The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-29
Personalities in Politics.

From the Nation
We have received from friendly sources letters.
couched not always in respectful language, re-
presenting the error and even the sinfulness of
our occasional structures on men who represent
ideas which we ourselves earnestly advocate,
and are champions of causes which we with
them hold dear Without going into a detailed
defense OF our own criticisms, which might be
unsatisfactory to our correspondents we will
attempt 10 state the principle we have adopted
tor our guidance, and have tried, possibly with
out invarabe or absolute success, to act on In
this country, where there Is no standard of poll
tlcal opinion fixed bv authority, supported by
government, or made venerable by tradition, but
Where OPINION, even on primary questions, is,
by means OF debate and dis CusslOn continually
amaklng, it is OF first MON ent that all political
ana social doctrines should be tried on their
merits by rational criticism. The party press,
especially In party times, cannot be expected to
do this, Tor 1t is engaged in working up par.
ticular cases, in meeting special emergencies,
and in salllng or defending immediate points.
1t must, therefore, sink the fundamental to
some degree in The transient; must not be too
nice III distinctions or overtime in qualifications;
ana, having to carry an issue, must bring up AT
the moment all the forces within reach, though
IN DONG so IL weaken tor the time the strength
OF important posts Hence il becomes the more
urgent uuty OF the Independent press to look
alter these prime interests, 10 take ideas at their
essential value to try principles by their weight
III the scales OF judgment, TO winnoW the wheat
from the chatt with which party discussions
cover the mental surface OF the time and to
contribute something, week by week, TO the
sum OF rational reliet on which the community
must live and grow, if it is to live and grow ac-
cord!ng to the law of its civilization. The office
of clear, candid, comprehensive, independent
criticism, as judicial as it is possible to make it,
cannot be held III too high esteem. If we cannot
have it, we cannot have weltgrounded political
CONVICTIONS but shall be torn up rom the roots
by every convnlsion OF party passion.
1t is admitted that such criticism of principles
cannot be carried on without some criticism of
the men who represent and malntain them.
Personalities are necessarily involved IN our
politics, for 1t is often extremely difficult TO
separate ideas from the pecullarltieS OF the
men who initiate or sustain them. Those pecu-
liarities are not seldom an element in the COM
position OF the ideas, so that we are unable TO
decide what doctrine is worth TIL we have
rendered account OF the characteristics OF its
eXponents in so far as they are involved in the
question at issue. Ii Mr.. Wendell Phillips
assumes an air OF nfallibility not always justi-
fed by the facts CT arguments at his command,
no personal admiration OF him should tempt a
fair mind to put chat feature out OF view. If
MIR. Thaddeus Stevens allows passionate enthu-
siasm TO mislead his judgment in case of vital
concern, justice demands that such an element
should be noted and allowed tor
Ii MIR. Charles Sumner permits his convictions
to run into dogmatism, and lends the undue
force of q vehement temper to the momentum
OF his argument, the truth is more than Mr.
Sumner; ana he would be the last 10 desire that
a respect Tor his character, ability, or magnit-
cent service should blind any one to the mis-
chief that might follow an unnoticed flaw in his
mental constitution. Ii MIR. Horace Greeley in
the heat of a momentous canvass gives undue
license to his extraordinary power as a partisan
writer, and mixes too much polemica animus
with his discussions, it is but fair that the pub
lie should understand that too, and should
learn to discriminate between the arguments
Of the thinker and the "poins" of the political
leader. ...
If it be urged that in this way we inure the
influence Of the ablest and noblest leaders, We