Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-10-25
GAINESVILLE. .: OCT. 20, 1873.
PARTY SPIRIT.

CURRY than the spirit and feeling of
party. Let doctrine, however erro-
neous, become party distinction, and
it is at once intrenched in interests and
attachments which make it extremely
difficult for the most powerful artillery
ofreason to dislodge it. 1t becomes q
point of honor in the leaders of parties,
which is communicated to their follow
ers, to defend and support their re-
spective peeuliarities to the last, and,
as natural consequence, to shut their
eyes against all the pleas and remon-
strances by which they are assailsd.-.
Even the wisest and best men are sell
dom aware. of how much they aresus
ceptible to this sort of influence and
while the offer of world would be in
sufficient to engage them to recant
known truth, or to subscribe to an ac-
knowledged error, they are often re-
tanned in willing captivity to preju-
dices and opinions which have no 9th
er support, and which, if they could
lose sight of party feelings, they would
instantly abandon" as tf
There are few men who have acted
with any party, who will not acknowl-
edge the truth of the foregoing, but
who while acknowledging it, still con-
tinue the willing slaves of unreasoning
party spirit. Without consideration,
they sell their right to freedom of OPP
inion and independence of action, and
stripped of these high privileges by
their own want of the attributes of
true manhood, they become the fitting
as well as the ever willing tools of sell
fish and ambitious leaders. A people
thus trained to mistake prejudice for
patriotism and error for truth, are in
competent to appreciate the blessings
of liberty, and wholly untitled to Sc
cure them. ---f.
The Radical party built itselfup, on
a single idea-the abolition of slavery,
and by means of lies written, spoken
and engraved, so inspired the masses
with fanatical hatred of the South as
to prepare them for any enormities in
the prosecution of that lawless inva-
sion of the rights Of States. The
work done, the leaders resolved to hold
themselves together by the cohesive
power of plumber, and keep up the al
legiance of their unthinking followers
with assurances that every blow at
popular liberty-every act of corrupt
usurpation and abuse of power, was es-
sential to the consumation of the work
of abolition. This blind party spirit
has endorsed and kept in power a set
of men, whom those same parties, un-
der different influences, would have
hung for the enormity of their offenses
against public virtue and constitution
al liberty. But having surrendered the
right to free thought and independent
action, they are wholly unprovided
with basis for sober second thought,
and needless and ignorant cling to the
leaders who have so basely betrayed
them. ..
EThis is not the only illustration we
might give, of the baleful influence of
party spirit upon masses enthused by in
genious apeals to passion and prejudice,
in behalf of some abstract humanita-
rian idea. But this should suffice TO
convince us that in our homes, in our
schools and in the various walks of
everyday life, we should insist upon
the importance of free inquiry into
every subject which bears upon our in
dividual and collective we'll being, and
inculcate the necessity for that in
dependence which will not shirk the re-
sponsibility of acting upon honest con-
victions of right. Allegiance to mere
party, is treason to the country, and
the abasement of those higher mental
and neral faculties, bestowed for the
purpose of elevating mankind, perfect
ing governments and diffusing the
blessings of peace, happiness and pros
perity.
1t may be coutended on the other
hand, that without party organization
there can be no unity, no success for
the doctrines sought to be engrafted
upon the administration of the govern
ment. 1t is not organization that is OBJ
jectionable, but the use made Of it, TO
uphold error, to advance the interests
of demagogues by sitting freedom of
opinion and discouraging investigation
into the merits of the doctrines embod-
led in the creed of the party. Such is
the organization of the Radical party,
and to counteract its dangerous pre-
cepts and examples, we need a counter
organization in this State, not based
upon abstract political dogmas, but up
on the one, broad idea of saving the life
of the government from the grasp of
assassins. But to form so righteous
ana lliance as this, We must proceed
upon the hypothesis, that five cannot
reconcile all opinions, We may unite all
hearts, in the cause of liberty and coun-
try. Appeals to reason are in vain be-
cause prejudice keeps the key to every
mind not already convinced that I'M
ion of the opposition-on whatever
terms-can alone avert the destruction
of the government. Those who cannot
see this, are impervious TO facts and
arguments; and those who see it and
still resist are the most dangerous enc
mics to popular liberty.
THERE are now FIVE courts in sess-
ion in Nashville, and the spectator
who looks at these crowded temples of
justice, can, by the aid of an active
imagination, form faint conception
of the extent of the trouble and ex-
pense incurred by the people, under
Al L.. 4. Job@ IL a-;,.o W.