New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-27
WHAT SAYS THE BEE?

VIII the Bee follow up, with some
suggestions of its own, the heightened re-
Elections which it copied on Monday from
the American Revie,c, upon the necessity
of cultiXating individual thought as cor.
rectiveDof political corruption:' The
ability to select such a lecture argues
the capacity to understand and the desire
Il encourage the remedy thus proposed
zainst great and growing evil. 1t is
not doubted that if all men were capable
of making watches, incompetent jewelers.
would be in small demand and it might
seem to be equally clear that if all men
were statesmen, demagogues and mar
plots would stand but little chance of Pre-.
ferment in the game of politics. We have
always insisted that the root Of bad gov
eminent in this country was to be found
in the weakness Of the people themselves,
and not in their rulers. If community
seeks its doctors among the gypsies,
quacks and astrologers, what patronage
will it give to Jenner? If it hunts for its
rulers among the noisy incompetents who
testify by their habits that they are unfit
to govern the state because they do not
rule themselves Alright, what better are
they than if they hunt a gypsy to cure
them when Jenner is to be had?
How is individual thought to be
cultivated" if not by instruction? How
is instruction to be impaired except
through the agency OF educational! insti-
tutions? And then, again, how is ''polit-
ical corruption" to be corrected" by this
cultivated thought" except the entire
political organization is permeated with a
capacity to understand the subject and
the duty? Does the Bee propose to cult
vate a class of thinkers, or does it design
to irradiate all mankind with an intellec-
tual insight into the workings Of politics
and the ways of government? From its
prejudices and partisan affiliations we
should infer that our contemporary was
in favor of teaching the few how to gov
ern the many; but by its publication of
the lecture from the Rerieu, We are en-
couraged to hope that it is now will
ing to enter upon broader deld-that of
instructing every citizen how to govern
himself. And this is the end Of our in
quiry: Which of these policies is the Bee
prepared to support? If it is humani-
tartan and republican, it will cease to
urge factious opposition to the present
public school system until it is prepared
to submit better one. We must have an
intelligent people, or We can not resist
the corrupting influence Of the dema-
gogue, because. wisdom is stumbling
block to the fool. Knavish cunning will
always make greater Roadway with ig-
norance than honest craftsmanship, be-
cause it will appeal to passions and pre-
JUDGES that patriotism and intelligence
can not speak Of but to deride. Knowl-
edges only clear to the knowing, and
until we have taught all men how to de-
tect falsehood and fallacy, the agitator
who deceives outright, or who cheats the
senses by imposing upon them, will be
master Of the masses.
As all men are citizens, equally charged
with the government of the State, it is the
interest of each that every one should be
fully instructed as to his rights and duties
under the government. It is not ques-
ton whether this voter is white and that
one is black, in order to determine
whether he should be educated, but every
one must be made intelligent in order
that the corrective against political cor
ruption may be urged upon him. Else
how can he use it? How can the wisdom
of the Bee illustrate the mind that is dark
as an Africans skin? Why does it lecture
when its lessons are too heavy to be fruit
full? Let it follow up its selected lecture
with some reflections urging the imme-
date spread of light in every quarter, and
then it will be teacher worthy of sup.
port and admiration.
TIE SPEECH OF SENATOR KELLOGG.
The announcement was made by tele-
graph last week that Senator Kellogg had
made speech in the Senate, in which he
claimed that the white opposition at the
South to the Republican party was mainly
,acauca that marty was idarti+ied with tho