Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-12-06

national sense, &c, &c.
Now, !. we have read Alright the
causes on the successes and failures
of INDEPENDENTLY the success of
the Radical party-that cause is not
the ductility of its leaders to circum-
stances, but the ductility of the con-
sciences of leaders and privates, under
the powerful influence of money. That
party has managed to concentrate a
large proportion of the capital of the
country within circle over which it
exercises absolute control, and thus
armed with the only power which con-
trolls Radical action, the party is able
not only to manufacture the circum-
stances to which accommodates itself,
but to buy sufficient amount of pub
lie opinion to give force and effect to
its corrupt policy There is no ques-
ton of constitutional law, or moral in
tegrity involved in its success and there
fore, we can endorse no effort to set up
the plan of Radical success as a model
for Conservatives, or Democrats. We
claim no right TO interfere with the
internal regime of the Radical party,
but deprecate-as we have reason to
do-any line of argument which tends
TO an endorsement of its peculiar skill
in party tactics, or commends its due
tility as worthy of general imitation
by those who love country more than
party and prefer political and moral
rectitude to money, or Office. Ex-
perience teaches that those who begin
by palliating, usually end by embrac-
ing, and we fear there is ground for
apprehension that those who begin by
discovering that lit certainly is not
derogatOry to party -conservative or
democrat-'to learn wisdom of Radi-
calism, will end by discovering that
wisdom is to be found no where else.
The Appeal farther reminds the be-
nighted opponents of Radicalism, that
we live in an era of intellectual and
moral progression which has invaded
all the sanctuaries of thought, not
sparing even the hitherto adamantine
solidity of religious theories. Well,
because Radicalism has invaded and
made wrecks of morality and religion,
are we to accept such vandalism as
evidence that I'VE live in an era of in
tellectual and moral progression"
Is this the reason why political par
ties have found out the wisdom of be-
ing governed by a more tolerant spirit, "
towards Radicalism, ''and the necess-
ity for wiser, cooler and better counsels
than those whose greater recOmmenda-
ton is their antiquity" This last fling
is a very broad intimation that there is
no wisdom ante-dating Radical policy
that even the Decalogue and the
federal Constitution have no other re-
bHdu
We had supposed that time did not
waste its embalming materials upon
mere trifes, and that the test Of time
is, at least, prima tacie evidence of
value. The Magma Charta of King
John lies far back in the reeesses of
antiquity, yet it has lost none of its
value, except in the estimation of the
ignorant, the vicious and the selfshly
ambitious to whose mad career that
invaluable document interpOses a bar
rier. We have no idea that the Ap-
peal means half that may be inferred
from its utterances, which tend, at the
same time, to encourage wrong and
weaken opposition to it. When Con
servatives, or Democrats look to their
party organs for just political discrimi-
nations, and are told that the Radical
party has a ready apprehension of
public sentiment, is flexible in adjust
ing itself to changed situations, in a
word, that it hears, recognizes and an
swers the voice of the times in a way to
advance its own interests and secure
and perpetuate its tenure Of power
the inference is that party so vigilant
and far seeing can not be far wrong,
and that the danger lies in confiding
in others SO far behind the times, as TO
need the wisdom OF the Radicals to
supply the shortcomings of the opposi-
ton. Is there suggestion in the SEN
tence quoted, that would lead the COM
mon reader to infer that to Radicalism
We owe violated Constitution, and an
administration corrupt, and dangerous
TO public liberty? On the contrary,
would not such reader infer, from the
entire sentiment, commentator of
Radicalism and censure of part, at
least, of those opposed to it?
We not only admit, but have assert
ed, wide spread corruption from
NhlOh uo ldlNl VI CilluC has tSCdpeU
unscathed. yet when we remember that
the dangerous usurpations and corrupt
practices of the dominant party are the
immediate cause of that politico- moral
degradation, we would be untrue to
our convictions and faithless to the
cause of truth, did we attempt to pail
ate the Radical enormity by running
parallel between the cause and its
effects, and still more culpable would
it be-in view of what Radiealism has
done for the country-to assert that
the times demand "an acceptance of
the situation, in theory and fact"
Those who are willing TO accept the
situation, have little desire for change,
aud not to desire change, is to be con-
tent with Radical rule