Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-12
THOVRETs eRswz CID.


Many Of these questions would IN
d0ubtedly appear in different aspect 10
the disputants themselves, II they had
no personal or party interests involved in
their determination. Without dishOn
esty OF motive or purpose, these give q
different color.pg TO all questions with
which they miDge.
One great cause of disputation, on even
the plainest questions, is the general in
clinstiOn Of men Of acute and deXtrous
intelleets, especially when bred as law
yers, to involve the subject with subtle
ties, and turning aside from the plain
view and ebViolis soluIion offered by
common sense, to obscure 1t with words,
In the definition whereof men disagree
and 10 lug in what they are fond Of mis-
calling metaphysical theories and solu-
tions, 20 display their own ingenuity, and
gain the applapee Of admitting audiences
for their depth Of thought and acuteness
Of Intellect,
As the priests, in all sges. have coined
and used mystic Language, and wOrds
aid phrases Of lofty sound but without
meaning, in order to create the necessity
for Interpreters TO eXpOund their imagin
ary meaning to the common people, and
thus to make themselves the medistOrs
between them and God, the depositOries
of the arcana Of His mysteries, so, IN
every free country, there grows up race
OF men, who invent terms aud phrases
for the purpose OF obscuring political
questions, in order that the people may
I suppose that in these questions there Is
s1mething mysterious, and above the
( common comprehension, aud TO the un-
I derstsnding Rbereof . special trsihi ing
rs requisitei for by this process only %
I politics come TO be a trade OF profession,
+ ike the law, or medicine, or divinity
I The axiom OF Talleyrand, that language
/ was given man that he might thereby
{ conceal his thoughts, was true, and has 3
I wider application than most men think
Z and more words than most men imagine
are in current use. TO which no real
; meaning belongs, tut whose sole office is
I TO serve as the means OF making plain
4 questions obscure and theories incompre-
hensibe.
Disputes and debates always force
men into the msintainance Of extreme
opinions. AbOut these poles OF opinion
parties chrystalize, condense their codes
/ into watch words, and inscribe them on
their flags aud then necessity forces
them often into measures contrary tC
I their own creed, ana cOusousnt only
q
nodes. Thus arises the constantly
sented anomaly Of creed and practice in
dialnetri6al opposition and hence re-
suits the curious fact, that both In poll
tics and religion, theoretical and doc
trinal opinion Is most frequently fsund
to have no perceptible influence upon
action.
Strict and latitudinsrian construction
of the constitution and OF the powers oil
the general government are the two
principal poles OF political doctrine, and
have been so for half century, in our
country. The former has been pecu-
liarly the creed of the defenders OF the
rights OF the states in their largest sense,
advocates Of restricting the powers Of
l the general government, and aiarmists
! warning the people of the dangers oil
consolidation. The latter has been
charged upon many parties in turn
sometimes Justly and sometimes un
Iistly: professed by some, and not uu.
4 frequently carried TO an extent not war
rapted by sound argument.
: The whole question obght to have beer
= simple one but it has been the bust
ness Of politicians, and sometimes o
courts, TO complicate and Involve 1t IN
! Ire uoists of verbal augmentation and
nerhaps no word has so much tended tC
I 40 that as " sovereignty !" nor has any
one been such treasure TO those wh'
make talking and disputation trade
and live by relieving the people Of thC
trouble of thinking for themselves.
The constitution of the United State
was made 6y plain men and for plaiI
men. 1t Was intended to be clear an'
sin,T1le document, understandable by thu
common peopls-the plain farmer anC
meehanic-and not to be the eBgendere
of a brood OF pestilent subtieties,. and
uaradoxes and sophisms, nor to give EN-
ployment to q regiment OF interpreters
that should make the forests OF AmeTici
as resonant With thsir easkllnEs a. tn