Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-04
SIGNS or TIE TEsrEs.

In the long run, government is a
pretty far index to TIE character of its
people. 1t is seldom indeed that a gov
eTnment IS better than the people, but
II may very often become worse. The
us inertis of the masses will. endure
much of misgovernment before it is
overcome. But when the people at
length arise, they move with all the re-
sistless momentum of large bodies. Il
would be grossly unjust to argue from
the corruption Of the dominant party,
that the majority Of the American
people are themselves corrupt. And
yet we must confess that IN private life
as well as public, derehctions of duty
and violations of trust, bank defalca-
tons, railway rascalities, etc, have be-
come altogether too frequent. Re
spectacle" criminals are becoming too
common. Either the courts are at fault,
or the people too Indifferent on the
subject to demand the exemplary pun
ishment Of crime in high places as well
as low. The worship Of success leads
us too often to admire the successful
swindler. We Defy our Jim Fishes
and commiserate our Tweeds. We
open our social doors too freely to the
man of in-gotten wealth. As Carl
Schurz puts 1t, with bitter sarcasm, 4
man may steal enough to make
him a gentleman. There is some
clement lacking in the moral
atmosphere. We have not the recti-
tude OF our fathers nor the courage of
our own convictions. a revolution is
needed IN the morals as well as the pol
tics Of public opinion-that intangible
but irresistible power in this country,
and final arbiter en- al questions that
affect the well-being of society. Edu-
cation is the watchword of the hour
Many look to this means alone for re-
covering the morals we have lost. They
expect education to Danish all crime
It is a beautiful faith. But the mani
fold crimes in high places, both public |
and private, which mark this as the
era of corruption in our brief history, |
those crimes which give our day this
prominence-are all the
crimes Of educated men. In the hum
bier walks of life we have the same old
,rop bred by human passion in all ages,
out the Distinguishing feature of the
lour is the cold-blooded, deliberate de-
of highly-trained intellect.
t Is the rule Of New England ideas
which has bred the fostering rottenness
low being laid bare at Washington to
he gaze Of all Christendom. Yet New
England claims to be more highly edu-
ated than any other section; that
5 exactly its peculiar pride. The
United States stands to-day among the
lations, at once the most corrupt aud
he most enlightened. with a wider
.iffusionof education among the masses
han any other country can boast.
There is food for reflection in these
facts. We need morals as
veil as intelligence. The difficult
hing for the people to find to-day is,
lot the competent official. but the hon
st one. Education should embrace
he heart as well as the head. There
an be no result without a suficiRg
ause, and the question presses, did the
.eneration past neglect the morals OF
be young, and so produce the present
tate Of affairs: or did the war and
he domination OF New England ideas
ause it all: Another question press
$ closer Homeland shouldbe needed: are
Re paying sufficient attention to the
lorals Of our children, the coming men
nd women Of the land? To regain the
urity Of earlier days, there Is a vast
York TO be done. non-poIticaI as well
5 politicaI-a Wort, in which all can
oin, Of whatever party, nationality or
reed-a work IN which allthe churches
an JON and lead, in their several