Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-18
National Decadence.

tTHAT very able Democratic journal, the
Missouri Republican, has deliberately come
to the conclusion that this Republic is GO
ing to the dogs, after all 1t admits that
the census of the present year shows great
prosperity in the immediate past and a
proud position, as. respects mere material
interests, in the present Nevertheless, we
are going to the dOgsl And we are told,
in Illustration of the certainty of our deca-
dence, that it is but the vigor of youth un-
der which are the seeds ofdisease and death.
We are, in short, in the situation of a fast
young man, who follows vicious courses
with seeming impunity, but for whom is
laid up inevitable stores of gout, rheuma-
tism and misery.
The Republican earnestly inquiries: is
the Constitution as faithfully preserved in
its integrity, as fairly and impartially in
tefpfeted, and as strictly obeyed as itonce
wass7 Are the rights of the people as scru-
pulously guarded, the authority of the law
as much respected and the principles of
liberty as dearly loved and Zealously ad-
hered to as in by-gone days? In short, are
we as a natien any better than we were at
the beginning of the present century? Are
we not rather greatly inferior in everything
which constitutes national virtue and goes
to make up true national prosperity and
happiness? 1t is impossible to deny our
own decadence."
The nation is here in reality confounded
with its eminent men. Not only so, but
its eminent'men are those only who are en-
gagged In politics, or in the conduct of pub
lie affairs. The general body polite is
left out of the calculation, and you might
as reasonably undertake to do sum in
arithmetic without figures But even tax.
ing the number of eminent men as a critic
rion of national greatness and we have not
an.ineh TO stand upon in an argument for
American decadence. We have many
better financiers than Alexander Hamilton.
The late war of the Union developed as
great military men in our country as there
are In the world. The establishment of
universal liberty and of political and civil
justice shows that, in practical statesman
ship, we are, not inferior to our predeces-
sors. But, if we pass out of politics, we
find. that in literature, In science, in edu-
cation, in the learned professions, in bust
ness, we have many more eminent men
nowShanevef before. II we haze no one
who e,conide 6!wrIte1 the -Deciaration
of IaGependehee,| have men who can
build Eiilwpys'to the Pacific, and empty
the commerce of Asia into our lap. five
have no man who can in words defend the
CONSERVATION as Webster defended it, we
have plenty who have the wisdom and the
coupge TO amend and improve it.
As for the principles of liberty" they
never were established in this country until
within a. few years. Pretending 10 be a
free nation, we excused and upheld the
most'utrocious system Of slavery that ever
imbftited man and insulted heaven. 1t Is
because we have done away with this sys-
tenn, that so many think we are going 10
destruction. With them, liberty consists
of the-Fisht tomake Others do their will.
With them there must be race of
gentlemen" so-called, and race of
slaves otherwise there can be no leisure
and no greatness II is not so Courtesy,
Carlyle tells US, is the due Of man to man,