Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-12-09
vRE.LLOxD GARRISON ON POLIT-
ICAL TEMPER,ssshCE.
T Extracts from an article by Mr.. Garriso
IN, Ia Trlalaraalllia.af


in the independently
When the moral reformeT, perchance
from fmpatience at the slow progress of
the cause he espouses, sinks himself in
to the politician, and seeks by caucus
nominations, electioneering tactics, and
partisan rivaIries to accomplish IN a
summary manner the desired end, he
not only goes down to lower plane,
but irnpairs the force of his testimonies
BY entering into the general scramble
for the sO-called hOnOrs and emoluments
of official station.
Naturally, as concerning the admins
tration of public affairs, the people di-
vide into two parties. These may or
may not differ widely as to their intel
lectuaI and moral constituents, or the
policy which they aim to establish. In
either case they embody the popular
will and reveal the exact condition of
the community, state or nation. Now,
suppose that they are equally corrupt,
or equally disinclIned to substitute
righteous for unrighteous laws OF equal
ly opposed to a pending issue of mo
mentous importance to the whole coun-
try. How IS this to be reIAedied by the
formation of a third political party
The difficulty is moral, not political
one and as the effect docs not deter
mine the cause, but cause the effect, so
the work to be done IS the dissemina-
ton of more light, not the substitution
of a new party rivalry. It IS a change
of heart that is needed and when that
change has been wrought, after the
apostolic example through the foolish
ness of preaching, it will be quicklyre-
flected at the ballot box in the action of
the two all-absorbing parties Of the land.
These parties may, indeed, change their
names and their tactics from time to
time but so long as they embrace near
ly the entire voting population, and
fairly represent the will of the people,
it IS idle to think of ourvotng or of dis
solving them by any political device
whatever; simply because the stream
cannot rise higher than the Fountain
Hence the inutility of third-party or
| CARNATIONS.
trust not to be misapprehended.
am not for divOrcing moral from politi-
cal action, nor do I deprecate an earnest
| interest in the results of our state and
national elections. Perhaps there are
| few who watch those results with more
vigilance than I do; or who despise
more heartily the hollow outcry that
men are not to be made good. e, bet
ter citizens-by legislative enactments.
| but l fail to see the wisdom or expedien-
/ cy of adding a third wheel to a mill
| where there IS not sufficient water-power
/ to turn the two great wheels already
in position, which are ample to do all
/ the work required, and which only need
| a greater supply of water to move with
celebrity and efficiency in accordance
with the law of gravitation. This was
the conviction I cherished throughout
the anti-slavery struggle, and it remains
unchanged, unless in growing more pro-
| found. This was the ground upon
which the American Anti-slavery Socie-
ty based its operations in regard to the
politics Of the country. As, however, it
was not a question of principle, but of
policy, there arose a division of opinion
on this subject among the Abolitionists !;
and, hence, the formation of the "Liber-
| ty Party" But an immediate and last
ing consequence of this movement was
| the injurious transfer of large amount
! of moral power from the religious to the
political field of action thus diverting
attention from the exceeding criminality
| Of the American Church. as the "bul-
wark of slavery, and lowering the
standard so as to cease the aTraignment
Of pro7slaYery pulpits aIta ecclesiastical
assemblies. Because Fof such uncOm-
promising arraignment by the Ameri-
can Anti-slavery Society, those most ac-
tive in the organization of that party
countenanced the outcry against the So
ciety of being an "inhdeT' body, and
did what they could, in conjunction with
the pro-slavery religion of the land, to
effect its overthrow.
The Liberty party sunk from a con
flict with slavery at the South into the
Free Soil party, which made no other
i issue than the non-extension of slavery
in the territories, and which was finally
merged in the Republican party, still
more tinaid and compromising, and not
only ready to fulfill all the pro-slavery
stipulations of the u. S. Constitution,
but, even after some of the Southern
States had seeded, willing to enter into
additional bonds, to the full extent OF
the iniquitous Crittenden Compromise
bill, for the sake of preserving the Un-
ion and satisfying our Southern breth-
ren" that their peculiar institution
stood in no danger, but would be still
guarded by the whole power of the na-
Z ton f'FacE2iS dec e1aSzAS, etc. So much
for the Abolition eXperimentin the form
alton of distinct political party. I'm
der such leadership when might the mil
lions groaning IN bondage hope for de
liverance for themselves or their pos
terity
Of course, I speak of the Republican
party as it stood under the old "cove-
, nant with death and agreement with
hell" not as it stands under a renovat.
ed Constitution, gathering to its support
all the best elements of the country in
futherance of the cause of impartial lib
erty.
At the present time there are some
able and excellent trends of the temper
t ance cause who are jealous in their ad
Fl vocacy of a separate political party or
the ground that the Republican party
(the Democratic being out of the question
| is not in favor of prohibition up tc
: "high-water mark" But why is it not
: except that public sentiment is not We
= ready to sustain such a prohibi
tory law as they demand? And wha
does this imply, except that a more ex
tended reformation is needed in regarc
to the drinking habits of the people
: And how is that reformation to be ac
complished, except by moral and phi
lanthropic instrumentalities-th dissent
nation of the temperance pledge, th'
: delivery of temperance addresses, etc.
ETC., on more extended scale than ev
; er No political party is adapted
to effect great moral change, but il
> proportion to such change will be tht
: wished-for political sequence.
At the recent state election in Massa
, chusetts a third party entered the field
= made up of very small factions, ant
' these having nothing in common ex
: cept the Republican party-the one por
, ton claiming to be for labor reform, bu
:, hostile to prohibition, the other in favo
y of prohibition, but having no sympath-
, with the Labor Reform movement. Thi
incongruous party polIed twenty-five
thousand votes out of one hundred an,
fifty thousand Allowing one-half t
: ; have been given for the prohibitory can
: didate, the number is not merely insig
, nifcant, in view of such overwhelmin
odds but it is worthless as test of tn
prohibitory sentiment of Massachusetts
For tens Of thousands of prohibitionist
~ --z4,- Co.