New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-28
INTEREST And NO INTEREST.

| In one of its numerous comments upon the
recent Fifth Avenue meeting, The EUening
| Post .ays: ave did not gather from the
"speeGhes [of the Southern gentlemen any
"evideAce that there was in the community
"for which they spoke any interest whatever
Gin reform, as we at the North understand it.
Gree Trade, Revenue Reform, Civil Service
"Refom-they did not even allude to these
"subiects.n They probably were thinking of
something to themselves of more Importance
of their ruined homes, of their impoverished
States, of the locust-swarm of adventures
which has settled upon their territory,
and of that lost liberty which was once
protected by law. They thought, per-
haps, and rightly thought, that until
something like peace and personal freedom
and material prosperity and well-protected
daily industry should be restored to them,
their energies might be applied somewhat bet
ter than in behalf Of Tariff Reform, or Treas
ury Reform, or Civil Service Reform. Perhaps
they were not to blame. A man who does
not know whether he is a citizen or not;
whether his property will be protected or not
whether he may not, for no good cause, DO
east tomorrow into dungeon and kept there
for months whether he may have any other
than a summary trial before packed jury, or
no trial at all before a dcspotical ignora-
mus; whether he may be allowed TO
cast his vote into any other than
stuffed ballot-box; whether candidate
against whom he has voted will not be fur
nisbed by plant Governor with certificate
of election whether he may not find himself
with many others DISTINGUISHED on the very
morning of election by gubernatoral ukasej
whether his State is not to be saddled by a
debt too ponderous for any hope of payment; ;
whether if put into jail he will not be starved
to death for want of public funds to buy
bread, while perhaps the collector of taxes
is a defauter to the amount of thirty or forty
thousand dollars; whether he is 10 be free
man. or the thrall of Scott or Reed, of Bull
lock or Davis, or Holden, or some other ire
sponsibe satrap; whether if he testilies
against the wishes of an ofiice-holder
under the General Government his life will be
safe "a man surrounded with such embarrass-
ments and filled with such apprehensions as
these may well be excused if he does not feel
very lively interest in the economical essays
of Mr.. Edward Atkinson or the self-opinionated
articles Of The Nation newspaper What do
the people of Marion County, South Carolina,
what do the people of the eight neighboring
counties care fol. the elegant distractions OF
amateur politicians and drawing-room re-
fOmersl
1t was because matters of more immediate
and pressing importance, in fact of life and of
death, demanded their attention that the
Southern gentlemen at the Conference felt 80
little interest in pretty schemes for refining
our politics and for pertaining our halls OF
Legislation. 1t is not just the thing to read
to dpwning man a treatise on hfe-pre-
servers, or TO point out to him that if he had
exercised this or that precautiOn he would
have kept out of the watery peril. major
ity of the Fifth Avenue men discovered at
once thd the first nuisance to be rid OF was
Grantisn or CGsarism, or Nepotism, or Per
sonal Government by whatever name it may be
called. The Southern gentlemen spoke feelingly
of the sufferings of their section; the North
ern and Western men listened to the speakers
as it became gentlemen to listen, and acted
upon what they heard as it became humane
and intelligent men to act, and now the whole
country is holding a similar conference, and,
if we are not utterly mistaken, will come to
the same conclusion. The very first business
of a government is to make life and liberty
secure. The very first thing for our Federal
Government to learn is that Union existing
only on paper and by letter of law Is good for
nothing. All desirable things in good time
Liberty fifst-all the rest afterward!
"