The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-08
LACK OF GREAT MEN.

l
"Now, gentlemen, in my belief we ar
about passing into some considerable change
in this government which, five years from
this time, will be made very apparent You
can not carry on successfully any government
j when the nation has become rich and tn
numbers Of it great, unless you bring into TIL
foreground thu intelligence and the honesty O
the people for their Governors; you can no
make wise laws Without wise men to make
them; you Can not have honest administra
tion without you have honest administrators
and when the people shall come to under
stand this, and that ordinary intellect and
thst ordinary integrity can not ill places Of
high trust with safety to the people, then you
will find great change" -Ednards Pierre
pont " -
The national indifference lin the United
Statssl to personal merit as qualification for
Office il, both . consequence of universal suf-
fsge and !. cause ofamapy unforeseen results.
a vast commnnjty which has perhaps higher
average Of Intelligence than sny other, is not
known to possess single statesman or pre-
eminent citizenssAn American Tarquin would
not find a flower to decapitats which, over
topped the neighboring plants. Among the
most active politicians half dozen may be
notorious, but not one can be called famous.
Almost every name which is familiar to the
of faction, if mot with Pecuniary 'conup-
tion.-London Saturday Reuieao.
The st.sLouis Republican, Representative
of that sort Of republcsnism which prevailed
when Jefferson and his party were known as
!" Republicans while their opponents were
known as A. Federals," now necessarily a
staunch and vigorous defender of the Jeffer-
oor;ov, faith asn n~ofor.a1 ~, ~ no,ooo,.t;n
party, complains in recent issue Of the lack
of political leaders, Of great men,, and Of
statesmen. "Who, and where" asks the
Republican, "are the leaders Of American
politics?" II refers to the days when there
were political chieftans "whom the people,
regardless Of party, were willing to acknowl-
edge. ,ssjn eyeryrespect worthy to lead, and
who were always able to rally around them an
army Of devoted followers" These leaders,
with but ono exception, not raised to. the
Presidency, yet exercised a controlling infu-
ence upon government, winning political
victories and commanding welLmerited con-
fdence These were honest and honorable
men, worthy to be trusted.
I The complaint Of the Republican is in some
respects we'll founded. The struggle Of the
colonists fog independence, their success and
their subsequent efforts to maintain what they
had won, brought out great deal of mag
unanimous character, and developed great
deal of ability, both exercised in and directed
towards the service and welfare of the coun-
try. Aspirit Of jealous service, Of honor and
Of integrity peryaded the ranks of the young
and old. Ambition was eager but honorable,
bold but candid and fair. The young men of
the young republic were fred with patriotic |
to win rank and position by deserv- |
ing them, and to hold them by dint OF honesty
and prowess Offices were not bought, nor were
they won by trickery, but attained by steady,
sturdy, bold advances, as men who are accus-
tomed to step forward and mako good their
Slams to that which is their own By right.
That spirit Of honorable rivalry and noble
lasted until after the prominent
actors in the rebellion of 1776 had ceased to
axe part in public affairs. Without decay in
he national spirit, and without loss Of talent
" default in education, ,men,of high charac-
OF, great attainments, joined with hearty
began to seek congenial employ
nent in spheres remote from political life.
dany great minds which would have been
iscontented out Of Congress before 1920,
re now found at the bar, content with its
aims and honors, or in the faculty, employ
az al their epergies in the relief of suffering |
nd the saving of life, or in mercantile pur-
aits. trying TO maintain and improve an hon
rablsi business, Or in the pulpit directing
heir talents and lsbors to the highest SER 4
ice, or in the diligent superintendent of
ktended estates, or in conducting highly i'm
ortant corporations, or in the direction Of j
orks of public improvement, or in managing 8
le vast concerns of banking institutions. The :
lent is in the country, but great part of Z
is directed into scientific or inventive !,
,annels. The late war showed that there !
as no dsstitution of commanding talent and I
owed that there was at least as much cour-
e, vigor and prowess among the soldiers of
'th armies in proportion to numbers as were
own in the first rebellion. Talent has not !
med, but its direction has been changed. r
.tional character has only been modified by
rcumstances but not changed in its essen
j qualities. There has been great in
Ease Of zeal In the pursuit of wealth, whose
lid and palpable advantages are more ap-
eciated than they were in the Jeffersonian a
!. Instead Of pursuing ambition for politi- fe
honors, the young men Of distinguished s.
ilty now seek actual power and the money = =
d property in which that power is found. o
ices are now sought by such as subsidiary Il
the attainment Of power, while the empty n
Try of ofice-holding has lost its charm. ~ :,
It happens fortunately, that the country's
vernments can be successfully admins OF
ed without ability of the exalted order and es
thout patriotism of the highest heroic type. ~ ~
IRE honesty and less selishness are to d
desired, but with these and such talents "a
go with them the governmental machinery OF
the Republic and its con stituent States will =.