The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-27

By yUNruac

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Some very able mon, est.miadsd
men, as Hill and others, hopefully and
pRtrioticslly believe that no should not
despair; that better times are In store
| Tor Gs. They argue: 'TTne WorkinR
| and laboting cla$3es OF the Heuth and
elsewhere, by means OF better educa.
tion, will come eventually, by thrift
and habits OF association, TO take their
share in industrial and landed pro-
perty. The upper Glasses, Influenced
by proper, good motives for the well
faro OF the country; will faoilite this
movement by their concert in the sup
preston Of wrong and reform of the
laws, which may Interfere in any way
or present any obstacle in the way OF
il. This is all meritorious. It is
capital. as far as it goes. But it must
be remembered, that this movement is
slow, very slow. It must he tho work
of years. The mighty oak of today,
with its towering head aud spreading
branches, was once tiny acorn, that
took root, germinated and rose above
the surface as tender twig. It's mag.
ni6oence is the growth Of half q cen.
tury. Forced in it's incipienoy, by hot
house measures, it would have withered
away and died. IT men could be salts.
fed With the gradual. slow growth of
could be firmly established; but in
stead Of waiting for the slow process OF
| time, the present dominant pnrty are
using every endoavor to hasten it's cul.
mination by violence, to push it along
with tclegraphio despatch to hot.house
greatness and power. Here is the
great danger to the United States Go
vernment at the present moment.
Some pretend to say that the United
States possesses sheet anohor of
aafety in the diffusion of landed pro-
perty among very large number Of
families. That this solid mass of pro.
prietors offer an element Of order and
power that is invinoible. But un-
fortunately mankind are the same to.
day they we're 5000 years ago, and
those particularly who have property
are ever ready, as has been proved BY
the last Presidential election, to take
fright, be bought and vote contrary TO
what they believe to be right; and
would be equally as ready tomorrow
to be frightened into the voting for
sovereign, no matter who, provided it
promised security to their property
aud wealth, and what they call peace.
order and tranquility. "IrdnquiNi.
tdtena seruitutis guam pericul0san, liberia
tenn nsdHunt." We are sometimes dis.
posed to think if the press was right
for it is the press which forms opinion
ia this country. and public opinion is
the true sovereign-thess might be
made in short time q powerful re.
form; but We cannot help from saying
that the press Of this country is en-
tirely below its mission. The evils of
the times have long been seen BY the
press. yet they have not been fully
and plainly exposed. We have Jour
nails OF wide circulation that live on
scandal and falsehood; then We have ad-
miniatration organs. guided by merce-
nary characters, who are indiscrimi.
nate in their praise Of the powers that
be, no matter what their designs, cor
ruption and incompetency. In ordi-
nary times. the harm done by this pes
tilent press is not perceived; but its
ravagce come into full light in times of
crisis. With wellinformed, reason :
able, honorable. patriotic, reliable and
Influential press, there would be hopes
for the preservation and establish ment
on q proper basis of national freedom.
The growing tendencies of this Go
vernment, since the war particularly,
to consolidation and centraliz stion,
looms up on the political horizon as
plain az the morning sun that max en-
it's appearance in the East. 70 pro-
vent 1t. what shall he done? To check
its growth seems almost impossible. It
is time. full time, for the people of the
United States to open their eyes and
look aeound them. if they would es-
cape the lot and fate of republics that
have gore before them, who became
incapnblo Of supporting q regular 60
vornment, OF maintaining free institu-
ticns and who lspsed from revolution
to revolution in invariable dccny. We
hope thnt this will not be the destiny
of tho people Of this great country,
who have done 30 much to spread
ideas of freadom and equality through
tho world, for that would be an ire
parable disaster for the whole OF hu.
msnity.
The proper punishment OF Jesse
POmeroy, the Boston nchild-murderer,
presents problem for which it is hard
! tn find q an antiafacforv ooLntiop HI ho,