The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-24
A BREAKER OF IMAGES.

Every great revolution, political, social or
moral, is accompanied by iconoclasm. Before
the new idol can be securely enthroncl the old
one must be torn down and trampcd under
foot. It was ever thus. No man can servo
two masters is one of the tr,lest of all axioms.
Tn days past when we read of the cxtrava-
gances of the Reformers Of the 10Th century,
and the greater follies Of their more ignorant
followers; and of The frenzied efforts made by
the French Jacobins for the total obIiteration
of the past with all its hallowctl> memories
we were wont to ascribc these cxcesses to ig-;
norancc and the result of ages Of political op-
preston and religious superstition. That, in
our day, such proceedings could not recur, we
felt perfectly assured ARcH1MEDEs' globe
would not now be used for camp-kettle: Pic
lures and statues would not now iall the prey
Of Ignorance and petty malice; hostile cavalry
would not again desecrate the sanctuary, and A
convert stately domes into news Alas! that
we should have lived to be thus undeceiyed.;
We speak not now Of war, and its concomitant
barbarities. We are disposed to make allow
ance for the iufrmities Of human nature, under
the influence of undue excitement. But it is
otherwise with the moral image-breakers. PAR
TON is ambitious Of the title of the great ICON
oclast Of New England. Wehave adverted be-
fore Is his aspersions Of the characters of our
greatest American statesmen. That our readers
may see that Mr.. PARTON is not an eccentric
professional lampooner, but wields represen
tative pen, we give the, following extract from
the ssMassachusets Teacher" Speaking of Mr..
PARToN's article in the March number of the
North american Reuic'c, this organ Of the intel
;ligence of Massachusetts, s'The Teacher," says:
..We have long thought zit;,. great misfortune
to the youth Of New England that such a man
lWEBsrEnl should be held up before them for
imitation. Not a man of any great or original
ideas, not eminenuy pure in private character,
in pecuniary matters spendthrift and pen
sioner, in his public career false to his own
convictions, false to duty, to liberty, and to
justice, the disappointed victim ofa deep and
vulgar ambition,-it will be q dark day for
Massachusetts when she cannot find men better
and greater than he. And we hope the time
will come when the rising moral sense of the
community will remove the ugly lump of iron,
which;represents him, from our State House \
grounds, and substitute some figure as o COM
panion for HoRAcE MANN which will better
represent the principles Of our good old C ON
monwealth." J" ...
n Think of it! This is not satire, gentle read
er, s'you may perhaps be disposed to consider
it, but sober, fanatical earnest. The .ugly
lump Of iron now representing the ''divine,
the glorious Dam" as the Bay State was
wont to speak with pride Of her distinguished
son-will soon give place for lump of brass,
giving the counterfeit .presentment Of the
(neither glorious nor ssdiyine7 WILSON.
Hero worship certainly has its objections, but
as long as men will have heroes, we respect
fully submit that the eloquent WEBSTER is bet
ter adapted to fill the part than the mute inglo-
rious WlIsoN+A There is a progress backward,
and, it seems ID us, the Radicals are driving
:furiously in That airection!t !. {: -. :