Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-16
whut !. lhs BuaIuess Of Government

Whar Ia the Business Of Government
Lord Bacon in commenting upon the
remark Of ThsmistOcles, the Athenian, that
"ke could not fiddle, Jet he could make
Smau town great city," observes that
many hat can fiddle very cunningly have
Httls power to make State great. There
are likewise many men in these modern
times who can fiddle very we'll when mere
partiEaa strains are required, but who
sadly fail when they attempt to counsel
fbr the growth Of great nation. A sig
Aal illustration Of this doctrine is 10 be
seen in The lamentable idiocy displayed by
the eolons Of the present day who argue
that the chief and only business Of govern
msnt is to provide for the material pros
psrity Of . people. Such Eisescres IS the
World look upon any legislative move
nsut which eontemplstes moral interests
as leading TO trouble. Because there was
a In9uisition in Spain, q St. Bartholomew
massacre in France, Witch-burning in New
Fnsland, therefore there should be no
sivil var in the United States. Divested
sfGlI IFS seeming prOfundity the propOsi-
sion that material interests alone concern
Anation, it is simply oanonizing Of all
viess, . blind and wicked exaltstiOn of
material prosperity sbOye the good name
and ehsractsr Of nation.
Itis assuredly g wonderful exhibition Of
intelligence which justi6es the existence
Of any moral iniquity among apeople, be-
esuss they choose to practice it for the ma.
tsrial gain. Walled towns, srssnals, hOrs
es, cattle, railroads, cities, mines, broad
acres, all the incidentsls Of European or
American civilization, are undoubtedly
sources Of power to q nation. But if these
are the fruits Of crime, Of robbing, muir
dering and cruel wrong, instead Of honest
industry and intelligence, surely it is not
the duty and province Of legislators to ig-
more the sources Of such material growth.
II s nation is built upon the unpaid labOrs
ofa weaker race, this certainly is not q
gIery to 5 nation.
These would be philosophers, however,
invested with Ipecious preteDcs of logic
that The legitimate field government is
confined to, are the material insist Of q
nstion.
Honor, character, untsrnished glO.
y, built upon Liberty and Justice
these are in the new modern school oi
sAsesnen, mere distractions, films of moon.
shine, that lead a people from the midst Of
their pesceful growth in material power
into the oonVulsions and terrOrs Of Wsrs,
alarms.
The aInthfnl paasa. She aeFArninniA -ArAsa -
guilt, which the nation persisted in before
Ne civil war, seemed far sweeter to these
natsrial philosophers, than the grandeur
ofs people rising in their might, shaking
heir locks and striking down the DsgOn
ofa great national sin. The olAmmy putre-
faction Of the grave is more welcome
than the thrObbing Of living hearts and
the industry Of living hands.
They prefer the stsgnatiOn and decay Of
ths frOg-pOnd to the wild, but heslthful
daGhingB Of the Salt Sea.
We are ne lover Of the sOsipel, but pre-
fer itI use to the endurance Of g gangren-
ing cancer. We certainly would not sub
nit to anputstiOn for the sake Of the
pleasure, but we could endure smputstion,
rather than the loss Of life. War is in it.
self an unWslcome instrument but War
may he as lightning to & corrupt atmOs-
phsre.
ItiSs shame to Democratic journalism
that Il has to descend to the inbecility Of
such reasoning, in order to fOrtify itself in
ths confidence Of the people. But we have
70 fears that any people will adopt as their
sresds Give US money, lands, ships,
railways, cotton, corn, tobacco and wheat
Gnd We will tolerate any evil, however
great, 50 long as our mAterisl interests
are not injured by its existence.