however, seem to think it necessary to
carry truth (Which is the very heart and es
senco Of science) into politics. "Put money
in thy purse" says Iago to Rodrigo; get
money, honestly if thou canst-lu', put
money in thy purse and with like morality
the politician says, get votes and place
honestly if thou canst-but, get votes and
place" 1t must be confessed that all parties
have, 10 some extent, acted upon this philos'
ophv, as well as the great body of individual
aspirants. In our DOR Judgment, had the
Democratic party Of the nation been true to
itself and its grea. mission, We should not
now be enduring the agonies of civil war
If for instance as carly as 1852 il had taken
the position which those who followed
Breckenridge into the Convention and nomi
mated him in 1860, we might have had the
political status of the negro nationally SET
tied without this resort to arms. But to do
this involved the chances of defeat, and no
pressing immediate necessity appeared for
ouch a martyrdom of the many asprants
whose hopes hung upon immediate success
The sacrifice was too great for even the
leaders of that grand old party, whose chiefs
established and maintained our States united
so long. A violation of political truth and
duty. is rs certain to bring down punishment
as the violation of the physical or moral
body:-the nation is suffering that punish
ment, hv the dominancy of a party that has
crept into power, from the want of out spo
ken tru b in true conservative spirit by the
democracy. When again we come to rule
it will he with wisdom, chastened 10y perse
cution, aud purified in the crucble. lie. u
ever meet the facts face to face, and spoal
truth for that is conservatism and true wis
dom A style of politician has sprung from
the debauched state of the public judgmen
who are an eye-sore to honest, inteligen
men, and who elbow their way into position
over the trre man and statesman, whose ser
vices would be valuable to the citizen.
This politicians leading motto is, chow t'
do it," and he never asks himself"is it right
lie will get votes. If they come honestly
very well:-but get voies-dishonestly if h,
must; With this end in view, he neve
risks his interest by speaking the truIl
when that might prove offensive for lE
time being There is no prejudice that hi
will not pander to, no Jealousy lie Will no
encourage, no fasehood he will not reilerate
no meanness so foul he will not stoop 10
provided it appears to advance his object
lie will agree with any oue that will Civ
him votes or inluence-and with all this he
sets himself up Tor conservative! 10 l"'
pretension he gives color 10y floating on the
confines of all parties, save that which tol
the current moment is unpopuar-and I'M
popular too, for the very reason that It's lead
ers have the honest courage and patriotism
to enunciae and stand by the immortal es
sence Of truth. He shoves himself INTO the
party that for the moment promises success
and deserts it at the first indication of wan
ing power. When he has gained position
he is utterly worthless to the public, unes
il he TO discharge his duties Sc far and NJ
fu, Their than protects his own narrow seIiis
interests against the risk of prosecution
He never 10y any chance is known to assum
position in favor of the rights of the Cit
zen, or stand in the breach against popula
clamor, unless he is paid an ample sum 70
-. i L ] -.Ls-S l. I'LL