Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-24
MEMPHIS APPEAL
SUNDAY MORNING. soy. -, 1879.
THE VANITY % rUBIIc MEN.

THE VANITY nr PUBLIC MEN.
The results of the late elections ar
not without their lessons Disastrou
as wa the canvas, it was not an IN
mixed evil. 1t has accomplished on
great good-dissipated one Of the wors
decisions Of American poliucs-th
idea that any one man, OF set of men
can carry n party in their breeche
pocket. IL has convinced party leader
that they are not omnipotent, onl,
powerful SO far as they reflect pubiir
sentiment. In a great political contes
aspirants and political leaders are gener
ally as vain as the fly upon the chariot
wheel which congratulated itself upon
the dust it was kicking up. The dUsI
kicked up by a political revolution is by
the people themselves, and not by the
self-conceited leaders. The bee, buzZing
at the tail Of a comet, discovered the
''sea Of upturned faces, - and exclaimed:
''Comet, are are attracting profound at
tention below In an election, the peo-
pie are the comet, and the self-conceited
leaders are the buzzing bees. The self
complacency of many a successful par
tisan has been disturbed by the late cleo
ton. Horace Greeley went into the
n with a national reputation as a
party leader Of great power. He was
unquestionably the founder Of the Re
publican party. As the editor Of n Of
the first papers Of the age, he was re
garded as a power in the land. But the
result Of the election has no doubt rum
pied the feathers Of his ~self-concelt, and
taught him q lesson which will Ike OF
profit to others. Charles Sumner, whose
learning, ~eloquence and self-will had
rendered him the champion Of the great
cause that had triumphed in the war,
and whom thousands Of men and Wo-
men admired for his fidelity to his con-
victions, as well as for his general pow
ers as an orator and statesman, had the
vanity to believe that be could control
the negroes, Massachusetts, ana b
Radical party by the Of his hand,
was unable to produce a ripple Of dis
content upon the surface of Radicalism.
There was Nh. Schurz, a European ex-
lie Of honorable career, Of singulaTly
brilliant rhetorical force, of no little po-
litical insight, and Of great popularity
with his coUntrymcn-the Germans, a
most numerous body. He expected to
lead his countrymen in solid phalanK
to the support Of Greeley, but failed
in the experiment. Senator Trum-
bull, presuming upon his former sue
cess and prosperity, expected TO transfer
his State TO Greeley. But tie result
shows that he was unable to change q
single vote. Andrew johnson believed
he had a bill Of sale to the people Of Ten
nessee. He imagined that he had only
TO whistle, and his menials would Il
sEer as promptly as a pack Of hounds
respond to the hunters horn. He was
vain enough to believe the people could
not do without his services, and were
clamOr0us for his voice in the councils
OF the nation. Mr.. johnson made the
canvass solely ON his own record, be-
lieving, in his o~verweening self-con-
ceit, that he was stronger than any
other organization or candidate. But
out Of nearly two hundred thousand
votes cast, Andrew Johnson received
only thirty-fve thousand votes. The
voice which he said was the people call
ing him was only the suggestions Of his
own vanity. The peoplesmote him with
their indignant wrath and be tum-
bled in the sea Of oblivion. His former
success could avail him nothing when
he turned his back upon his former
teaching and abandoned the organiza-
ton which gave him every Office, from
Alderman to President. The defeat Of
these champions who have so long sue
cessfully ministered at the party affairs,
show that the people are mighter than
their leaders. So long as the leaders do
right, cling to principle, advocate the
policy, and remain faithful to the organ
i~zstion, just 50 long viii the people con-
fde in them and promote them 70 ad-
vanced rank and greater power; but
whenever the leader so trusted and
so favored cOnceives in his vanity
that he can master his supporters, and
that they viii follow his beck and bow
to his nod, even though he prove re-
creant to his and their principles and
turns against his and their party, from
that moment his downfall can be dated,
aud in that event the people emphati-
cally vin6icate their own supremacy
and make Of the occasion a terrible
warning for other leaders who entertain
a similar idea of their self-import-
anee and their ability TO control the
voting masses. No leader in the United
States, however exalted his position,
now great his past services, how
faithful his record, how popular
his fame, can rise superior to
the people when he e%ndeavors
either TO beguile OF betray them. They
know their might, they are jealous Of
their rights, they are i~ndulgent to those
who serve them with fidelity, and are
prone to richly reward them for their
services; but when they find themselves
trihed with, OF deceived, or betrayed,
their indignation and their ems Of jus
tice impel them to pull down from his
eminent station whOsoeyer is the triier
or deceiver or betrayer, and TO cast him
from the rock Of popular confidence in
70 hopeless political death. Leaders
must obey the voice Of the people, for
the people will rule!