Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-08-06
LETTER FROM DIR. BOYER.


TO S. IL. Hindman, Esq, and Others /:
DEAR SIRs-Your esteemed favor
has been kindly received, and is so
full of truth and sound Democratic
doctrino--has so much OF the spirit
and patriotism of tho better days in
every line, 80 many suggestions that
will be useful in the future-that
hope you will pardon me for express
ing my entire appreciation Of It, by
way of sort Of review You say
tho result of tho late elections have
not disappointed you; neither have
they me and they have not entirely
discouraged mo, because We could not
nope I0f any vssss. snuiss w grow
from the planting Of the last three
or four years. We usually DO not
gather grapes of thorns, or figs oi
thistles. With here and there an iso.
lated exception all the organs Of pub
lie opinion have been either openly
promulgating pernicious errors, or re.
strained from publishing the truth by
the various sorts OF intimidation prac-
tced by the newborn despotsm.
What has country to hope for where
three-quarters Of the public press is
the advocate Of wrong, and the other
quarter is silenced by tho pressure Of
policy or fear? With what reason do
We look for correction of public
opinion, when the organs of opinion
are all wrong or silent? We are told
somewhere, | believe in "Cato's let
ters," that the judgment of the people
is generally sound where not misled.'
History, l think, attests this truth
There is no doubt that mankind W would
be in tho interest Of truth and liberty
were it not for external delusions OF
external force. Take away terror
and no man will fail to assert his lib
erty. Take away imposture, and mer
will never be dupes or bigots. When
ever the people are in the wrong, they
arc SO through mistake. When tl,cy
come to know the truth, they are
quite sure TO correct their faults anC
to visit upon their deceivers the just
rewards for the cheats put upon them
But this is not the case with the lead
ers of parties, who are almost always
in the wrong through ambition OF
avarice, and continued 30 through
malice or revenge. ! do not MAKE
these charges against all of the lead
ers. We have some who have, steT
by step, protested, and inch by incl
defended, the grand old principles SC
basely thrown aside, and never ac
quired only under solemn protest.
General Hamilton, a first class scamp
wrote book some years ago on "Par
liamentary Logic" in which ho seri
ously gave this advice to politicians
"If your cause be bad, call in ait
81. -.in-, ;r - -rr----. = r-- s-l-'
he must be made obnoxious if help
less, contemplate" This 1t seems L
mo has been adopted as the text-hool
of the party in power. At least |
has been the whole ethics of that par
ty for the last ten years. This, ant
not argument, not truth, has been tn
sole weapon Of their success. 1t ha
bocn the basis of scoundrelly success
in all ages of tho world. 1t has bcel
the way to manufacture a base publ
opinion in all times and until shaker
by the loudest thundcrs of truth,
base public opinion has been just a
effectual in holding the multitude a
the most just and enlightened pdbli
opinion. Demctrius, the silversmith
cried aloud "Great is Diana of Tn
Ephesians," and straightway his fol
low craftsmen raised an uproar agains
the Apostles without difficulty. Tn
great body Of the Ephesians wer
perfectly willing to bc damned, tina
Demctrius and his party might con
tinue to make silver shrines for th
moon. St. Paul was twice beato
with rods and once stoned by simila
worthies acting upon the spur of pub
lie opinion. When tho Apostles ha
healed tho lamo man, who was lai
daily at the beautiful gate of the TEN
pic, all tho people, as a first impulse
ran together unto them but they re
mained wondering under Solomon
porch, and no ono Of all the crow
joined the Apostles, because of tn
restraint of public opinion. Of a
, the ten lepers, whom Christ cleanse
in Samaria, but one had the oourag
: TO remain TO thank Him. Whe
Christ drove the buyers and seller
out of the temple, no man dared
praise Him openly, because of th
|, public opinion which set 80 strongl
| against His name. When He drov
! legions Of devils out of the country
} tho Gadarenes, instead OF daring
: thank him, they besought him TO d.
part from their coast, because OF th
: public opinion that condemned th
name of Christ. The insane cry I
the multitude has too often boen tb
/. same. "Not this man, but Barrabas.
: Cruelty the Saviour, but free tho rol
8 bers. That is exactly what publ
: opinion is worth when based on falls
8 hood and injustice. Wo have had
/. fearful example of this kind of publ
d opinion in this country, evcrsince u
!. appalling hour that witnessed the di
l gusting advent of Lincoln riding on
q rail into the Presidential chair Thu
n event was not only disgrace to ii
!. name of America, but II was a cdtdi
}, ity. 1t started tide of domoraliz
+ ton and shamelessness which b,
n flooded the whole land with wrecl
p OF everything that statesmen and me
of honor had held dear in this coul
I Ivy. IT gave birth to a public opi'
/ ion which would have been a publ
b scandal at any previous period of OF
g history. Principles OF government
held sacred from tho very dawn
the Revolution, were ignored. III
o constitution was discarded. The vel
o name of liberty was laughed at al
# dcspiscd, and just mca were dragg'
}. into dungeons, under the idiot
Il charges Of having "sympath'es'"'
a Opinions that gave birth to tho repu
I, lie were punished as a crime. Coz
4 mon thieves were clad in the live
a. of tho great embodiment OF r.
? shifting statesmanship, and dubD