The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-03-10
Servants of the Peonle.

Servants of the People.
1t Is the theory of our Government that
those who hold office are the servants of the
people. That to invest them with authori-
ty and to bestow upon them privileges, is
only to demand of them harder and higher
services. As We are not m disputatious
mood this morning, we shall take it for
granted that all this is as correct in practice
as it is held to be in the theory And really
it is qnite a pretty conceit, and one on
which it is possible quite number of very
nice things could be written, if we just
knew how to do it consistently with our
private views of the whole matter Of
course our thoughts are led into this chan
mel by passing ecents by the various and
persistent efforts that we see made for the
attainment of Office. Nothing that we see,
however, is so difficult for us to harmonic
with what we should hold of the dignity of
human nature as the great anxiety dis
played by the opponents of the present
ruling idea and practice in the National
and State governments. We see men that
cursed and affected to loathe the existing
Constitution OF North Carolina, who de-
nounced it as disgrace to the age and its
civilization, who asserted that it was the
Pandora's box that contained all the Ca
lamities that could overwhelm and crush a
poor doomed people, and yet we see these
very identical Conservatives these unsoiledDen-
ocrats not only Isuffer Office to be forced
upon them, not only become willing to use
their great talents and craftsmanship in the
hour of the States peril to save her from her
friends, but we see these very men, with the
most indecent haste, with the most impetu-
Gus eagerness and INSCRIPTIONS urgency,
demand and beg Office at the hands of the
people, although the way to office, serrice
and ENJOYMENT required them to take an
oath to maintain and apply the principles
and provisions of that hated and rcyiled
instrument. We see the deed done, the
oath voluntarily taken, and the price of ser
gice under it paid. We are believers in the
good old doctrine of total depracity," and
have but little faith in the philosophic con-
cets of human pertecta6ility," yet even we,
fortified and confirmed as we are by our
creed, are staggered by these evidences of
depravity, and confess that our estimate of
it is essentially deepened. Yet such is hu-
man nature in these days-political Demo-
cratico Conservative human nature, we
mean. We see slightly varied phase of
this love for office in those pure and hon
est specimens who are SO disguised with
scallawags,- carpet-baggers and "niggers."
We clio remember most distinctly the deep
| ly affected disgust and aversion that was
seen in the manner and heard in the speech
of such persons. How they loathed contact
with niggers and what contempt they had
for Yankees and Southern white men who
were guiltless of treason. It needs not that
we express any private view as to the ante
cedent practice of such parties. We will
admit they are honorable men. Democrats
aud Conservatives, on the authority of the
Sentinel, are honorable men. Brutus in
Rome was an honorable man. 1t is true that
such honor as the endorsement of the
Sentinel may partake of the character OF
the endorsement, but be that as it may, we
behold the anxious desire of these very
men to be servants of the people lead then
to accept, insist upon having, bargain for
lie and deceive to get, an office and seal
among all these hateful classes of men, mig
gers and all, in the capitol at Raleigh
There must be fascination in this state Of
servitude that is seen in no other Honor,
able, respectable men, the elite of the arts
tocracy of slavery-they so covet the service
of the people, that they would associate with
and that. too, when law and the convention
alities of lite make no distinction but re
quire respect and amenity, all these ''a5onai
nations of desOlation." |F
We shall not now undertake to reform
the vocabulary of our language, or to ado
another and new definition to the wore
''sercant," but we propose to some one O
leisure, and whose tastes lead him into tina
walk of literature, that he prepare a Poll
tician's Dictionary. In our judgment, it il
work that is needed, for modern partie
do not conform to Perry, Bailey, johnson
or even to Worcester or Webster It is
department of learning that would demant
versatility of talent and very great fexibili
ty of ingenuity to meet the demand of tn
occasion.
There is another side to this matter tina
we do not overlook side on which homes
men stand, and where the old dictionar.
will answer the purpose-but we reserv
that for another ISSUE
Important Decision.