The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-13
Opposing the Tide.

No person who has profted in any degree by
the plain teachings Of history can have failed to
observe that when any great change is to talks
place in the structure of human society, when
any great step is to be made in the onward
march of the race toward a better and higher
development. it is brought about not by any
single and violent effort, but by steady
turning of the desires Of men in that direc-
tion, by slow but sure accumulation of NOR
al forces, all tending to one point, which in
the end become too powerful for resistance,
and sweep before them all the obstacles which
apast age may have left in their path. True,
great single commissions, like the French Rev.
olution, or the Southern Rebellion, may seem
at first sight to have effected these tremen-
dous results; but close examination will
show US that such commissions are themselves
among the effects produced by this long con-
tinued preparation; they show but single
stage-the stage of crisis--in the development
of great changes. They are, in fact, but the
outward manifestation of the forces employ
ed, notthe forces themselves. l,.3dsyca B =
Such being the truth it would certainly
seem that the part OF the wise statesman is
to study not alone the outward aspects of
his time, but the mental and moral tendencies
it exhibits, to ascertain the direction in which
the great tide of human thoughts and pas
sions is setting, and recognizing the futility OF
all efforts to check or change the course OF the
current, endeavor rather to direct it into safe
channels, and to guard against violent and de-
structive manifestations of its power. To seek
to do more than this is at once crime and a
blunder Burke says: isofn ai1 io s1p 81
off a great change is to be made in human
affairs, the minds OF men will be fitted to it,
the general opinions and feelings will draw
| that way. Every fear, every hope, will for
| ward it; and then they who persist in oppos-
| ing this mighty current in human affairs aciU
| appear rather to resist the DEGREES of Proui-
| dence itself than the mere designs of men,
| They ,ciH not be resolute and firm, but per-
verse and obstsnGteV f '' tiA' 'si''e ~
| In every such great transition period there
will be found class of these sperverse and
obstinate" men. We see plenty of them
around US to-day. Blinded by prejudice, in
fatuated in their devotion to woin-out systems
and obsolete IDEAS, they struggle mady but
vainly against the invincible tide which is
bearing them on. The great popular senti-
ment of the country is unalterably set in the
direction of universal freedom and universal
equal;tg. Toward this end all aspirations
reach, all movements tend, and that the result
win ultimately be achieved is as sure as that
| 81 ! oee,ot ,,,nst follow its cause. Yet this re-
su,t is nrecisely what the reactionary party of
to-aav are laboring to prevent. They are
Gathering up all the old rubbish ofa past age of
privilege and oppression, all the old class pre-
iudices. the party affiliations, the fair-sound-
ing party catch-worls, the weakened sub
seryiency and love ofpower and place, the love
of enpediency and the want of faith in pri,,-
c;ples, and heaping all these together, they
hope thereby to dam up the rushing tide Of
human progress, to arrest the providence Of
God! They cannot see that they thus ensure