The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-17

control of helIish poisons that they would
der the gratfficaffon Of their licentious de-
sires. But to such men, the idea of a big
buck negro, as they are usually styled by
them, talking to their daughters is intolera-
j BILE. Now think prejudice and passion
| have ruled this country long enough. 1t is
reason without an eternal appeal to pas
sion. 1t is Wei known to all soberminded,
rejecting men that society regulates itself
IN this respect. Legislation can not change
peoples fancy or taste, and where there Is
congeniality of feeling and sentiment,
there willjust as naturally be social inter-
course, as water seeks its level; it is law of
nature that no legislation can control. If
you wish to sink a people to the lowest
| depths of degradation, then strip them of
self respect and the fear of God, and your
| desire will be accomplished. If you wish
| to elevate them, impress upon their minds
4 and the benefits to be derived from an I'M
/ furnished reputation among men, and you
| will certainly contribute much to their
i elevation.
| You talk about1the infidelfty of Tom Paine
| and the bad influence of his Age of Reason,
| work that has tainted more minds with
| infidel notions than ever Tom Paine's writ
respectful to white ladies, who have about
as much respect for the feelings of colored
ladies as they would for guerrilla, monkey
| or goat this is certainly the result OF false
teaching, unless the negro is brute.
Now a few words to the oppressed of eth
er race. You would doubtless pursue such
a line of policy, as would enhance your in
| tereSt, if you knew how to do it. Let us
reason together calmly and dispaSsionate-
~ and see If we can be mutually benefited
by survey of the surroundings. There is
unmiStakable evidence of great wrong
between the labOrers of rural districts, the
real producers, the bone and sinew of the
country, and the mere consumers of cities.
Do not understand me as including all
who live in cities, tor there are many honor
anle exceptions. There are men employed
IN legitimate business who are an honor to
themselves hfnSSinO a nd
whose avocation is indispensable to our gen
eral prosperity, but we must remember
ness do not pursue it in an honorable way
by abuse of privileges, blessings are fire.
quently converted into a curse. The strong
tendency in city life is to pride, extrav-
agance, idleness and its concomitant vice;
extravaganza is the natural offshoot OF
pride as vice is that ofidleness. Proud man,
a poor pitiful worm, wasting the hard
earnings of these, that are by far your supe-
riors in everything that it takes to consti-
tute a noble soul, DO not imagine 10 vonr
selves, because you can twirl gold headed
canes, ride in fine carriages, occupy closed
and hymn books, and make handsome APP
preparations to build and embellish fine
churches, that all of this will give you fee
simple title to seat in paradise; remember
the whited sepulchre; you may deceive
yourselves and your fellow man, but God
you can never deceive. Remember that
humanity is the essence of christianity
and we can only judge the tree by its fruit
while you are so lavish in your approprI-
ations tending to foster pride is it not pos
sible that you have entirely overlooked
objects of true benevolence? Is it not prob
sphere that entirely overlcoks the mudsills
of the republic, upon which the whole
superStructure is reared? The wise master
builder will proportion the superstructure
to his foundation, but if by oversight or
mistake of any sort he discovers that tie
enormous weight of the superstructure is
crushing his foundation, he stops immedi-
ately and strengthens his foundation by
getting additional timberS or by looping
portion
structure and converting it into stills. Now
this republic of ours is a magnificent
structure, and If properly watched and
guarded, may stand for ages as the wonder
OF the civilized world, but if we unWisely
the foundation, there is danger of diIapida-
ton and ultimate destruction of the edifice
and If mistake .t not, there is q manifest
structure is sustained by human muscle
and human energy and enterprise, and just
to the extent you ever-tax one or all of
them, just so far you endanger the edifice.
