The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-06-28
THE WATCHMAN
WEDNESDAY. JUNE %.
A, A, GILBERT ..tUll Uk
THE Sumter Wdtchman has by
far tile largest circulation (espe-
cially IN the surrounding cou'atry)
fany paper published IN Sumter,
and acay established ae 1850.
LET Us ABANDON POLITICS.

LET Us ABANDON POLITICS.
More than forty years ago, Thomas
Carlyle, in an essay fer the Edinburgh
Review, written with singular force and
clearness, comments in his peculiarly
vigorous manner, on the undue impor--
tance of politics. He says "political'
ecclesiastical, or other outward estab-
lishments, can at any time embrace
"but limited portion of mans interests,
"and BY no means the highest portion" :"
If such language can be applied to the
politics of country like England, how
much more suitable is it to the sad cir
cumstances in which We live. In that
great and perhaps, strictly speaking, only
really free government in the world,
public affairs occupy the time and otten'
tion ofits best and ablest men. Members
of Parliament serve without pay or
reward direct or indirect. Lobbying is
unknown, corruption unheard OF. Yet
even there the pursuit Of politics is as
we have seen of little moment, when
compared with those great intellectual,
social and moral ideas which constitute
the real pivots upon which society turns.
When we look at our own country as 1t
is now, where The upheaval Of civil strife
has brought to the surface the worst
elements Of our population-when We
consider the situation Of the whole
South, but more especially Of our own
stricken State, who can hesitate TO say
that
"Thc post of honor is private station"
1t seems to US that if from the day
on which We laid down our arms and
acknowledged our inability to continue
the unequal strugglc yet holding that
The sword was powerless to alter the
immutable principles Of truth and
Justice, we had determined to remain
silent spectators Of reconstruction OF
the government, in which We had no
voice and could not feel any interest
our position would have been more
honorable TO ourselves and more con.
ducive to our OWN ultimate redemption.
II has been said that one Of the noblest
spcctacles in nature is the contemplation
OF :. brave soul struggling against ad
versi'y. SO it is with nations. Hungary.
Ireland aud Poland excite our sympa-
thies and command our respect, no. on
account of The rash aud frutess efforts
which they have SO often made to obtain
some political poser in the councils of
their masters, but rather on acc unit Of
the patient hcro;sm with which they
Eave borne their fate. But alas, We Of
the South are cursed with more heart
less tyranny aud a more monstrous sys-
tom than was ever dreamed Of by
Ermet, Kossuih or "War>aw's last
Champiou." The Pole is governed BY
his equal the hungarian aud the son
Of Erin by their superiors, as many
think, and by their equals as all admit.
But We OF the South are compelled 10
submit to rule Of ignorance aud cor
ruptiou the like of which has never Jet
been seen.
Our fortunes ruined, our national
hopes blasted, nothing remains worthy
Of our attention, except the pursuit Of
those domestic aud social objects which,
after all, are more important to men
than the iorm OF government under
which they may live. The author whom
we have quoted above has the follow
ing beautiful thought:
"Ou the whole, as this wouderous
planet, Earth, is jourueyius With its
fellows through iD6nite space, so are
{" the wonderous des.inics embarked on
it jourueying through Infinite time,
Z" under higher guidance than ours
+" For the present, as our astronomy 10
4" forms US, its path lies towards Hercules.
"tLe constellation Of Physical Rory
" Blu. tha. is not our most pressing
concern. Go where it will, the deep
" Heaven will be around it. Therein
+" let us have hope and sure faith. To
y" reform a world, to reform . nation, no
wise man will undertake ; aud ell bat
A" fooIish men know that the ouly solid,
" though far slower reformation, is what
&" each begins and perfects Cd himself"
So let it be with US. Reserviug to
ourselves, as individuals, the right to
cast our votes in such maaaer as We may
deem best, let US abstain from she
demoralising arena Of politics. Let rs
turn our attention to the improvement
Of our fortunes, the education Of oar
children, the support Of religious aud