The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-07-07


hs s10itd'1sd:o. yssy 81 .ssrieaas,St /
tionsek Lesxsssmenti 40 held IN The hanas sf
ausesupaluhs sn6ns iTesq t1;nsoo 10 5"o1s
ana tSisiS wor,a Net. ~. 49, s'' III i
E The ambition Of tes individual il to 10
grasiRediet the sxPsuss of tho sasititq1esG
81, the success of tbs party Il 20 be achieved
at the expense'of the people stills Is, tie
rule of. the hour and dark sign ofgthe
times srsA- SIG ,5ooi b.b 5a aphel.r
i, !. Many men noting thia cry out aR@ioru;p
Bet /" Reform y, 10 only Party, satch-
word. It has Anei sound, but, It VIII
have no real meaning. It elethes the one,
Who cries it. with popularity. It il sand
thrown lin the eyes Of the people. And
besides,-meIe politics can no more reform
and regenerats politics than the natural
can regenerate the. natural. Yet the cry IL
. real cry in the sense that Reform fs alb
solutely neoessary,y-or Rain, shall Ensh
down upon N. For it il . fset that tho
politicians Of. the country are ptinefpally
men of very, little real education + 3asa
fact that they are, generally, mem Of still
lees principles. It 10 o. fact thet they sfe,
in the main, without integrity. II t. xfaSt
that they are chiefly void Of any, geRpise
practical religion. rIttis~a fagt ,Ahst sphSh
a. they profess TO love their count atthasH9
love fhemssives Tie hest, lis x isek that
they play With tie ,treussp dous, txpstsss-
posed in thesr hands, 40 ~ they were moro
tribes. It is a, fact that they procnrs VOTES
by making appeals to the passions qf tie
populace, rather than by honest addresses
to the peoples Intelligence 1t rs & fact
that they are ruled more BY partizan
prejadices than by stern laws Of integrity.
It is q fact that, while they tamper with
the peoples interests, they take very good
care of their own. T g... H.. Ia
It is fact that politics are as corrupt as
the politicians. But is it not also fact
that the people support such men. And is
it not then q fact that while we blame the
p oliticians for the>politics void of prin-
ciples, we must blame the people for main
tanning such men. For is it not q fact that
it is the fairest of tests to judge of the
character of any people by that of its lead
ing, representative menf And if people
elect, support and applaud men of loose
principles and of little or no moral worth !;
if they place such men in positions of
trust; if they delegate to them powers
which the truest fear to possess and the
wisest tremble to exercise ARE not the
people themselves responsible for the evils
which such men create Z We blame the
fountain if the stream be corrupt. We
blame the tree for its evil fruits. Corrupt
politics,-corrupt politicians,-corruptp eo-
ple,-three links in the one chain.
Politics without principles, -politicians
without honor,-people without integrity,
does not one necessitate the other If
the people were what they ought to be,
think You that tho politicians would be
what they are.
Reform politics "-you cry. "No"-
We say-"pass mp tho stream,-go to the
fountain,--and reform the People, who
have fallen far away from political truth,
and justice and integrity The People
are only misguided, you cay. Do they not
themselves choose their guides f-aye, and
servilely as dumb sheep, follow them7 g
Wait awhile,' you say q Wait ON the
brink of the precipice when your foothold
is crumbling away -. go bc, , '. ~ ~
Truss their intelligence, you cry out.
Intelligence without the hand of conscience
in It Il q danger to be feared. 's8 -, ,,..
sTrust their conscience then, you cay.
But conscience without laws to regulate it
rushes on to ruin. .''t
Where then begin the reform i--gegin it
In the moral order.-In the moral order g.
And are we not O highly moral people
Perhaps,-but we shall see.-
Lack of Thought.