Are any of these being overtaXGd in this
will ACKNOWLEDGED that am a erazy fanatic
or fool. speak from what l feel and see;
it is not matter of doubtful history with
me. know full well that there are human
beings, and not a few of them that labor
hard, but do not enjoy enough of the fruits
of their labor to make them comfortable or
healthy, and for the proof of this statement,
would refer you to some of the physicians
of the country. Now if these are facts, is it
not evidence of wrong somewhere? But the
great difficulty is in discovering the guilty
parties; all protest innocence until they are
proved guilty. The tenant complains just
Iy of unreasonably heavy rents-the land
lord complains of heavy liabilities in the
shape of taxes, &c. By reference to the re-
CO rds it may be seen that in many instan-
ces, his complaint is not without founda-
ton, You may go through with the inves-
tigation of every grade of society, every
business or profession, and you will find
nearly all shielded by self innocent bate
ry, but take the evidence of disinterested
parties, and we find their battery quite
Vulnerable. Is it possible that there is not
a sufficient number of laborerS with an |
equitable distribution of the fruits of labor
to sustain human life in frugal manner? |
Before we settle down into self righteous |
complacency let each of us examine our |
eternity. Remember that humanity de- |
mands conformity to stricter rules of fru- |
gality. In the view of the fact that the OPP |
pressed of every race and color will meet us |
in the day of final reckoning and help US |
make up our accounts, would it not be |
wiser in us to leave off a little of the orna-
mental trappings of the body, in time, rath-
er than run the risk of nakedness of the |
ment should be the watch-words, beginning |
in the rustic hOvel, permeating every grade |
of society to the Presidential mansion. |
There is a class of people whose course, to |
my mind, is utterly inexcuSable. Such as |
use tobacco as a luxury or whisky as q beV- |
erage, should remember that suffering hu-
manity everywhere pleads for referm.
To my friends of the Republican party of |
Maury county, as we are in the minority,
and strict party vote is demanded by the |
leaders of the opposite party, we can not |
hope to elect a Republican to an office of any
sort, no matter how meritorious he might
be. But as citizens of republic, it is our
duty to be watchful and give our support to
the best and most liberal spirits of the OPP
one how he should vote, but will give
sort of rule by which | am governed. Be
party lines are drawn as definitely as they
are in this county now, with equal claims of
merit, shall vote for republican, a total
disqualification on either side would make
me decide in favor of merit. Between two
democrats, will support the most liberal,
everything else being equal. Between
same rules of other men or parties-suffer
passion and prejudice to usurp reasons
fication in my SHINING in retaliation; let
him persue his beaten path by himself. |
Such of us as are governed by such rules
nearest the rule, but iH arriving at a c0nelu-
sion, it will be well for us to look to a few
salary or fees of nearly every office in the
gift of the people are disproportionately
large for the AMOUNT Of labor performed; as
bitant. Would it not therefore be unwise
in us to continue IN office such men as have
doing so by the fees of Office? If the people
are taxed to make few men rich, then
as short as practicable, SO that our dona-
tions be as equally distributed as possible:
as christian philantrOpists, let us endeavor
removing the INCENTIVE to follow him. The
longer men are Kept in lucrative ONCE, the
stronger the temptation to corruption,
There is an old, and as think, very true
adage, "that an idle mans brain is the
devils workshop" Pay man large sala-
nv for half work and you give him ample
time to do the DEVILS work and if his soul |
is not sweetened with grace, nine times out
of ten he is taken captive by the devil at
his will. There is another old but very |
significant adage, "like priest, like people,"
We should watch with g. Jealous eEet'the
conduGt!of our POLITICAL priests, who seem |
to think they are commissioned to do all |
the thinking and voting for this people |
Have you forgotten who it was that pre- |
sumed to think for ms Il 1860? Have you
forgotten the almost unprecedented trou-
bleS, privations and distress in this country?
Are you again going to suffer yourselves to
be led like sheep to the Slaughter-Den by
the same Democratic prfests9 / do hope
that the scOurge was too severe to be so
easily forgotten. AS q rule, ! think il is
much safer for us tO'select our officers from |
the rural districts, men whose interests are
more directly identified with ours than to
let professional politicians make selections
for us. One reason is, they have too much
idle time to do the DEVILS work, and are
pretty we'll posted and know who will
likely carry out their plans, and in their
willy strategy if it were possible would de-
ceive the very elect. In order to deceive |
they will frequently turn their Influence |
for obscure good men in the rural districts
for important positions making show of
impartiality, to divert the unsuspecting
from their real design, which is to have
of inn cd NV |