Weekly Trinity journal., 1868-10-03
Political Indifference.

The following article, clipped from the edito-
rial columns of the Liberal Christian, is well
worthy of the serious consideration os the Amer
lean people, no matter what may be their polit
cal belief:
Many intelligent and estimable people feel no
interest in political affairs, and deplore all polit-
ical agitation. They have pretty nearly bal
anced distrust and dislike of all parties, skip the
politics in the morning papers, dodge the cleo
ton days as best they can, and would go abroad
on Presidential years if they could do so. We
are inclined to think this class of men is on the
increase and such uncomfortable circumstances
as the nomination of unfit and mean men for Of
fees, thektufing Of the ballot-boxes, the dishon-
esty of officials kept in Office in spite of their
proved populations, the ignorance, intemperance
and disgraceful deprayity of even prominent Of
fcers, tend to add to its numbers and increase
their disgust.
1t seems to us that these men allow their feel
ings to run away with the reason that they were
meant to invigorate and inspire. Allow that
there is too much occasion for impotence and
disgust, that things are done which makes the
healthy heart sick and the honest head indignant
What ought we to do? Shall we run away from
the evil, or set ourselves to reform it? The pat
riot the Christian, the friend of his race, can
give but one answer. 1t is brave and noble to
grappe with great difficulty, making disgust for
it only stimulate to more Jealous efforts for its
removal; it is cowardly and mean to run away
from dislike.
Indifference to and dislike of politics are so
often expressed in public ard private that we
fear that large numbers of our people fail to see
the significance of the word, and the vast i'm
portance of the thing it indicates. Politics is
one of the largest terms in the language. 1t
covers the greatest meanings. 1t includes all
that relates to the material interest, the social
comfort and intellectual life of people. 1t has
to do with industries, the customs, the culture
of all classes, the development of resources, the
protection of property, the decreeing of justice,
the preservation of life, the formation of man
hood, the building up of nationally. 1t en-
braces every application of physical, social and
industrial laws to their respective objects, i'm
plying mastery of great sciences, knowledge
of history, perception of laws, grasp of prin-
ciples, and hold on the idea of justice, which
human nature glorifes self in aspiring to, and
only the wisest and best men have acquired
Next after theology it is the profoundest study
the most engaging and absorbing pursuit, the
most important and practical scheme that can
engage the mind of man. And this is politics. a
word we drop of our lips with Indifference or
spit out with scorn. To master its meaning
would be to know everything that is known and
apply the knowledge for the benefit of nation
and the world.
shows blindness to the peculiar genius and
workings of OUR Institutions. For what is their
characteristic and their peculiar benefit? Ger
tainly not that our people are any better govern
ed, have any wiser laws, or are safer in person
or property than those of other lands. 1t is
question whether they are so. We choose our
rulers, to be sure but what of that? Is ty-
rant any less tyrannical, gnoramus any the
less foolish, a debauchee any the less unprinci-
pied or depraved because elected by ballot in
stead of birth? We talk very boastfully of our
republican institutions and their superiority to
other forms of government. In what does this
superiority consist? What is their peculiar pro-
duct that they should be thus extolled? Poll
tics. Simply politics. Other forms of govern
ment excuse the people from considering this
subject Louis Napoleon tells his thirty million
Frenchmen to laugh, dance, sing, invent, dress,
make parades, anything they please; but if they
talk politics on the wrong side they shall go to
prison. Politics in Italy means revolution. Pol
itics in Russia means incendiarism and ten years
in Siberia. Politics in Ireland is Fenianism and
an English dungeon for all who not Tories
or Churchmen. Politics in England has always
been wasted breath to nine-tenthS of her people.
The peculiar and great gift of our republican in
situations to every American is politics. They
open up every subject for universal discussion
They throw every measure of puolic policy out
into the national arena for popular considera-
ton. They give every man concern in every
enactment. They identify the interest of each
with the welfare of the whole, and the interest
Of the whole with the welfare of the meanest
citizen. They give every man something great
to think of, something noble to care for, some
thing grand to look after and live himself into.
They lift the commonest citizen out of his belit-
ting associations and cramping conditions and
petty, se!f-seeking life, and crowd his mind with
great themes of national polity and economy,
and stretch his sympathes to take in the interests
and hopes of thirty millions of people, and to
make HIM think and feel and act as an American
"a man with nation dilatng his heart and
beating in his pulse and inspiring his brain.
They give US an American manhood
Politics is the great educational force in
American life. Not enough do we look ut this
subject in this light. Think of the interest felt
in the coming elections, and how this interest
will lead millions TO think, and read and hear
and discuss the issues involved in them Think
of the papers that will be printed, the speeches
that will be made, the arguments that will be
put forth, and the appeals based upon them.
For the next few months the United States will
be one vast university in which thirty millions
of people are being drilled and disciplined and
trained to a higher order of intelligence and a
nobler manhood This, with all the falsehood,
aud falacy, and vice that enters into Presi-
dental campaign in nation composed of di.
verse populations anu an imWeuse a"ount "
foreign and domestic ignorance. What would
such campaign be if conducted on true princ
pies? national education.
Instead of abandoning politics, then, or being
indifferent to it, we ought to feel the deepest in
terest IN the subject, and engage in it with all
the enthusiasm and nobleness of mind we car
bring to bear upon it. Thus shall we correct it
evils and educate ourselves.
D1scuARsEp RAP1pLY-This morning a mar
appeared in the dock of the Police Court VINO
had been arrested for drunkenness some time
during the night When called for sentence he
coolly informed Captain McEroy that he had the
small pox and had been drinking little whisky
to drive it out The Captain looked at the man
face, and surely there were spots and blotches
denotinp the nresenca of the handsome disease.