The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-01-04
Gentlemen and Scholars in Poll
tics
BY MOSES corr TYLER.

In his recent visit to this country,
ThomasHuahes repeatedly said that
the most discoura"ing fact that he no
ticed among us was the reluctance o.
our cultivated mel to take an active
part in politics That such reluc
tance On the part of such men. in
America does exist to very large ex-
tent no one can deny; and the report
of tins state of things has long Since
Travelled into foreign parts, where it
has crystallized into the blunt formula
that only the roughs become politi-
eians here
1t is not strange that ourrecent and
much trusted English guest should
have been panied and even alarmed by
such a phenomenon. In England
the case is quite the rev erse. The
most attractive sphere there to all
men, and especially TO the best men,
is The sphere of politics. Not en- a
foreigner can stay in that happy island
very long without feeling the tascina-
ton of political lite, and without com
ing to the conclusion that politics are
worthy of the highest talents and o.
the choicest culture. When Cheva
lier Bunsen visited for the first time
the House of Commons, he gave ut
5eranee to ;his feeling bys the remars:
7'It were an Englishman, I would
rather die than not be Il member Of this
house" While with us most educated
nls-: look upon the professions of law
Of theo 'ogy, or of medicine, OF engi-
neering, OF journalism. or OF com
merce, as tie fields in whirh they are
10 spend all their energies and achieve
I'LL their successes, and think that any
participation in politics is almost IL
thing to he blushed ut. in England the
very same men would include Il large
number who were avowedly trainlug
themselves for the service of the state.
and whose highest pride it is to en-
gage in that service. So powerful
md 50 universal is the attraction o.
politics there that no profession, not
Even that of the ministry, is able TO
escape its force while almost every
literary man dreams of the possibility
If getting ino Parliament as one of
the sweetest rewards of his renown in
letters. Thackeray and Dickens con-
.e>sed that they had been snlitten by
this ambition. It. is an ambition which
vas felt by Gibbon. DR.. Johnson,
burke, Horne Tooke, Lord Byron,
Scuthev, Sir Waiter Scott. Praeei, TAI
fourd. and Macauiay; while among
the Eng ish literary men Of to day
many, like Kinglakr, Mil. Dixie, and
Hughes have got in u { IIouse. aid
nlany more, like Anthony Trollope
and Hepworth Dixon, have tried to
10 so.
Can any one doubt that the Eng
ism system is aleogethes the. whole
,omer one whoie>omer both for the
nation and foI cultivated men in it 2
In the first place, it secures to the
nation for its service the choice of its
most competentsons. That is an er-
ror at once vulgar and !atal, which ihi-
pi s that thoughto steer Il ship orrun
railway train requires trained men,
TO conduct an empire needs no train
ing. Moreover, there is 81 connection
between mental culture and the de-
of the moral seasibiiities
honor, magraninity, cour-
tesy, purity. manlincss. W Wherever
the most civil men ahjure politics, po.-
ltics become base, filthy, and trade
for blacklcgs, pugiiists, and warholses. !
Above all things, what is the function
IF politics? 1t is to protect and nour- |
sh the most precious results OF all
endeavor, as now g;irnered III !
he arc of human society, and to make !;
sure the still higher growth and the
Gil more perfect felicity OF mankind.
And, in Gods name. to whom on
'arth. in any community, should this
acred and awful function be trusted,
t not to those members OF the com
nunity who are the most thoughtful,
he most logical, the most concientions.
nd the most pure?
T. Finally, for educated men them
elves. it is far more wholesome to
onnect politics with contempiat've'i
ursuits than t. sever the latter from
he former The proper union OF the
" o breeds more robust race even OF '
,nolIars, AMI broader type even of 6
entlemen. But this is mat, says .
ord Ba .on. which viii indeed d mi e
and exalt Knowledge, il contempla- a
IN and action may he more nearly a
nd str.,itly conjoined anil united to- o
ethef than thev have been /; q con- e
melton like unto that of the two V
CHEST dlaneis-Sa Saturn, the planet Of a
st and contemplation. AMI Jupiter, h
'e planet of civil society and action n
Of course, to this comparison be- o
'een cultivated men in England and b
America, as TO political activity CT