Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1867-05-18

oficer-.i it is so different from the simple
habits of his tribe that he is known at
once to have stolen it.
There are many ways of viewing the
fneries of life, but however we view them
they are no more what they seem than are
the beings, fairies, aud disconsolate lovers
the diamonds. gold and glitter of the
stage, what they appear TO be and as it
takes frequent visits, and good deal of
ennui To appreciate the really good acting.
as well as the humbug and tinsel of the
latter, 20 it does with the former.
Don't you recollect your first visit 10
the circus in the old field behind the bank,
when you were little boyi How strange
aud glorious it was The stars had lost
Their tsaiffd tlse tie sooop-wss Shorp. of
halt her beams when at the. close, you got
fairly out Of the crowd at the tent door
II was but step home. There was. not
much sleep for you that night, and the
next day.. and for month Afterwards
your mother and sisters, and even the ser
wants were bored half to death because
you had been to the circus. You tried 10
recollect and tell the clowns Jokes, but
somehow couldn't get the funny part right,
ana his actions entered into your actions
till you were half clown yourself.
20 to circus now and how is r..
Don't they have so large tents for cir
cusses nowadays! Do they use tallow
candles now, and have they diminish
ed the number of them The knights and
queens have substituted red cambria and
tlnsel for their velvet and gold, and the
horses look jaded. do they not? Where
is the Hebe who stole your heart Sure-
ly this l-0or. sorrowfnl little creature in
scotch plaid and scarf, is not shel What
hat jokes the daubed up clown jerks out
with cracked voice A thousand cares
and sorrows are bubbling up to check their
utterance.
But the stsrs ara bright. and the moon
shines on, and the works of God are clio.
rlous and true! Though the circus is still
the circus, from The grand triumphal entree
even down 10 Billy Button" we are no
longer children. Experience and obserya-
ton have changed our opinions and
feelings.
As a man views with contempt the ad.
mirable aud wonderful things of his child
hood, SO should tie pres Mt age view
those pursuits. assures, ostentations, and
assumptions Of superiority which so cap
tivated and en- .hained past ages. We
boast that common sense has estab' 'ished
the reign, and that we know the true dig.
nifty of human nature and the true ends of
life. The fit representative Of the present
age should see the hollow -hcaztodness and
wretehedn ss under the fiis 81 .
rates saw the pride throug lps
his would.he rival Plenty .kes
- sSss,r--fss may be $3.50 tie "ppd ppddiiti-
cal arena. cutting fantastic capers before
high heaven jugglers are found on eyery
street transferring things by some hocms
pocus from the pockets Of others to their
own. Dancing, dashing Hebes and SAN
culinary Indian chiefs may he seen every
day; and he has only to look around, and
find those who, like tie melancholy clown,
in the circus, make pleasure an every day
business-those who, like the horses, make
business the task Of their lives, and those
who, like the door-keepcr receiving the
dimes, make business pleasure. An of
them are actors, some have miserable parts.
some play the best parts miserubly, and
each thinks that if he had the others part
he could play it better than he And un-
fortunately even now there is, too, an ir-
norant, inexperienced crowd of spectators,
who wonder and laugh, and shoxt, and
think it is all real and great.
Having now taken cursory view OF the
progress uf society, there are certain great
lessons,in government taught us by history
to which would call your attention.
The past OF the people has been no hor-
rid delirium. The changes which have
taken place have not been parts of an in
tangible and fieeting phantasmagoria.-
The past is as book uusealed and open
before us in which we are to read great
moral laws of nature, and how the viola
ton of them has brought its certain pun
ishmcnt.
1t teaches as that the first great prin-
cirle of human nature overpoNering jus-
ticc and truth and honor, goodness and
mercy, is se,fishness-that same principle
which leads the laborer TO do as little
work for as much wages, an I the capitalist
to give as little money for as much labor
as possible; that same principle which
shows itself with more or less intensity in
almost every act and thought of man from
infancy to old age which makes uncheck-
ed, universal or impartial suffrage the
most certain of all disastrous failures !;
which is implanted, as the principle Of de-
cay as we'll Of enterprise, in every form OF
whether the governing pow
er be the will Of a majority Of the people,
or of one, or number of men. who by
their power represent the majority.
1t teaches us, too, that as riches and
ease increase, every people is inclined to
abandon the cares of government to the
will of those whose wealth, or ambitious
projects, may be Immediately promoted by
the government; and that even as the
troubles and perplexities of the govern
ment increase, every man is inclined to
look out for his own selfish interests, in to-
tai disregard Of the public veal.
We had a Government founded in the
nature OF mon. and wrought ont by this
bitter experience Of ages. II was an as
sociation of sovereigns, but under wise
Constitution which established the form
OF government, and limited the power OF
the majority.
A majority needs no protection; it pro-
| tects self. and, unless it be firmly check
ed, actuated by its sel6shness. it has al
ways besn, and always viii be, the most
horrible of tyrants. A king may. through
weak ess or through good principle, be q
mild governor-but q majority is never
weak. and has no conscience. A small
aggregate corporation win cheat, and lie,
and oppress, and do what no one of its
individual members would dare do alone.
Much worsc is il With the majority Of .