The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-09

TEE DUTY OF THE CITIZEN TO ATTEND WARD
MEErNas.-There will be meetings of the DEM
ocratic voters this evening in every Ward IN
the city. At some OF them, earnest and prac-
tical addresses will be delivered. Every good
citizen should be present. In this connection,
the application of a passage in a recent ser
mon BY Henry Ward Beecher is go happy and
fore BILE. that we cannot forbear quoting it. The
reverend Radical said:
Lastly. Christian men must learn their duty
to their coultry in regard to politics. Il we
are to leave the administration OF public affairs
to the men that most naturally take to 1t, we
leave ourselves to be governed by dishonest
men. There is no ho e. If professional poll
ticians are to take the management Of primary
meetings and OF general elections; II they are
to select the candidates, then manage for their
election, and then manage them when elected
There can be but one termination to sucn
course as that. We shall certainly sink under
the corruption that will ensue; we are SINKING
already. There is but one remedy; and every
Christian man is to consult, not his case, nor
his taste, nor his convenience, but his dufY.
You we're sworn when you were porn INTO tnlS
great nltion. Birth is oath, in America. And
the man that sits at his ease, and refuses to
th nix, or vote, or act as citizen politician, IN
this country, is a pprjurer, and violates his
most solemn, practical oath. There is no man
so pious that he should not have much to do
with primary elections. There Is no man 80
busy that he is not bound to take time 70 al
tend them. 1t is the business OF every ward,
it is the business of every precinct, 1t IS the
business OF every citizen, Of every neiShbor-
hood and community, to see to 1t that uncor-
rupted and uncorruptible men are, first. nom
mated for Office, secondly, elected. And what
over is necessary to do that becomes your
duty. If it requires you TO go TO nasty places,
IF H 10 meet
bad company, you must meet bad company.
IF it requires you to take time to manage
wriggling knayes, you must take time to man
age wr1ggling knayes. The faithful housewife
cannot say, Il have no time to exterminate the
pests of he bed and closet and pantry: che Is
bound to see to it that the food, and raimeni,
and children are kept clean. 1t takes time, to
be sure. Il is a disaereeable task TO comb out
children and aCdsh them, and care tor them at
all times, and cure them from a dozen disa-
gree bile diseases that are incident to them;
nevertheless, love docs it; a"d you haoe get TO
comb ana aodsh and clean the community IN
The same ,ody. J ou are, all OF you, guardians
and parents of the common veal; and Christian
men, with their laZiness, or their unwilling
ness to 60 into the inconveniences OF these prl-
mary meetings; that neglect these things, anu
see matters going from bad to worse, anu think
that they have no responsibility, and nothing
to do but rail at thieves and politicians, would
do vel to put to themselves the question,
"what have done to prevent or cure corrup-
tion?" Are you not free born citizen and o
voter? What is it that makes it the duty OF
any man in this country to devote his time to
this matter, that does not make it equally your
duty?
Sab, merchant! ah, Judge! ah, young con-
vert ah, ministerl You are, all OF you, first,
citizens; and you will never reach any point
higher than that. Be a citizen: be an honest
man, and on honest citizen; be Christian
man, and Christian citizen. There is moth
ing higher than that in this nation; and un-
less Christian men and Christian citizens take
in hand the purifcation of public morals
and public affairs, and see to it that the courts
are filed with the right men; that the legisla-
lures are filled with the right men; and that
officers throughout the government are God
fearing and pure-minded men-unless this is
done, say oar sun Is not far from setting, for
am sure that if the tide Of corruption goes on
| increasing in power. in the ratio in which. it
has done for the past few years, this nation
caunot continue to stand up under it. The
process OF disiutegration is already coming on;
We may for time Withstand it, but the symp-
toms will continually become more alarming,
AMI by and by the disease will become incur
| able"