Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-03

Cincinnatus, if history be true, did
not seek office, but office sought him,
found him at the plough, and took
him, reluctant, but ebcdient, away,
He loved his plough much, but his
country more; and so he went. Even
in the better days Of the American
Republic-thOse good old times when
merit was the passport TO place and
position, and when the man hOnored
the Office, and not the office the man,
there was no such thing ss Presi-
Dental sspirants; no sucI thing as
statesman traversing the country,
haranguing the people and writing
letters with a view of getting them
selves into " the line Of safe Drece-
DENTS" and thereby into the Presi-
dency. That high positiOn-the high
est and most dignifed in the world
was then truly regarded as an Office
9 neither TO be sought nor decliled;n
and the man who would have gone
about the country ~concOctiDg schemes
and arranging plans to get himself
into il, would have been laughed to
scOrn by our right thinking, honest
old Democratic fathers. But a new
era has dsWned Upon Us. The
discovery has been made that these
good old men who won the revolu-
ton, framed the Constitution, and
laid the foundation Of aIl our great
ness, weSe a set Of miserable sold
fOgies," whose example won't begin
to suit the adventurous genius Of the
fast age in which we live. Nowadays
every third politician thinks himself
expressly designed by Providence to
rule owe the nation, and accordingly
sets up as the "heir apparent" TO the
chief magistracy. There are TO-DAY,
at a moderate calculation, not less
than a thousand men in the Union, |
each one of whom is satisfied In his
own mind that, because Of his talents,
experience, and statesmanship, he Is |
the very httest individual in the whole
country to be elected to the Presi-
dency Of the United States; and that
If he is not, it will be but another evil
dence that Republics are ungrate-
full" and the people wholly incapable
Of approaching true merit. POIiti-
clans and authors, alike, write in
praise Of agriculture, and express
pathetic lengings for a peace
ful rural retreat from the cares Of
life; and yet the former at lest re
gard a farm IS most people do heaven
as a place to be desired at Last, but
not to be taken possession of any ear
Iier than absolutely necessary. Since
Washington and his immediate sue.
,essofs, how many President, and
Presidential a5pirants have really
preferred the plough to the helm of
State? Clay would rather be right
han President bat Wss heno never
a secretly disappointed man?
Webster loved his Marshfeld dearly;
get many people believed his death
vas hastened by his failure to receive
be nomination. HorRtiO Seymour
lnds his ~sincerest pleasure in his farm
lear Utica, but he yearaed Chr the Il,
avOr Of a republic and found that re- 1
'ublic pitilessly ungratefuL. Tho Pres .
Dental disease is more lasting spdil- F.
scdoas than hydrophobia ftstlf. a
nan looks up 10. the highest step of ,
he stair, the Presidency itself; fail J
ng in that, he may rest on any, next !
start at lsast ne MAY :
ope TO be postmaster or constable }
D his native town. So gJvern- :
lent seems to be regarded 3 grand :
ensiOn department, or GTeatdSather
u all; and the hands that ought TO be
t work hold out pOrringers toaastch
NY crumbs thal may fall. The de- Y
line in The qualify Of Ppesidehts sHd y
ongressmen is staktiHg andlNhHfui {,
ut it is not SO very strange. And r
fter all, why is the highest office, i
he Presidency, thought one worth
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