, 1866-10-05
Partisan Malixuancy.

spirit engendered by the war seems 70 ln>
crease and intensity in all quarters as the
period of peace extends. elimination and
recrimination, uncharitableness aud intoler>
auce, to an unsafe degree, permeate all pos
litical circles. The demagogue orators aud
partisan sheets of either party, with all ear
npstness and concentrated bitterness, accuse
their opponents Of being traitorous scounN
drels in whom there is no good, who are not
TO be trusted. and who should not even be
allowed voice in the management of public
affairs. The worst feature of the case is that
the tongue Of calumny and the pen OF foul
detraction does not hesitate to assail in the
most violent terms the character, and
question the motives, of men who for more
than quarter of century have been looked
upon as the embodiment of nearly all that is
wise, patriotic and good in politics. Long
OG dsy9t81 tie na nGadss 81 tRe 1na Goa6Fy
have, in the heat of partisan malice, ceased
to be any protection for man, and if one
believed what partisan sheets aud partisan
spOuters say Of their opponents, he would be
forced 10 the conviction that in all this fair
cOuntry-from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf,
and from the Atlantic to the Paci6c-there
are nothing in human shape but traitorous
scoundrels This bitter manifestation of in>
tolerant partisan spirit, this wholesale im>
pugning of The motives of men long tried and
proven true. because they do not agree with
US on all subjects, are absolutely threatening
the existence of our Republican institutions
The principle which lies at the very founda-
ton of Republican institutions is that each
and every citizen of Republic, who has not
had his political rights forfeited by being
convicted Of crime, is equally entitled to a
voice in the administration of Government.
Practically, our political parties are denying
the correctness Of this principle. One party
says that all those who approve the Presi>
dents policy are traitors the others des
nounce as traitors all who do not approve
the Stevens-Sumner policy of Congress.
Thus, if the leaders and organs of each party
are to be believed, the country is divided in,
to two parties Of traitors, either of which
can be trusted, or should be allowed voice
in public affairs. The tendency of such
condition Of things is inevitable and apparent.
for unfortunately the two parties are nearly
equal in point of numbers, and if by constant
Iteration and rciteration the members of each
become imbued with the fdea tnat their op-
ponents are Unworthy and are unfit to be
trusted, the time will soon arrive when they
cannot live in harmony together-they will
come to blows. Constant dripping wears
the stone," and continual irritation of popu.
lar bodies will in time produce outbreaks Of
popular passions. How long would bust,
ness partnership, composed Of three or four
men, last if the members thereof should be
continually accusing each other of being
thieves and rascais or if one portion should
assert that the other portion could not be
trusted to have any voice in the manage
ment of the affairs of the concern? We
opine that such partnership would soon
break up in serious row. Can family of
relatives long reside together under the same
roof if the members are constantly impugn>
ing the motives of each other. or if they per
sistently irritate each other by foul aspersions
of each Others character? The members of
family thus situated would soon be seeking
each others blood. A Republic is but
business partnership, or family connection,
on an extended scale. To maintain Re,
public intact there must be mutual trust,
mutual fOrbearance, mutual charity, and, on
all great subjects of vital interest to the Ma
tion, considerable homogenity Of senriment.
These conditions cannot exist if partisan war.
fares continue to be waged in the malignant,
intOerant and unorgiving spirit which char
acterizes contests for life between mortal en-
emles. The bitter and unrelenting spirit
of Partisanship now prevailing, if allowed to
exist for length Of time, will certainly lead
to Anarchy. Such result accords with all
teachings of history-is the inevitable tens
dency Of human nature when its baser pas.
sions are aroused. And for Anarchy there
Is but one refCSe, What that is, the history
OF Cromwell, or Napoleon, and other dicta,
tors teaches US. He will prove to he the
best and truest patriot who does most to frown
down nand crush out the foul spirit of paItisan
malignaucy and intolerance which now Sc.
riOusly threatens not only the peace of the
Nation, but the very existence of our Re-
publican institutions. When intelligent cili.
zens cannot calmly, freely aud dispassionately
discuss public questions in a spirit of forbear,
ance toward and with just regard for, the