The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-07-08
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Saturday BeglsS, JJpnet aol Z. Q. s1ss5 ...3E,
WeaEe not aure that we know thu! ex-
sct practical object d the series Of papers
"on Compromise which, Mr.. ,JohnMSt-
ley is putting forth instho RortaigRtly Re.
Viss, they have at least the, merit OF
setting onethlhklpgg II b plain that we
do live imam ageiwhlch, five choose to
put the matter Raishl \ We might cali An
age of great inEineerity.S The tendency,
however, Of which GrGMorley complains
might psrhspsbe described moro gently
withoutsny breach d Truth. tits GER
tain that in our days men do not speak
out all that they think GO, largely as they
did ineome other times-say, Tor instance,
the sixteenth century or the seventeenth.
Bot we should doubt whether there Il 90
much direct and conscious s1usincefiH
now as there has been at come time ol
the worlds history. One great point
Tor those who take Mr.s-Morleys
line doubtless Is thst . there 7. are
so many people now who disbelieye Ia
Christianity, Or Of least In Christianity In
lis received form, who do not openly con.
iess their disbeliet. Another point Is the
insincetity Of political life; that men, for
instance, on the hustings only now there
are no hustings-do NOT profess their gen.
uine opinions, but. such opinions. as they
think are likely to be acceptable to the
electors, at any rate to the electors Of their
sWn party. There Is no doubt truth In
the statement in both cases; insincerity,
or al any rate the lack OF speaking ont Is
common on both subjects. Its common,
not only as compared with any ideal
standard, but as compared with certain |
other times and places. Indeed, this Is |
the kind Of subject about which 1t would |
be hardly possible to Set up an ideal stand.
ard. For in an ideal state Of things one
might conceive thatthere would be no
theological or political disputes at all; II |
every man did not hit on the right thing
for himself, he would at least be ready 10 |
accept the right thing, as soon as the wise
man set It before him.
Il does seem certain that II Is one oil the
weak points Of our political system that
1t has tendency to lead public men to
an imperfect utterance OF opinion. II
does so In o greater degree than other
torms oil government. The candidate
must adapt himself to the temper Of the
electors; the minister must adapt him.
sell to the temper Of the House. And in
80 doing, even fhe does not ssy anything
which he does not think, he cannot tail
10 keep back q good deal that he does
think. No doubt in this there Is evil,
but II does not follow that It is unmixed
evil. The candidate may be wiser than
the constituency; the minister may be |
wiser than the House. But, on the other
hand, the balance Of wisdom Is the other
way. II has become q proverbl that the
House Is wiser than any one man In the
House. This 10 Of course q passive kind
Of wisdom, which may hinder foolish
measures, but which will not promote
wise ones. But 1t Is q wisdom which
sometimes Is useful. In fact, certain
amount Of mediocrity, a certain amount Of
ALTERING half opinion, seems 10 beone Of
the weak points Of our mixed form Of gov.
eminent Where the State Is more strong.
y monarchic and where Il Is more strong:
ly democratic, the minister OF the king,
the popular orator In the assembly, can 20
more directly towards his objects than the |
mlnlsteEwho commands, q majority in the
House Of Commons can. Still, We should
hardly on this account wish to fall back |
upon depotism; and about pure democra;
cy In a large State II Is no use arguing
whether 1t Is good or bad, because It Is q
thing which cannot be. g asraF'
On tho other point, insincerity, or at
least holding back, In the expression OF
religious belief we can not now enlarge.
But at least men now are not more ,insin.
Sere than the Greek philosophers, who
held that the people should be taught 70 |
worship the gods whom they themselves
mad learned 70 .disbelieYe In. Men dol
not put insincerity In q form quite sol
shameless as the Pope, OF whom il could
even be reported that he smiled on the
wealth (which ethe fable of ChristI1
brought him, Men do not put II iu q |
form so horrible as the, Roman magis. |
!Iate who sent 0 OhristiAn,tto the
lions for refusing to worship Jupiter,
while he himself no more believed
10 Jupiter than the Christian did.
II was held TO be for the safety Of
the State that men should worship Jupi-
Ter whether they believed IN him or not.
Something Of the same feeling 10 perhaps
sui abroad; but at least itidoes not goso
IAt as sending ment the lions for speak,
ing out what they think. Altogether
zach age has its good and its bad points.
i % not . good thing In itself that men
saould DO inslncere, that they should
Keep back their real minds, either In pol.
lIcs or In religion; but 1t iss better that
men should do 50 than that they should
% 80 strong In speaklngSput their minds
Sne way as 10 be ready to burn or EN-.
bowel the man who speaks out his mind
another way. S-,1TAl--I'l -
y .N