East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-06-21
History Teaching by Example.

History dwells fondly upon the shin
ing characters of few great men,
whose greatness was less than their
goodness, and who, amid all the OPP
portunities Of unlimited power, pre-
served their integrity and sternly
refused to compromise with the tempt
atoms or allurements Of avarice or
interest. Such characters are, unfor-
tunately, very rare but few as they
are, they stamp their respective eras
with glory that but for their example
would be lost to the world. One Of
the very noblest and grandest of all
the Greeks, Epaminondas, whose
shining character has been the theme
of praise for centuries to historian,
poet, and sage, although invested with
supreme power, and possessing un-
limited authority, yet so sternly re-
sisted the promptings OF all unworthy
suggestions, that from manhood to his
glorious death, he was among the
poorest in Thebes. His virtue was
proof against the temptations of
bribery, and the influence Of his in
tegrity has been Of far more potence
for the best interests of humanity
than all the triumphs of his magnifi-
cent genius over the cold FLOODED,
calculating despotism Of the Spartans.
1t is the influence which their ex-
ample exerts upon the morals OF their
respective ages that renders tho lives
of such men of so vast an importance,
and their characters of sach great
admiration. All manifestations of
this noble spirit are of incalculable
advantage to the human race, and
especially SO at this era, when the
spirit Of man, in its insane admiration
of the practical, has discarded many
of the promptings.of the finer senti-
ments as approaching the poetical.--
Therefore, the exhibition Of this lofty
sense Of virtue that rejects all tempta-
tons to its interest as Incompatible
with the discharge of it's duties, de-
serves the most unqualified commen-
dation. $50 A
BY reference to the newspaper col
umns of the country, we sec that the
action of the President, Andrew .ehnn-
son, in declining tho recent present
rendered him by some of the leading
men of New York city, is most highly
commended. 1t was felt that the GUS
tom of making presents, valuable or
otherwise, to the great men OF the
country had been carried too far. 1t
seemed as if we intended to realize
the SANDER sometimes used against
us, that money or its equivalent was
a panacea for all ills---a compensation
All al services-a nttlng reward ior
the most glorious of human actions.
1t was step towards ON utilitarianism
that was repulsive to all right think
ing men. And more, it was fashion
SO liable to the worst abuses that the
political as well as the social virtue of
the country regarded it with extreme
disfavor.
The rebuke it has met with at the
hands Of Andrew johnson is one in
accordance with the stern integrity OF
his pure character, and the Roman
like virtue of his political record. II
is plain announcement that the
President deems it high time that the
old order Of things should come back
and be restored in their original puri-
ty. We hail the peerless act, as a
bright harbinger Of better and hap
pier days for our glorious country.
when stern, unbending integrity filled
worthily the high official positions in
the land. Andrew johnson is a firm,
pure, unfinching patriot of the school
of Jackson. All honor to him, for
his glorious historical teaching, by
the laudable example he has patriot
ically made Constitutional Union,
Uashngton. ID. CO. t9ri rN lin3H
Il