Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-23

everywhere, and not hollOwness. 1t means
educational cultivation sufficient for the high
est purposes Of an eager and sinewy intellect,
ana not merely slender stock of ornate re-.
tnements. There is ample scope in America
ior the ambition of all, especially in the
large diversity of human employments, and
the ooundless wants of a continent. The
useful arts, letters. the press, and even poll
tics, always need greater leaders. True, it
what Webster told his friend will remain
true forever. There isl said he, O. plenty
o room higher up"
At last the question will arise. Shall Young
men embark on the vexed sea of politics :?
The great experiment we have 80 far success
iully conducted involves the cooperation of
all. 1t cannot be fairly tried il educated
men stand aloof while all others come to the
front. 1t is their duty to bolt the wheat
from the chaff. and see to it that those entrust-
ed with affairs shall esteem duty paramount
to interest or to personal amusement. The
emoluments of ofhce-holding, it sometimes
appears, are more attractive than its honors.
and its honors more engrossing than its du-
ties. In all such cases failure is inevitable
At the best, the common field of politics Or
dinarily offers little chance of Immortality,
but the sphere OF statesmen, having liberal,
natural and acquired endowments, gives
rather more ground for hope, and yet even
here the brevity of popular regulations is
fearfully discouraging. To hold office and
follow In the grooves OF existing laws requires
less ability than the consideration of the
proper functions of government, or those
great principles of political economy upon
which to found the policy of a nation, and
especially of nation already strong and
aspiring to the highest prosperity and to ma
tional renown. The territory we occupy,
the form OF government we uphold, the differ
ent policies that have been tested by their
effects, and the lessons derived from an hun
dred years of our own history, teach all
thoughtful men that we cannot adopt and
apply secondhand theories, made by and for
those who are the hereditary enemies of our
form of government, AMI who are not more
distant from US geographically than they are
in sentiment and interest. The American
student should study the science of govern
ment earnestly and profoundly, but with
the purpose OF not beng merely tame and
lazy copyist. He must originate measures
adapted to the American continent, adapted
to the improvement of the American people,
and to the placing of his country where other
nations, if they would be in foremost rank,
must follow in her footsteps. Neither Euro
pean nor Asia.ic political philosophy is
likely to thrive on our soil. We must plant
and raise American craftsmanship.
Public servants will be the best, if the pop
ular intelligence demands the best, and they
will only be virtuous so long as the public
conscience shall sm;te all shortcomings with
righteous Indignation. One point was not to
be easily surmounted, viz: the inheritance
nf
US by the late war, with only dim and dis
tant prospect of its ultimate disappearance
That it has undermined and is undermining
the home-bred honesty of the people is an
alarming fact. No plague of Egypt ever
asserted itself more impudently. 1t is per-
petual fraud, lurking around every business
transaction. public and private. Sanctioned
by law, it tlches something from every prom
lse and turns large percentage to dross. 1t
is an enormous burden to government, the
parent of extravaganza in all of its expen-
ditures, and subtle poison to which all of
its official forces are daily exposed. 1t is the
currency, rising or falling, with which never
to do as you agree. Not being genuine, it is
held by all men with only the easy, touch
and-go title, by which gamblers hold their
tainted spoiIo ODD 10 ma kins a -vvvI- An.
the habits and morals of the nation. All
men should confront this monster evil anu
crush it it ere it crushes society in one gener
al mass of rottenness.
In republican form of government, as
now conducted, the victorious party rules.
Ir becomes therefore important that both
parties should have intelligence and integrity
enough to conduct the affairs of the nation,
whichever may be in the ascendency. We
must have trained at all times twice as many
man as may be necessary to man the govern
ment. Only yesterday as it were, our coun-
try was solitude unbroken save by wild
beasts and savages. Already the scene is
changed-civilIz4tion has dawned. Com
merce, the husbandman and the school-mas-
ter have made their appearance. Now the
young men of America come in and take up
the task so auspiciously begun. They are to
give an added luster, a newborn lovliness,
to our country, and cause its institutions and
its civilization to bring forth an autumnal
wealth OF coloring, of foliage and of fruit.