The weekly union record., 1864-08-20
STATESMEN.

STATESMEN.
Joining in the cries and aspirations
the nation, a cotemporary calls for
Fatesmen to legislate for the country.
hat there are slowed away somewhere
the hooks and corners of society
len Of enlarged intelligence, profound
bought and correct judgment, who are
every way fitted to be the most able
statesmen, we do not doubt, but the
reat misfortune is that our practice of
ging political affairs is not the one
alculated to discover such men and
ring them forth from their retirement.
is an unpleasant fact that the people
he not given to the search for merit
nd intellect. 1t is too much trouble
br them to do so; and should a few by
ccident discover either or both they
iould be obscured by the noise and rub
ish Of the pretentious trash, which
bounds in the political world. Men of
eal capacity, Of enlarged intellect, Of
[ndoubted requirements, are seldom
cund in ward meetings and pot-house
[ssemblages Of politicians, but most Of
ur great men" become nomiuallv and
temporarily great by attendance upon
ind fattering the vanity Of such gath
rings. Men are not sent to Congress
because of their statesmanlike qualities,
put because of their abilities to make
good stump speeches and amuse their
audiences with pointed jokes; men are
made Governors not because Of their
administrative faculties, but because Of
heir ingenuity of ingratiating them
Felves in the good graces of all whom
Fhey casually meet; Judges are made,
not because they are learned in the law,
but to reward them for services render
ed in partisan Conventions. Is it a
wonder, then, that we look in vain
|,mong all our public men for real states
man!
True merit and conscious ability are
invariably modest and retiring. They
speak not to exalt themselves or bring
themselves into notice by those arts
which shallow-patcd demagogues prac-
tice with untiring energy and never en-
ding ingenuity, and unyarymg success.
As consequence, in this noisy, bust
ling, scheming, political world of ours,
full as it is of base metal thinly ghded,
the crowd pass them by. Self-conceit,
arrogance and brazen impudence have
ever been the passports TO office, not be
cause the people admire or approve Of
those qualities, but because those who
possess them are thereby enabled to
make the masses believe that they are
possessed of all the craftsmanship of a
Webster, the eloqucnce Of a Clay, and
she patriotism Of Washington. Of
newspaper writers and political essay
lists, it is only the Jefferson Bncks-the
boasting, self-yaunting scrib-
blers-who are much noted by the mass,
or excise much influence in politics.
Among speakers the frothy Boanerges,
''all sound ana fury, signifyins moth
ing" the dealers in glittering and mean
ingleness ganeralitios. carry off the
palm. These classes of men so fill the
political world with themselves. 50 stun
the public ear with empty thunder, 50
blind the public eye with their yapor-
ings, that the people can neither see,
hear or think Of anything else, true
merit finds no room TO walk along IN
public places. and as consequence
mediocrity fills the atmosphere and Lii
liputian intellects, like small peas in a
bladder, stun the world in their at
tempss to rule great nation.-Sacra-
mento Daily Bee.