The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-07-16

ease and safety, experience is one OF the
tests OF capacity. Theory without practice,
books without experience, would give an
applicant for place and position in one Of
those large establishments no assurance Of
success. The proprietors kpoY too well the
touch Of the skilled hand, the seeming life
which is impaired to the machinery by ms
direction. And It would be vain FOR one
who claimed superior knowledge upon
merely theoretical grounds to have him re-
moved at his dictation.
J Time has furnished countless pages to
history; and from those pages the most i'm
portant political lessons are learned. There
the mind may trace through ages the eter-
nal principles Of Democracy. There may
be seen the gradual development Of mon
archical views, and Of their correlative cor
rectOrs or neutralizers-the efforts to con-
centrate power in the hands OF the few,
and the struggles to counteract and defeat
them. So years were passed; and In
majority Of countries, before man had passed
through the dark ages, power rested in the
hands Of the few; and the masses, the great
commonalty, with all of the vast interests
and well being of nations, were PROSTATE at
the feet of sovereign power, the footballs
of royalty and the servants of those who
claimed prescriptive right to rule. But as
light seeks to penetrate into the cracks
and crevices of darkness, so intelligence
sought the equities of liberty and met the
asseverations of royalty with the beneicent
results of freedom. Gradually the natural
aspirations for equal rights and privileges
assumed consistency and method. The
divine right of kings was questioned, and
thenceforward the same principles which
are now called democratic were embraced
by the masses of struggling humanity, and
brought the head of many a despot to the
block From ancient Greece and Rome
these principles found a lodgment in Great
Britain, and gained the most ardent sup
porters. The Barons Of England for hun
dreds of years contended for them, and
at last succeeded in wringing from King
John the right to the protection of
the cardinal and benefcent princi-
Piles of magma ckarta. For violation of
these principles, King Charles the First
suffered death at the block.
But still humanity was cramped, and
sought larger fields where in communion
with the solitudes of nature the spirit of
liberty might grow and become strong. SO
the ocean was crossed and jamestown and
Plymouth Rock became the beacon lights
Of liberty. In the course of few years,
thirteen colonies were teeming with life
and full of the fires of personal and colonial
freedom. But they looked to the home
government, as children to their homes,
for protection and love. Their confidence
was abused, their rights denied and their
petitions for redress streated as the outcrop-
pings of rebellious children, who. would
defy the parental power and enjoy unre-
strained liberty. These were democratic
/ prlncIPaS-, -l------- l-' W ~
tween the people and the one man power.
They had sunk deep into the hearts of the
colonlsts and took root in good soil. From
the eagle in his erial flights and the rattle
snake in his haunts, the fathers of the New
World felt that it was not beneath their
dignity and intelligence to learn the impor-
tant fact that man, who was created but
little lower than the angels, was not in
tended to be the slave cf kings or the tool of
despots. If the very birds of the air and
the reptiles of the forest were free,
why should they, standing in all the glory
of intellectual greatness, bow their heads
! before one Of their own race and pay him
that homage which the Creator alone was
: entitled to9 The answer was soon framed.
Their grievances were not redressed, and on
the fourth day Of July, 1776, democracy
from the Western World thundered the Dec
laration of Independence which shook the
] kingdoms and empires Of the world to their
centres, and made the occupants ofthrones
quake with fear The author of that glO-
riOus declaration was Thos Jefferson, the
: author of embodied democracy in America,
or democracy of welldefned and ben
! efcent principles. From his day down
I to the present time, those principles have
: gained strength. And today the imperial
France of Napoleon and the monarchical
: kingdom Of Spain, are Struggling to incor.
porate into their constitutions and laws the
same ennobling principles Shall We then,
s at this late day be led astray by the mere
tricious claims Of evil men who would
break down such benefcent principles and
turn the masses over to the tender mercies
= of men and parties who only seek the eleva
ton Of the few at the sacrifice Of the labor
d ing milliousg Eeveri Experience has
!. z taught as that the people can no more
flourish and prosper when acting il oppOsi
ton to Democracy, than they can grow
strong and healthy under the shade Of the
poisonous Upss tree, OF in the deadly
marshes OF Italy.
Under Democratic rule the United State.
became the most free and prosperous
country upon the globe. But when cen
tralism seized the reins of government, th'
liberties Of the people faded away, nd th'
8 vampires Of pswer fed upon their substances
Il till the land is filed with mourning.
But Texas, thanks to Democracy. isagail
free. And shall We now, when about {,
enjoy the blessings Of free govemmentoncl
more, turn our backs upon those who vocl,
uphold Democratic institutions and init
S with the Patrons Of Husbandry, or tn
= Radical party, or any other political party
q AS well commit suicide; indeed, it wiull
be mofe reasonable to DO 50.
10, let Democrats beware Of the Sng
Of the syren, however sweet and onthin
thoy may Be. let their motto be: Dsms
cracy forever.
COW EzEpEll, CBN. GRANT, AM
a TMlRD IERaE AGAIN.