The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-07
TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1868.
On Changes in Political Opinions.

would show that political terglversauons nave
been praotised by the greatest statesmen in all
countries. When a well-known English de-
beter had inwrought into one Of his elaborate
speeches a number of political changes which
the late Sir Robert Peel had made in the course
Of his political career, he was answered with
outing satire by that statesman, that "the
gentleman had discharged the accumulations
of a vacation ~ Not long afterwards the
learned and brilliant accuser of Sir Robert
Peel so far recanted his former views as to
declare "the charge of apostasy is grossly un-
Just. A man ought no more to be called an
apostate because his opinions alter with the
opinions Of the great body of his cOntempora-
ries than he ought to be called au oriental
traveller because he is always going round
from west to east with the globe and every
thing that is upon it."
Everybody knows that the tariff question,
80 bitterly opposed by the South, nearly occa-
stoned a civil war during General Jackson's
Administration; yet so late as 1916 soma of
the Southern statesmen (and among them was
Mr.. Calhoun himself, who even advocatsd the
miAimum provision then for the first time in.
troduoed into a tariff billy, with the Southern
and New England States went together against
a tariff, while the Middle and Western States
went for protection In 1920 a me-ting of
Boston merchants was held in Faneuil Hall in
favor of free trade They sent Mr. Webster to
Congress to represent that interest, and those
of our readers who may desire it will find a
powerful free trade speech, delivered by
MIR. Webster in 1924. AS a strange con-
trast to this, some good -natured writer, not
many years ago, raked up report
and resolutions adopted in Tammany Hall, in
1919, by Democratic politicians. This report
was in favor of protection If we retraoe our
steps a little backwards We will find that the
doctrine of consolidation was likewise used by
both the contending parties. 1t was used by
the Democrats against the Federal administra-
tion of John Adams, in opposition to which the
Democrats got up the famous Virginia resolu-
tions, in 1898. When the Democrats favored
the war which afterwards took place with
Great Britain, the cry of consolidation was
raised by the Wings, who got up the Hartford
Convention. The same course was pursued
in the United States Bank controversy. When
the late Mr.. Webster was on one occasion
twitted by the late Mr.. MoDuff9, of South
Carolina, for having changed his opinions on
this question, he replied, very justly, ga man
may change his opinions, and yet be an honest
man."
The slavery question furnishes another in
stance. Without wishing to detract in the
slightest degree the merit justly due to Mr..
Antony Benezet, of our State, it must, in JUS
tioe to Mr.. Jefferson, be said that within a
very few years of the time of Mr.. Benezet's
appeal, he attempted, during his first sitting
in the Virginia House of Burgesses, in 1863,
to get bill passed to allow owners to manu-
NIT slaves, the laws then in existence not
allowing them that privilege. General Wash
ington, though Southern man, would have
manumitted his slaves during his lifetime,
and was only prevented because they were
the property of his wife. His opinions on
slavery even then are well known from one
of his letters addressed to General Lafayette
eff you attempt to pass the Catholic disa-
bilities bill, there is an end of the English Con
stitution, said the Duke of Wellington, and
both he and Sir Robert Peel declared that they
never, never could be induced to support such
q measure, and both afterwards did support it.
One of the most powerful opponents when the
repeal of the corn laws was proposed, was this
same Sir Robert Peel, and yet he afterwards
not only gave their repeal his support, but
with that manlness and generosity which
were never wanting to his character, he pIb-
licly declared that the glory and fame OF having
achieved this happy victory belonged to Mr.
Golden. If we turn to France the same lesson
is repeated. "Tbink of Theirs and Guizot,"
somewhere exclaims Mr.. Pendennis in Mr..
Thackeray's mastery novel, "and then talk to
me Of your principles"
We might easily manufacture chapter,
and a pretty long one too, from French politi-
cal history alone. Perhaps the example Of
the present ruler is enough. OF all the exam
pies we have brought forward, he is the most
notable specimen; for all his professions all
his pretended love of freed Dm We know were
insinCere, from the time when ha addressed
himself to the members of the Assembly in
1850 in which he said:-"The noblest object.
and the most worthy of an exalted mind, is
not to seek when in power how to perpetua,e
IT, but to labor inseparably to fortify, for the
benefit of all, those principles of authority
and morality which defy the passions of man
kind and the instability OF laws" We all know
what this moraist did in 1851. No, it is not
to Louis Napoleon that We would look for JUS
tifcatiOn OF change of opinions or for example