Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-05-18
CONSERVATISM. .

Of late years, in political discussions, de-
serves a closer examination into It's true
significance than it usually RECEIVES at the
hands Of the public. Conservatism, as de
fined by Webster, means the desire and eff
fort 10 preserve what is established, and
prevent innovation or change, in other
words to stand still, hisde6nition applied
to political philosophy is a contradiction in
terms, as demonstrated by all history wheth-
er ancient o4 modern; though it often has
beea and stilI is, used as a convenient cleak
beneath which to shelter the various forms
Of opposition TO progress, whether physical,
social, intellectual, moral or political The
same cry 81 Conservatism, whether to OPP
pose the introduction of labor-saying ma
rhinsry or the PRONUNCIATION of moral truths,
whether to deny the existence of demonstra-
ted scientific facts or the political truths of
all recorded history, has ever served to
rally under its banner all the enemies of
progress At first thought man is apt to be
eaptiyated by the delusive idea Of preserv-
ing things as they are, without stopping to
consider its iihpracticabiIity Yet the mo-
ment he begins to think, he finds that of all
unsatisfactory things, the most unsatisfaeto-
ry to the human mind is the idea of remain-
ing IL stata gro. From earliest childhood
until the physical and mental powers begin
to decay hope for a future, surprising the
present, inconvenience, comfort and pleas
ure, is the handspring of man S activity and
enterprise, and it is only in his dotage that
man, in actual life, ever wishes for the stag
uation that simply preserves without Inn
proving Nature herself abhors Conserva-
tism, and in the beasts of the field, the
birds Of the air, in the gigantic monarch of
the forest and the tiny blade of grass the
same universal law prevails, that wherever
there is life there is progress and the point
at which progress ceases, marks the begin
ming of decay. Conservatism or standing
still is the great distinguishing feature, not
Of life, but of death. In exploring the
realms of iHimitable space we find the same
universal law prevailing our own earth re-
wolves on its axis and moves swiftly and
constantly forward 10 its allotted sphere,
and to cease its movements, to stand still,
even fer single instant, would bring chaos
once more upon all the fair face Of Nature s
hanaiwork the sun, moon and stars obey
the same inexorable law and standing still
to them also would be inevitable destruc-
ton. Physically man is subject to the same
law, from infancy to manhood end middle
age he advances ever changing, ever pro-
crossing, and the moment he ceases to i'm
prove marks the point at which decline and
decay commence, and Conservatism only
comes when death has ended his career So
in the political world. The records of all his
asssvtoI1 vyor mas continued
to exist any length of time tChina and Ja-
pan excepted after it ceased to progress.
As in the natural and material world, so in
the political, progress and change are the
conditions of life, and the moment the
point of Conservatism, or standing still, is
reached, that instant, decay begins and
death soon follows. What is the historal
record of Conservatism It has ever striven
to stop the onward march of moral, intellec-
tual and political progress, not by argumen
and sound reasoning, bat by appeals tc
prejudice and brute force. It's collisions
with the spirit of progress have always beer
marked with persecution and bloodshed and
wherever it has succeeded, death, moral
intellectual or political has invariably en-
sued. Conservatism in science imprisoned
Gallileo and Capernicus and endeavored tc
hiss down with derisiye scorn the discover
les of Newton and Day, Watt and Fulton
Conservatism in Religion burned Huss al
the stake, massacred the French Protestants
on the eve of st. Bartholomew, and perse
euted Luther and Zwinglins, Calvin and
Melanchton, Wesley and Wickliffe Con
seryatism in politics has ever marked the
decline of nations and the death of Empires
and dynasties. Conservatism today. in
Europe attempts the life of the Car Of
Russia because he lets the oppressed ca
free, causes stagnation to brood over Turkey
and parts of Italy. Keeps France subject
to grinding tyranny, and by its endeavors
to suppress the natural aspirations of the
human mind keeps all Europe in a continu
al turmoil, while in England it denies suf
trage and equal representation to men.
alone because they are poor. Conservatism
in the United States would hang slavery a:
mill stone about the neck of the nation tc
drag it to destruction; would abolish free
schools, free speech anda free press, would
thwart every effort toward the material, In
tellectual and moral advancement of the ma.
ton, would sap the foundations of our free
institutions by elinging obstinately to every
relic OF barbarism or concomitant of Impe-
rial or Monarchical governments, would re-
strain the progressive spirit Of the age by
the holding up for idolatrous yeneration and
demanding the preservation of the old, the
effete and obsolete laws, forms and institu-
tons OF the dead past, would ever copy the
things of the past disregarding the necessi-
ties of the present, as well as, the demands
Of the future, opposes every measure Of
moral, social Or political reform and last and
worst of all, to-day, essays to place the very
rebels and traitors, who madly attempted to
destroy the nation, their hands yet reeking
wish the blood of cur martyrs, as rulers and
lords over the true and loyal men, at the
expense of whose blood and treasure our
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