Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-11-01
PATRIOTISM.

There is no word more abused,
or less understood, than the word
which heads this paragraph. It's I.
old fashioned meaning, the mean .
ing that gave it dignity and power f.
il the good old times, seems 20 .
have faded from the memory Of
our people. Patriotism in It's true
sense, Is love OF country above self,
freedom from partisan prejudice
and the passions engeudered by
party strife; devotion to truth and
the best interest Of the whole coun-
/ try; that grandeur Of soul which in
times of peril rises high above self;
is Indifferent ~ 10 party names
when vital principles are - stake,
and ambitious OF promoting the
common veal, scOrns all selfish APP
peals 10 etiete party jeaIOusie=, in
efforts sublime to preserve funda-
mcnta! principles. Such was pa
triotisIu, as understood aud prac-
ticed by the statesmen and men OF
other days-such was the patriot
ism of the fathers, whose purity
and devotion to Constitutional lib
erty, seems to serve no other end
il these days, than to furnish stale
cant for class Of political Peck
shifts, who fail To cxemplify in
their acts, single one of the viz
tues they eXtOl.
We honor patriotism IN the true
sense, wherever We find it. 1t mat
tiers not TO Us whether this grand
sentiment IS manifested in tho
thought and life Of one who thinks
as we think, or who differs with US
on questions Of public policy, We
honor it all the same. But when
class Of men, in whose every thOt'
and action is clearly traced, selfish
ness, passion and prejudice-who
are ever ready to sacrifice public
interest, to serve Cphemeral per
soual cuds-who blindIy trample
upon fundamental principles, in q
wild war upon mere party names
men in short that, while protesting
the highest order Of patriotism, des-
cend to the lowest order Of partizan
prejudice--who while procIaiming
al am the light and the life" are
at the same time surreptitiously
hurting lighted fre-brands into
the cities Of the taithiuI-when
such men essay to play the exalted
role of patriotic craftsmanship, or
proclaim themselves political Mes
siahs, we feel like exclaiming, in
the language Of COwper:
''But the age OF yirtuous politics is past,
And we are deep in that of cold pretense.
Patriots have grown too shrewd 70 be
sincere,
And Ne too wise % ira them"
PROOF OF OUR -ASSERTIoN.~
We stated last week, that the
"Veteran of the Courier" had asser-
ted in his columns, that "tho Demo
Gratis would never win another bat
tie The,Veteran calls on US to
prove our assertion, as he is
pleased to style it. We will do it,
In an article in the Courier, of Oct.
the 9th, we find this language"
"But as soon as they (the Conserva-
tives) acceeded to power, the Demo
cats pulled down the emblems OF
Conservatism, which had secured
such IL browning victory, (reierring
to the Sentor-Stokes race and sub
stituted in its stead a party that
has rapidly dwindled to such feeble
proportions that it "tCiH aercr erin
oaOHer. batter. We never make
charges that we cannot substantiate.
1t is not our habit 10 indulge in
assertions" The memory Of the
Veteran of the Courier is however
proverbially bad whenever it hap
pens to be 10 his interest TO forget
unpleasant truthes, as the above
very fully illustrates. We chal-
lenge the "Veteran" to show where
in we have ever misquoted his Ian
guage.