The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-10-20

eminent talent out of the paths which lie ad
| to the highest political distinction; and
multitudes with asimphcity which would
| be 4udicrous were it not so depiorable,
| ask, what has become of our great men !?
The inquiry is easily answered, They are
| IN the learned professions in science, lit
erature and art, and in the numberless
| fields Of intellectual eXertion, which are
| opened by the wants of a great country
In rapid career Of development The
| intellect of the country is neither dimin-
| ished IN the aggregate nor dwarfed in the
individual proportions The political
market, like the commercial, under the
infexihle law of demand and supply, is
| furnished with the kind of material it
requires. 1t calls for mediocrity, and it
gets nothing better. The highest talent
| goes where it is passport to the highest
rewards 1t withdraws from field in
which the chance Of accession to the first
civic honor is in an inverse ratio of emf
| nence and qualifications
Thus under the rule of the inferior
intelects which party management has
elevated to the conduct of public affairs,
the peace, the prosperity, and the high
character of the country have gone down
If the great men of the Republic had con-
troled the policy and action of the Gov
ernment during the last quarter of GEN.
tury, we should have had no rebellion
Distraction within invites aggression from
| without, and we are enduring the humili-
alton of seeing monarchy established in
contact with our Southern boundary by
one of the great Powers of Europe, in
contempt of our repeated protestations,
and another Of those Powers permitted
Rabel cruisers to be armed in her ports to
depredate upon our commerce.
Upon such system oe political man
agement no Government can last long
L know it is not easy to change what such
lapse Of time has fastened upon us
Politicians have the strongest interest in
placing in the chair of state feeble men,
whom they can control, instead Of men of
seif-sustainlng power, to whom they would
be mere subordinates and auxiliaries But
the time may comet may not be far
distant-when the people, tired of voting
for men OF inferior capacity, thrust upon
them through the machinery of conven-
tions in which they have no voice, will
rise in their majesty, and place the con-
duct of their affairs in more experienced
and capable hands. If such a change is
not speedily effected, it is my firm belief
that our republican institutions will fall
to pieces, and an arbitrary government
rise upon their ruins; for, unless the tes-
timony of all history is to be discarded,
no political system can be upheld except
by giving to its administration the benefit
of the very highest talent and the largest
experience.
Till this revolution shall come, my ad-
vice to the great body of the people is to
hold fast to their traditionary principles
and good rame by giving an earnest sup
verest scrutiny the conduct of those who
control party movements. Many of the
men who are most prominent in conven-
tions have personal interests to subserve
Even those who are comparatively disin-
terested are not always the safe advisers.
They have lived SO long in the turbid
atmosphere of party excitement and party
traffic that they have contracted morbid
habits of thought and action, which, like
chronic diseases in the human system, it
is hard to alleviate and still harder to cure.
The only hope left to us lies in the patri-
otism and disinterestednes of the great
body of the people of all parties who are
facing the enemies of their country on the
battle field, with heroism unsurpassed in
any age, or who, at home, amid the pre-
vailing tumult aud disorder, are working
out, in the quiet pursuit of their varied
occupations, the momentous problem of
the public prosperity and safety. When
they shall send out, fresh from their own
ranks, new men, to consult together for
the salvation of all that is most precious
in Government and society, there will be
cause for hope and faith in our redemption
from impending evils and dangers; bear-
ing, in the meantime, as we'll as we can,
the heavy burdens which have been cast
upon us by quarter of century of po-
litical mlsmanagement and public misrule
It is time the people should understand
these truths. No one, perhaps, can tell
them with more propriety than myself,
having been, much of the period referred
to, in public life, fruitlessly contending
against party contrivances which have in
volved the country in all the evils of civil
strife.
1 am, very respectfully, yours,
JOHN A. DIX.
JAMES II. ORNE, Esq. Chairman, &c.
sky. General Early is passionately fond OF