Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-25
Communications.
OUH POLITIC.sL D.syvGBH.

OUH POLTTIC.sL DANGER.
When q nation once becomes free and in
dependent the people are slow 10 believe
that their freedom can be In danger. They
forget the maxim OF Jefferson that "eternal
vigilance Is the price Of liberty !" they can
not think their public officers will pursue
a course to impair, much less to desti oy
that freedom. The producing millions, the
life and power of the nation, take but little
pains to study the theory or Investigate the
practical administration of the government
under which they live. They allow them
selves to be plundered by the non-produc-
ing classes that have so rapidly increased
during the last decade, with an Indifference
that seems almost incredible to close OBJ
server.
Our fathers secured TO us the priceless
blessings of national independence but
whether we are making a just application
OF the principles of independence to our
national progress and advancing civiliza-
ton, is question fraught with the deepest
interest to the future of this republic. If
party strifes and the struggles for political
ascendency continue to be the rule, and
the spoils of Office and government Latron-
age supplant truth and honesty-if justice
aud patriotism are held subordinate to
popular favor-can we expect to hold tire
highest position amongst the great civilz-
ed nations of the nineteenth century, The
character and duration of nations depend
upon the character of their people; no fate
holds them up; their destinv Is in their
own hands; and history establishes the
fact that the fast and profigate living of a
people invariably tends to shorten the life
of the nation. Our nai)nal theory of gov
eminent is democracy-a government by
all and for all. Our rulers are not fOreor-
dained their power is given them by cleo
ton, and they are ostensibly the servants of
the people; but observation proves them
TO be, practically, their most unrelentng
taskmasters. They impose upon the peo-
pie the.most onerous burdens TO perpetu-
ate their rule, aud many Of them riot in the
profigate splendor of their stolen treasure,
righlful!y belonging to their constituents.
The people of this country are to-day be-
ing plundered and fieeccd by the official
lords TO an extent unparalleled in the his
tory of the country and as long as they
DedT IL VIII StOlC lOulUeTcDce, Inelr cruel
usurpers will tighten their grasp.
A nations progress cannot be counted
| exclusively by dollars and cents, nor its
| greatness be measured by degrees of lati-
tude aud longitude. The virtue and INTEL
| ligence of the people, and the equality of
| rights under just code of laws, admins
tered alike to the highest official aud the
hunlb!est laborer, is of much greater i'm
| portance. But where money is made the
absorbent principle of life and swndling
re uced to a science, no government or
community, whether great or small, can
| prosper for any great length of time.
The late Credit Mobilier Investigation is
a sorry exemplitication of the weak ness of
our government. Intelligent people
throughout the country and the world, will
| hold the operators in that transaction guilty
Of the most unwarranted populations and
| disingenuous frauds that ever furnished the
| history ofany government. But the enorm-
ity of that scheme is entirely outdone by
the legislative and executive departments
of the general government in the salary
| theft, whereby million dollars of the peo-
| pies money will be pockeed by the pratt
ers for reform who were so sensitive to the
interests of the people during the last pres
iden!ial canvass.
| No whitewashing committee or vote of
censure can ever make intelligent humani-
| ty believe that these guardians of nations
interest and the peoples rights acted from
| purely philanthropic motives. This page
| in American history will show upon its
fann ba bnItn Of or;o OF
men for the protection of the peoples in
terest and the nations good. In this age
money is power; and the federal govern
ment acting upon that principle, seems
fully determined to perpetuate its rule over
the States and the people by tiching from
the public treasury in the shape of salaries,
a efficient amount to effectualy resist all
opposition.
The only remaining hope is IN the wis
dom and virtue of the Common people
| aud if they, from whom the power eman-
ates, have not already become so corrupted
as not to discriminate between men of pro-
| fession and men or practice, men of virtu-
Gus and men of dissolute habits, this re-
public may yet emerge from the corrupt
ing Influences so prevalent in high places.
Nor is it by any means safe to count on
complete purity amongst the lower classes;
for ii is quite common, even in small towns,
to see the best and truest men discarded for
second and third rate party politicians who
never earned dollar in any legitimate
way, where they have spent ten of other
peoples pr, duction. The source and foun-
tain of pol teal power is so corrupted, and
primary elections so abased by partisan
pledges and official training, that proflgate
extravaganza and plumber follow as a nat
ural consequence. b.