The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-10
THE PREVAILING PARTY.

rarity spirit In ltS multIpleX Iorms, Daseu ac-
cording to its color on interest, emulation and
fanaticism, has contributed in O well nigh equal
degree, paradoxical as it may seem, to the glory
| and shame Of America. We say to the glory, and,
with the same breath, aver that to produce the
disinterested idea of good it is necessary to refer
the mind back to the correspondent idea OF evil,
which, meeting with the other, forms perfect
| entity Of two qualities, which mutually reacting
upon the effect produced by either, render that
effect according to circumstances in their nature
unforeseen, finite and ephemeral We say
| likewise to tho shame, but our mind is on the
truth that this effect will be countervailed by
some principle of good, the two principles acting
as centripetal and centrifugal for us, and keeping
tho wheel of fate as near the needle as it is possi-
| BILE for any institution founded upon the wisdom
Of man to be.
1t is meant by this, in plain language, to say
| that mans wisdom has much less to do with the
direct regulation of society than the people sup
pose, and as the highest aim Of all government
seems to be to secure individual rights un-
ttammelled, so if this be ju9iciously pursued, the
collateral effects Of the policy will be to settle oil
the less important interests Of the community on
| correct and permanent basis. It may be held,
therefore, that party spirit, though evil, is yet
such an evil that ifrestrained within proper bounds
by competent laws, may do vast amount OF good.
Discussion may be unreasonable, foolish, or Vlo-
lent, yet it is the escape pipe OF the pent up cor
ruption of the body polite The demonstrations
of mob have been called the rainbows OF States;
they evidence passing shower, but are given in
pledge that there will not be deluge. All this
may be taken as hint at the potential influence
| of parties and may enable us to see that many
measures which are appreciated as wise and ac-
credited to the wisdom Of men who arc astute
| enough to foresee tn cir embryotic Developments,
and to advocate them because of their determinate
SUCCESS, and conoerso, are to be referred TO cir
cumstances arising out of conditions of society, as
far beyond the control Of man as anything can be.
Now, from this we deduce that the great princi-
pies OF government will settle themselves if the
individual constituents Of that government attend
honestly and ndustriously to their home interests,
for the home after all is the root Of the empire.
But if the individual constituents do this, govern
ment would become perfect, state unsuited to
human passions, prejudices, vengeances and frall-
| ties. So We have the component unities OF good
and evil as the life principle of every motive and
| every measure.
The difficulty with the American Government
was, that it did not have special prerogative re-
served to it's law-makng, or executive power, sut-
fcient to restrain evil, and thereby to advance
| principles of good. Political associations with all
their solvent pecularities were by tho verdict of
the war thrown back into the chrysalis-their
principles had been swept away, and new ideas
were to be evoked from the consequent chaos to
suit the changed and anomalous state OF affairs.
It was impossible to anticipate anything, for the
events of ages were curdled into few years, and
only the more sagacious of politicians, whose
minds we're freest from prejudice, predicted that
| the predominant ineas Of the South we're destined
to become radically changed, and that these
changes would be consonant with the interests OF
| the people.
| Just as each nation is constituent idea OF an
epoch, so each individual citizen s constituent
idea of the State. AS such he exercises power,
his quota of influence in the affairs Of Government.
He is an exponent Of some of the various shades OF
principles which exist in the State. Now, no prin-
ciple, no patriotism, is more than mere prstense
which is not founded on interest; and this radical
change which we predict as certain, and which we
regard as not being wrought-the result OF condl-
tons beyond the control Of any party-s concoml-
tant with the new interests which, as American
citizens, we have in this country. And OF these
changes, what can be moro significant than tho
| fact that the most ultra of the Democrats, those
who evinced the greatest virulence towards south-
ern Unionists prior to the war, now amagamate
with these Southern Unionists whose positions are
unchanged; and knowing that their tenets must
be surrendered, yet prefer to surrender little py
little, retreatng from ono untenable fortlhcatlon
to another-from one ditch to another-until the
whole area of tho ancient ground OF quarrel will
have been abandoned2 We must be excused for
saving that this looks like unmitigated pueriity.
If this be the panacea that nihism has to offer,
then we ask that the chalce be put from our lips.
It s natural that in this dilemma we should seek
the counsels of men, who, while contemplating
the Grand onward flowing Of the river of events,
can look above petty issues, which are but as ed
dies. produced by the up-getting OF half-hidden,
yet dangerous crags; for, seeing that the direction
is for the open sea, and we prudently launched,
these whirlpools of popular passion can only be
proftably studied when carefully avoided.
Yet, nihilism has been favorite theory among
large and respectable portion Of the Southern
people The objections against concerted action,
it is true, we're not founded in reason, and could
not be removed by reason, Charity may incline
us to say that the apostles Of this faith arrived at
their false conclusions by correct reasoning from
false premise; but the truth seems to be, P'dent
neaora PROLOGUE, deteriora sequentur.
But, Notwithstanding all this, as before remark
ed new ideas and principles are destined to settle
themselves in our midst to invest all mems minds
| for those interests which scome homo to mems
business and bosoms," will be their first and most
| precious fruits. Every day we have evidences OF
this sort OF progress. Old prejudces are aban-
doned, and though the position of to-day ls re-
| moved but days march from the fortificatlon OF
yesterday, end the honest zealot opposes to-day
with renewed hostility, ideas and principles which
tomorrow he will adopt, who for moment would
dispute this proof of the undiminshed momentum
Of revolution? That it would be best to remove all
the irritating causes Of discomfort, at one stroke
Of the knife, is the only truth which needs to be
enforced.
Again, we repeat, that there can be no loFe OF
country-no love of anything not founded on IN
terest-and the day is not lar when it Will be as
| difficult to find spark OF what is known as Con-
servatism, in South Carolina rs in Massachusetts.
LEONIDAS.
NIGHT TRAVELLING TO AUGUSTA.
| AUGUSTA, August 9th, 1867.
Editor Daily Ne,cS: