Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-02-21


not lose the spirit of progress. We should
remember that il Ia also important that a
proper direction should be given to our
efforts. As people, Americans are not
unlike the Aiheoians 10 this, that We are
ever ready ",o tell and TO hear and 10 fry
some new thing" We are exceedingly
credulous. We do not believe mach IN
impossibilties. In fact. Impossible" is
not one of the common words In Ameri'
can yocabularies. A foreigner travelling
among Us says; "lf bombshell, large
enough to hold thirteen persons, could be
thrown at the ordinary cannon ball rate
from ST. Louis to New York, 1t could be
filed with passengers daily, even though
they knew that at the end OF the line IL
would burst and kill twelve Of its inmates
for every man would think that he would
be the lucky ono. There is no general
want, then. among Americans Of dispo-
sition to "go ahead" The disposition of
the present age has been TO follow too
much the latter clause Of the great bear
hunters injunction. People have been
zoo. ready TO "go ahead" They have
neglected that important precaution, BE
sure you are right" aud the consequence
has heen, that We have seen the evil results
Of their lsbors, acting injuriously upon
themselves and the communities in which
they have lived Such has been the spirit
that has operated in our country for years
Such wss the spirit that brought us into
our late unhappy deplorabls condition.
Party spirit aud the spoils Of Office have
been the bsne OF our country. Men have
sacrificed their patriotism, their country's s
interests, her honor, aud almost her very
existence, on the altar Of political parties.
The defeat OF n party in power and the
success Of another. has for years been the
signal for the political decapitalion OF
10000 government officials. Bribery
and corruption are charged upon oil par.
ties, aud | am Of opinion that TO prove
any Of them innocent would be task not
less difficult than that Of striking the
bright noon. day sun from its posture in
the heavens aud plunging the world into
eternal darkness. Many dollar has
purchased many vote. aud men who
claim TO be Temperance men frequently
owe their election to votes bought by
whisky. Such state Of affairs is the lc-
climate result Of "going ahead" without
regard TO right. And such, too, has been
our condition. Blind Justice has been
drugged with narcotics, aud while she lay
eptrauced in the temple, the rust of idle
ness gathering on her scales, wrong ruled
the rabble, the rabbled ruled the ruler-,
the country languished, freeaom wept,
and suffering humanity was wrilhing un-
der the most excruciatiug torture.
Look at the receut condition OF our
country. Ten millions of people in rebel
Sion against the very government to which,
under God, they owed oil that they had
and were. Two millions Of men away
from their homes and families On the
tented field. aud as many more driven
into exile, or left pen niless in desolated
country. Two hundred battle fields
stained with American blood, n million OF
lives destroyed. thousands of women made
widows. and tens Of thousands OF children
rendered fatherless. But this is enough.
We will not speak Of the thousand other
ills to which human flesh becomes heir in
a civil war.
All, party spirit, party leaders, men
that loved their party better than they
loved their country, had sown the seed,
and the country was then reapug the
fruit. Shall such men again take US by
the nose and lead US into all their here
sizes? With the poet we say,
tsGod give us men; time like this demands
= Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and
steady hands;
Men whom the lust of o1icc does not kill;
Men whom the spols Of Office cannot buyj
Men Who possess opinion and will;
Men who have honor men who will not liej
Men ~he can stand before tho demagogue
And eon bis treachero US batteries without wink
Tall men. sun Drowned, who live above the fog,
In abiic duty and in private thinking"
> Yes, we want men-men in our nation
'al councis-men who will enact laws for
the good OF the country, aud not spend
their time in manufacturing political cap
ital, or trying to upset the hobbies Of an
opponent. We want men in our pulpits
men who can preach against sin wherever
il may be found, who can preach Jesus
Christ and him cruci6ed, and not exhaust
their energies in fruitless fancies, designed
only to tickle the imagination. We want
men in public life everywbere--honest
men-men who know their duty, and men
icho dare to DO IL. We want men in pri-
vato liie-men who are honest-men who
are Christians-meu who love their coun-
try and its institutions-men Of thought
men Of action-men who can stand in
the face of au enemy, and plead our coun.
try's cause-men toho "know they are
right" and dare TO 'go ahead
But the men Of the present generation
are "going ahead in another sense
They are passing away, and another gen.
GRAFTON is to take their places. Another
class of statesmen will fill our legislative
halls, another race Of ministers will pro-
claim the Gospel Of Christ, another set of
judges will hold our judicial tribunals.
Another order Of people will have risen
up all over our country, and upon them
will devolve the duty OF perpetuating the
Government, Of pleading the cause of
Christianity, of administering justice, Of
iustructing the youth, Of acting the citi.
zen. That generation is now in embryo,
and If permitted to grow up in ignorance,
Che demagogue will rule the land. in
Negligence is the safe guard Of the Repub-
Slic.' Let the next generation, then, be
ian enlightened one, and they will not fol-
How the fanatic in his fanaticism, nor the
hereto In his heresies. They will stand
Up like men. They will think for them
Esclves. They will act for themselves
Thev will not he like tho unleftered rms