Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-07-14

France. o, time! hide the shame
from our eyes, and blot the stigma
from our century.
But we need not turn to France or
survey Europe for the purpose of illus
tration. Examples are conspicuous
throughout our owp country. Mans
selfishness may be traced in every line
of his history. The poet truly said:
mans inhumsnity to man,
Makes countless thousands mourn"
And whether under the guise of phi
lanthrophy, or by the reckless hand of
usurpation, tits the same. We do not
pretend to say that man can abnegate
self? Not at all but we do say that
he reprehensbly claims in the name
Of humanity to do those things which
too often wear the impress of supreme,
not 10 say base, selfishness.
How is it with us to-day2 See the
fawning sycophant, whom the frenzy
of party has raised to his temporary
eminence to power. How has he
reached it? By noble deeds and patri-
otic' sacrifices? No, but by deeds of
ignobilty, rather, and sacrifice of prin-
ciples. Hear him, as from the rostrum,
he ex0ols the dear people, and lisps
their wondrous praise. His accents
are as sweet as the cooling OF dove
his gratitude as deep as the fathomIess
sea, and the Golfers of their treasury
his guardianship. How he swells with
emotion, and reddens with indigna-
ton in their defiance. But follow
this sycophant little farther.
His treacherous course amazed YOU.
His reckless disreg ard of his peoples
rights shock you. His arrogance and
insolence insult you. And, at last, you
overtake him, his arm stepped to the
pit in the treasury of his people,
which he swore so loudly to keep in.
violate.
The cant about the q" dear people,
" the patriotic people," 1.-The intelli- !
gent people," are the first bugle notes
of the irrepressible office-seeker. He
asserts his profound admiration for
the people, but most adroitly conceals |
his contempt. He applauds their pa
triotism, but in his heart scorns it. |
He sends peal after peal of eloquent
bursts in praise of their intelligence,
but only admires it when it robes him |
in the purple vestments Of I'M
meritted power and position.
every nation and country, whose |
bosom is laid bare to so dangerous an |
archer as the professed politician. And |
do we not entertain fears for our own !
beloved country? In thoughts that |
breathe, and words that burn, the
" dear people" may be easily misled. |
The thunder tones of base-born clio.
quence have been known to plunge a
MT %
the merciless hand OF tyranny. But |
let Us pause upon the bank of the Ru-
bicou. Let us invoke reason to the |
throne. Let US purge the chambers of |
our public sanctuaries, gibbet crime |
and seat virtue upon her wnnted |
throne. Let us do this upon the brink |
Of danger. and at the high behest of
duty.
If the voice of the people mast be SUI
preme, let US endeavor to establish the
idea upon valid basis. Let US embel-
lsh civilization with still higher sys-
TENS OF education. Let us rally
around The standard of liberal educa-
ton, unfurl its banners in every nook |
and corner of this great Republic ;
then and not till then, will the people |
with monitors, who now at
tempt, without sincerity, to point
them the line of demarkation between
vice and virtue. When we have done |
this, then great political millennium
will dawn upon US, and, as one solid
phalant, we will march to national |
victory and glory, with the trium-
plant trial of a conquering host that
never lost battle.
DAVID II. MCMILLAN.
Knoxville, June 10, 1875.