Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-11-10
v

manner in which they are used, and so 1t
often happens that n and the same term
will have one set Of ideas attached to it, in
one part Of the country or at one time,
and quite another to another class OF per-
sons in a different place. Conservatism,
conservation. conservative, have come to
be used by different men with such op-
posits meanings that i. leads to results
like those Of the two knights. who fought
on the question whether the shield be-
tween them was gold or silver, each being
right from his own point Of view.
Aside from all party bearings. conser-
vatism is "ths act Of preserving, guard
ing or protecting; preservation from loss,
decay, injury or violation; the keeping Of
. thing in q safe or entire state, as the
conservation Of bodies from peri,hing, the
conservation Of the peace Of society, the
conservation Of privileges" So says
Webster; and in this sense. at least, none
will question but that there is . useful
and most necessary sphere for Its opera
ton in regard to all good institutions.
Yet a popular and able lecturer the other
day illustrated conservatism as nothing
but q frog in q block Of marble, which
frat sits, because it loves to do 20, for q
thousand years, while the stone hardens
around it; then sits still another thousand,
because it cannot stir or help itself; and
finally, When its prison is broken ssundsr,
finds itself in = world where all has
changed except itself, and dies over
whelmsd BY the discovery.
This 10 one view Of conservatism. Ano-
Their lecturer, N the contrary, compared
i, to the wa,chful and unceaaiug vigilance
with which the downy syelssh protects
the orb Of vision, not waiting for actual
destruction or attack, but inssinctively
anticipating and preserving living and
true institutions from assault and harm
by an inherent energy, the necessary re-
suit Of their own vitality. Still, the
idea Of conservatism with . great many is
that it always consists in simply keeping
things quiet. The conserving power may
move, bu. it is only to preserve the thing
conserved still, and without motion. But
then it may be questioned if it is not rath-
er a true part Of conversation to keep that
which 10 moving in motion. It Is not
conservatism, for instance, in regard to .
time-piece, to let it run down until it
stops, but rather, surely, to wind it up at
righ, periods and keep it going at q uni
form and proper rate. The true conser-
vatism Of things in motion is to kesp them
moving; OF a s.eam engine, to keep up the
steam; of fire, BY supplying fresh fuel
to keep it burning; Of q bird or animal,
to supply it with the food that shall keep
i, alive and in = condition equally good to
that it originally enjoyed. To keep it
from fresh food, and let it stafve and die,
is the very opposite Of q term that signi-
6ss, a. We have seen, the act Of preserving
from decay or injury. A conservatory Of
flowers il the place where they are kept
alive, preserved from the severity Of the
weather that would destroy them. The
conservation Of 4 lamp involves the sup
ply Of fresh oil; that is, Of material for
carrying on the battle Of it, life, the vibra-
tory and intense motion Of the carbon in
it, effort to unite with the oxygen. It i,
conservatism that keeps up this move.
meut.
AL life 10 such Q movement, in its ma
turs progressive. That is, it is consump-
tive Of materials and it involves grototh,
and rue conservatism protects and fosters
that growth, as we'll as the continuance
Of mere existence, because it 10 q part Of
the nature Of all that is alive to grow. All
plants and animals, a. Q Huxley OF q
Darwin will show, are steadily progress
ing unless they are dying out. All forms
Of life are tending from the more simple
to the more complex state, tending on
ward through vast ages of successive indi-
vidual eIistences, toward . steady i'm
provement Of the type, . perfection OF the
individual existence. Slowly, silently and
unperceived at the time, through vast
changes and conflicts, 10 the ideal struc-
turs being realized.
The conservation, then, Of living bodies
10 not the mere preservation Of their ex-
istence in such q name as to prevent
their natural and destined expansion and
growth, bu. the protection Of them from
all tina, would obstruct that growth and
normal expansion.
Conservatism, therefore, truly under
stood, is not the enemy Of progress, when
it relates to ideas, principles aud Govern
ments, which all are living organisms,
having in them the seeds Of infinite dura-
ton and expansion. Here is where the
most common mistake is made, both BY
many who call themselves conservatives
and BY many who ridicule conservatism.
The Chinese have Q wonderful faculty
Of dwarhiug trees, so that the giants Of
the forest are kept alive and growing, but
are curious little doll trees, nc higher than
the head, beyond which they never rise.
How little shallow men conceive Of that
as true conservatism which dwarfs all
ideas and principles and Governments,
and keeps them from growing beyond
their own height and powers Of manage
ment. Thus those who call themselves
conservatives in England want to keep
representation as it was long years ago,
without allowing for the growth and
changes Of population and Of intelligence.
In Europe, it was declared conservatism
a.. TT,;t.I