Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-07-18

Mr.. NAliandighSm is dead +; aud the little
accident Of the pistol mas restored to coasci
enhousneAs and cand0r the press that has
been 80 fertile aud constant in Ils csnsure OF
MN Tor many years. The man who, while
living, was denounced As g demaRogus
without principle, politician without patri
oIIsm, q traitor without shame, an intriguer
Tor power tor his party and place for him
self through evsEy range OF political moon
sisteney and viIIainy, is now regarded as
one who was thoroughly earnest and honest,
even when be was ID the wrong nay, Is
one who, when he became aware of HIS n,,s-
takes. had the manlnsss and boldness 10
recnfy them publicly. The new departure.
as 1t 10 called, Of the Democrats party was
iuaugurated by this man : and it certainly
was no less than public confession of error
aud the definition OF 9 new course for him.
self and for nis party, SO far as he represent
Cd It. indeed, II we read alone the presses
that once condemned him, We shall conclude
tina; our bad VallAudigh ham has become quite
a saint. The public heart warns toward Inc
traitor, and begins TO suspect tina, II ha,
been bsreft of q patriot.
Why this hRste-gh almost Ipd.e.pt
hsste--to eat ones words, aud DO jus ICE 10
consequence? Ns suppose it must arise
from consciousness that the man WAS.
while living, unjusty treated. Death makes !
us candid. The mans power 10 harm o.iup ,
gone his influence 10 thWart our oHn self- /
ism or party plans being destroyed by the I
dread power that will soon destroy US all
our motive TO misreprssent Ia gone, and we
hasten to be true. Articles written to.ds, |
all h. d u
Napoieon-writteu by those who dislike |
him, and published IN journals opposed to
him-could not possibly be written to-mor-
row II, IN she mean time, some Accid ent /
should stop the beating OF hi. heart. Even |
his present poWerlessness is not enough to |
quenoh the rgncor Of Islander, or remove the |
motive Of detrsction. He must die before
he can DO treated deoensiy, or win the credit
of possessing single humane ur patriotic
motive. II some benign accident should
remove General Butler from the sphere of
his earthly activities, the tide of euIopy1
would sweep around the nation. With ali
his egotism and mediterranean and blus.
ter, II would be found that he was at hsart a
patriot, that he had served the-nation well
IN many ways, aud that, on the whole. the
removal OF his life from our national history
would be q loss and not gain
This Abuse of political men while living
and this lsudAtiou Of them when dead,
convict the political press of the nation OF
q bIgotry Of which it ought to be thorough,
II all comes of our selfconcelt
We make no room for opinions that differ
with our own. To every man opposed TO us
we attribute unworthy motives. Our polit.
ca opponents are regarded as men without
principle. Their motives are more than
q questioned they are denounced. Our &C
tive politicians seem TO be knayes to thous-
andu OF their fellow couHtrymen, and are
treated as knaves by hundreds of pressss
and so habitual and persistent are miscop.
eeptIon and mAitreatment in this respect
mat men OF sensitive natures and q tender
regard Tor their own good names and repu-
ATOMS shrink from all participation in poll
'cS. IL Is true beyond dispute that q man
d me most stainless character and the pur-
ISL motives has only to become a candidate
or once, or to participate inhuentially in
POLITICAL Affairs, 10 become the target of q
great ermy OF dlrt-throuers, who lose NO CD
lorIunIty to soil his name aud blacken his
motives. The fact shows how disgracofully
bur political conflicts are conducted. and
low much their methods need reformation
We talk and write and act like children.
md like very bad children too. Each party
n a conflict assumes the possession Of eli
he patriotism, all the principles, and ell the
'irtue, and denies to its opponent every
rood and laudAble motive. The courtesies
If life are laid Aside. II is no longer
natter OF difference Of opinion among gem
lemen, IN which no one loses his respect
Tor his neighbor and himself, but it is de
grading squabble, from which 10 one comes ;
With name untArniahed and with banda mn. ,
rolled.
Ii the lesson which VAllandipham's
death teaches Ms could inaugurate q new
departure" in the conduct of our political
aud party contests, his death would not be l
n vain. Are We not old enough as a peo-- &
pie, and have we not learned enough from
The events Of the past few years, to be read
10 go into the Presidential conflict that liss.
not far before MS with something of fairness
and dignity2 1t is shame to Us that our
best men are Disguised with politics, and il
is shame to us that every prominent pub
lie man is subjected, from the beginning of :
ais career to the end, to the grossest mis-. .
and misrepresentation, which
are never retrActed until death strikes him
down. We have only to make ss much
room for the opinions Of our neighbor as We
claim for our own, and accord TO him the
'ame purity Of motive which we are con.
'oious of possessing, to make politics re.
'pecsable, and bring into publio Lfe those
who will serve the COUNTRY In she pure spir;t
d tne fethsra of the Republic. DR.. +. O. l
z 90 q Seyibner's for Aggpst