Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-03-31

ter of the law acting in the name o.
the common justice of the State
The test of government is not the
rank it holds in statistic strength
or resources, but in it's impartiality
and benefciehce. If it fails in these,
it is a fatal failure. 1t pronounces
its own condemnation,
1t is true that the most accom-
Iplished statesmanship cannot create
State without fitting materials II
is an Egyptiah task to make bricks
without straw. Constitutions may
bo made to order, but nations can
not be. Population alone, mere
numbers, will not suffice. There
are men who have scarcely an idea
of Justice, and but feeble sense Of
obligation. Names will not change
the nature Of things. To call a
mob "the people" will not initiate
freedom, or break the chains of
that tyranny of ignorance and pas
sion which is tenfold more despot-
ic than Russian czars. To q true
national development education and
virtue are essential. Man is natu-
rally and inherently a barbarian and
slave, and, left to himself and his
selfish tendencies, no tribute to the
dignity of human nature will save
him from becoming an object Of
contempt. The true policy of a
State is necessarily identical with
that embodied in the efforts of en-
lightened and Christian philanthro
py. A man may succeed in accu-
mulating fortune, and yet remain
incurably mean and vicious, and a
nation may outrival others IN self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and still be enti
tied only to contempt as the hasest
Of kingdoms Its true elevation
consists not in the aggregate for
tune of its richest and most favor
ed citizens, but in the integrity and
intelligence Of the great mass that
compose it.
1t is to this end that its policy
should be shaped, and whatever in
terteres with it is to be discounte-
nanced and set aside. Let all in
terests be regarded according to
tue measure of their relative i'm
portance. Financial questions must
not be overlooked. Political econ
omy, dealing, as it processes to do,
mainly with matters pertaining to
the material wealth, and the com
mercial and industrial prosperity Of
the country, must have its place,
but even wealth, in the final issue,
can find no permanent security in
dependent of the moral condition
of the popular element By a high
er law than any conventional ar
rangement or concession, material
prosperity is forced to do homage
to spiritual and moral forces. No
State can stand, none can claim the
right to stand, which does not rec
ognize justice as the end of govern
ment. To ignore this fact, and re-
ly upon financial wisdom, or the sa-
gacity that frames or shapes polit
ical constitutions, is as senseless as
to drift with Niagara current,
trusting merely to sail or oar. The
nation that will not regard, with Sc
rious intent and purpose, the great
end for which Providence allows it
to exist deserves to perish; and
that end is not to be sought in the
successful accumulation of capital,
or the realization of colossal for
tunes. Relying upon these, it will
accumulate upon itself weighty
curse of sordid avarice and social
degradation, infinitely more crush
ing to be borne than the burden of
a national debt.