American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-03-09

various Circuit Clerks Offices, where
they can be redeemed by the owner
with little tronble or expense, or
purchased by the poor people, and
at once become a rich source of
revenue to the State, urges as an
objection that the printers fee
allowed of twenty five cents for
advertising each subdivision will
innre 10 the benefit of Il few Demo
cratic newspapers. The Pilot will
remember that under the existing
law, fifteen cents is allowed for adj
veriising each subdivision of de-
linGnent lands for three weeks.
Surely twenty-five cents for three
months. the space provided for in
this bill, is not equal to fifteen
cents for three weeks We fear the
objection to the bill, which is a wise,
just and humane measure, is its
Democratic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
No brave and virtuous people,
DESTROYS of retaining their freedom,
were ever made slaves. 1t is only
where the hearts of the masses of
the people become corrupt and en-
ervated by vice, that they become
an easy prey usurpers and tyrants.
Men become slaves to soul-destrO y-
ing vices, before they become slaves
to their fellOw-men. A plain, SIM
pie, cheap government, limited in
it's powers, like that our fathers es-
tablished for the Federal Union, is
not suited to the desires of u cor
rnpt people. The probability Of the
restoration of our fathers, Union.
and onr former liberties. depends
on how far the hearts of the people
have become contaminated how
much of the old leaven of purity,
and simplicity, is left to work out
our political salvation. We much
fear that if the question were sub
mitted to n popular vote of the
whole Union, the negroes included,
whether we should have the simple
Federal Republic of old, or Grand
i Military Despotism, the latter
would prevail. For it is indisputa.
ble, that the American people have
fearfully refrigerated within the last
score of years. The PROGRESS of
which some so flippantly boast, is a
progress i'm the path that leads to
hell. Bad as are the men that con-
troll the affairs of the Union and of
the States, they are but the expo
nents of at least very large num-
Der of the American people. To
learn how far we have refrigerated,
we have but to compare the public
men Of to day with the public men
of quarter of a century ago. Ben
Butler with Everett and Winthrop;
Conkling with Wright and Fill
more; Chandler with Cass; Brown
low with Bell, and Alcorn with
Quitman and Davis.
Patriotlsm-love of country and
his fellow -citizens-caHnOt dwell in
the heart of man corrupted by
vice, greedy of gain, devoted to
guilty pleasures, inscriptions OF
the means by which gain and pleas
ure are obtained. He either cares
nothing how the affairs of the gov
crnment are managed, so long as
his own debased desires can bt
gratified, OF he seeks to use the
government, Federal, State, Coun
ty. or Municipal, to crafty these
desires.
We by no means assert that this
corruption is confined to the Rad.
ical party or to the North; but this
we do affirm: that the principles
and measures of the Radical party
are the legitimate outgrowth of the
state of things we have described
and that while so great a number
Of the fountains are impure, there
is little hope Of seeing clear, pei
lucid stream.