New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-14
EQUAL no A SERMON ron The
OCCASION.

The following passage in the lat
Bishop Whately's Kingdom of Christ
recommends itself to the perusal and me
Citation of the fifty-nine or sixty con
servative gentlemen who now daily NEE
at Deutsche Company Hall, for no prac
teal purpose Whatever, and who, to al
the outside world, appear more of mutual
admiration society than representatives
in charge of most vital interests of the
people.
The true composition of Represen.
tative is rather to be skillful in the
peoples business, than in their nature
for then he is likely to serve them, and
not simply find their humor, which is
changeable as the wind, and may be very
different when the day of reckoning
arrives. On that day-not very remote
the question will be, what could they have
done for us as our Representatives had
they actively participated in the labors of
legislation-not how far did they crafty
our whims and notions; for the more these
passing absurdities become stale and I'M
profitable, the fewer hackers will the
Deutche Hall crowd have in the end.
Gentlemen, wake up. All nature is
averse to inaction. General Banks told
this people, ten years ago, that "wise
men will do what they can when they
can not do what they would" The Ital-
ians have the significant proverb: "Chi
sputo contra il uento 81 sputa contra Il
uiso''-take heed and improve the shining
hour Here is the sermon:
1t might appear at first sight-and such
is usually the expectation of child of
ordinary intelligence, and of all those who
are deficient in an intelligent study of his.
tory or observation Of what is passing in
the world-that whatever party might, in
any meeting or in any community, obtain a
majority, or in whatever other way, a smpe-
riority, would bs certain to carry out their
own principles to the utmost, with total
disregard to all the rest; so that in Senate,
for instance, consisting, suppose of one hun
dred members, a majority, whether Of fifty
one to forty nine, or of seventy to thirty, or
OF ninety-five to five, would proceed in all
respects as if the others had no existence;
and that no mutual concessions or COM
promises could take place except between
parties exactly balanced.
In like manner, person wholly ignorant
of mechanics might suppose that a body
acted on by several unequal forces in dit
ferent directions would obey altogether
the strongest, and would move in the
direction Of that, instead of moving, as
We know it ordinarily does, in a direc.
ton not coinciding with any one of them.
And all experience shows that in all hu
man affairs, as well as in mechanics, such
are not we'll founded. If no
wise and good measures were
ever carried except in an assembly where
there was complete predominance of men
enlightened and public spirited
to have decided preference for those
measures above all others, the world would,
conceive, be much worse governed than
what it really is.
Nc doubt, the larger the proportion of
udicious and patriotic indiv iduals, the bet
,er for the community; but it seems to be
,he appoint ment of Providence that preju-
Ices, and passions, and interests of differ
INT men should be so various as not only to
Keep ono another some nat in check, but
,ften to bring about, or greatly help to
BRING about n,i1ed results, often tar prefer
lble to anything devised or arrived at by
ing Of the parties.
The British constitution, for instance, no
intelligent reader of history would regard
Is wholly or chiefly the work of men fully
ensible of tie advantages of government
o mixed and balanced. 1t was in great
MEASURE the result of efforts, partially neu-
RAILING each other, of men who leaned,
nore or loss, some of them toward pure
monarchy, and others toward republican
sm.
And again, though no one can doubt how
reat an advance lit is yet only an adcance)
f the principle of religious liberation,
nd of making final appeal to Scripture
lone, is due to the Reformation, yet the |
eformers were slow in embracing these |
They were at first nearly as
luch disposed as their opponents to force
,eir own interpretations of Scripture on
very one, and to call in the magistrate to
lppress heresy by force. But not being |
BILE to agree among themselves ,chose in
appreciation of Scripture should be re-
lived as authoritative, and who should be
trusted with the sword that was to ex
rpate heresy, compromises and mutual con-
ssions gradually led more and more to
70 practical adoption of principles whose
eoritical truth and justice is, even yet,
Vt univ ersally perceived.
cry part of history. Without entering
to additional examination Of the particu-
r mode in which, on each occasion.
perior party is influenced by those op-
sed to them-either from reluctance to
i've them to desperation or otherwise
rtain it is that looking only to the results,
Q practical working Of any government in
Q long run, and in the general course of
sasures, we do find something correspond
2 to the composition of forces in mechanics;
d we find oftener than not, that the course
tually pursued is better, however faulty,
an could have been calculated from the
aracter Of the greater part OF those who
minister the government. The wisest
d most moderate, even if they form but
mall minority, are often enabled amidst
conflict of those in opposite extremes,
bring about decisions less wise and just
Iced than they themselves would have
sired, but far better than those OF either
the extreme parties.