The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-03-12
Man lllOOll and Citizensl,ixD.
By HORACE GREELEY,

Under a despotism, aspiration
bears a dangerous family likeuess tc
treason, and u rigorous avoidance ol
public station is the dictate of sim
pie prudence. The lnonarcll's favor.
ite and vizier of to-day may he th<
prescribed fugitive, or doomed pris.
rner, Or healless trunk, of to-mor.
DOW and no elninence in ability 1c
service can be trusted to avert such
catastrophe. The man who loves
his family and friends, not to speak
of his own life, may fairly say 4
have no right to expose my loved
ones to the peril Of disaster and
downfall ; SO l will cling to private
station, wherein no one can deem
my overthrow essential to his own
advancement or success, rather than
brave the dangers Of a public career.
Born subject, l choose to live and
die und;sting,lished, and thus be sure
that it can never be deemed u crime.
i'll my children to strcw flowers over
my grave"
Liberty is attended by grave re-
sponslbi}ities. The freeman may not
blamcIessly reject or decline all the
active duties Of citizenship. He is,
by birth Or naturalization, q member
OF the State, and under moral obliga
ton to contribute his quota toward
Its wise and intelligent guidance, as
well as its material support. Though
there be few conscientious men
who, under a mistaken conception
of principle, refuse to vote or accept
any political responsibility, because
the State is not what they hold it
should be, the true freeman accepts
the duties Of an elector precisely as
he does those Of u juror or tax
payer, and discharges them with like
cheerful alacrity und scrupulous
fidelity.
-" But may he not iustifiably de-
cine Office, and all other political
functions than those Of q private
citizen ?"
I answer: He may not only jus
titiably, but wisely, refrain from SEEK
ing Office. He may say in his heart,
and whenever it may be requisite,
avow, that he disires no farther evi-
,lonct c. his fe!low-citizens' good
opinion than that afforded Ny thei,
uniform department toward him
lie may r:shtfuliy and heartily loathe
the i'lo, o being supported by the
public, wi!eathcr il. an office or an
n|m,iionse. He may landably say to
Nil VINO ;lj,pronci him with s1g:9,,cs-
tions ti'at te ought to have or TO in
spi"c To public station, will never
solicit amy mans support for office.
50 long as my countrymen can Go
without my services, I can do willl-
out their votes. I ask OF them moth
ing but justice in legislation and in
Jurisprudence, whereby every one is
enabled to enjoy what he honestly
earns, and to keep Whatever is right
toIlsly lis own" Let him maintain
this attitude sincerely, consistently,
aid he is, no; likely to be infested
with many solicitations that he take
Office.
No doubt, there have been, as I
trust there will yet be, instances iii
which office honors alike yiyers and
recipients. When George Wash
inston, the retired militia-coloncl,
was called from his farm to assume
the chief command Of tho contineh-
t,.l forces raised and to be raised by
the united colonies to resist the
tyranny Of the British king OF whom
they would fain have remained faith
ful subjects, but not cringing slaves,
the cause Of popular government
was exalted by the happiness OF the
choice. When the snbaltern Bona
parte, after q brief ipition into the
practical art of war at the siege of
Iculon, was appointed, though hard
ly twenty-six years old, leader OF the
Army Of Italy, the selection would
have consigned its responsible au-
thors to infamy, had it not been
speedily justified by series OF victo-
RIGS. When John R,ndolph-a
bearllcss stripling, apparently just
out of boyhood-was asked by the
Clerk of the House Of Representa-
tives, whom he had anii reached to
take the oath OF Member, sc What
is your age, Mr.. Randolph ?" he
promptly and happily replied "Aslz
my cons'ituents!'' 1t impeachea
their intelligence and loyalty to s,'a-
pect that they had elected a repre-
sentative who was not Of the age re-
quired by the Constitution. Either
lie was qualified for his duties, or they
were not qualified for theirs:
In our day, whoever attains office
is presumed to have sought it, and
with less regard to the public good
than to his own. Such may be the
rn|a . VET there are noble and strik-