Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-02

Gs> RADIcAL1sM. No. IL have a neghbor
by the name of John smith. Mr.. Smith is ar
excellent citizen, intelligent, kind, obliglng and
deserving of the esteem an! confidence oil all
IN pollt'c; he IS . Conservative, end istherc il II
maine IL the political calendar that no desplses
1t Is the name ifadica If i'll a tit OF passion
and unguarded moment, l should call hi II u
thief, william or a loaer, prompt and sincere
apology for the insult would secure his forgive.
ness and return OF friendship, but if | should
call mn radical no apology would atone for
the disgrace Of being classed with party known
by such an Infamous name. All he knows about
radicslism is the information which no has gath-
ere from his Conservative party papers. The
name is odlous TO him because he has been SO
Instructed he hss not even consulted Web
Stor's dictionary 20 tnd out the definition Of the
word radIcallsm. 1t has never occurred to hm
that there is - godly rsdicalism AS well rs u SUI
tanlci that there is 9 noble, benevolent, eco.
noucal and OPPRESSIVE radicallsm, and sis, 4
wicked, extravagant and destructive radicallsm.
IL has never occurred to neighbor Smith that
George v ashlngton WAS radical in the full
sense Of the word by volunteering to overthrow
the mona chisl power and establish republic;
and tE4 j tfnrson Davis WAS his equal as rad
lcal IN his efforts to overthrow the same repub-
hc and establish separate and independent
Southern confederacy. The former WAS y noble
AID successful experiment OF radica ism; the
latter WAS failure and its quality will leave
for the reader to decide.
In discussing this question of ra icalsm in
tend to take high grounds in its defence; shal.
contend that the Almighty Creator of all things
WAS the author of radicaism; that radicaSm
was rs Clearly dehnet q principle in the works
of creation as WAS the creation of heaven and
earth, the sun, moon and stars. The sacred his
torl-n informs us that I'm the beginning Cod
created the heavens and the earth. And tn.
earth was without form and void, and d.rkncss
was on the face of TIE deep" That is to say,
the earth was IN conservative state, and before
1t could become tit hsbitation for man, some
great radical change must take place, and now
the beautiful aud grest practical results of radi-
casm are made manifes. And God said Lei
there DC light, and there WAS light" GLORIOUS
Transformation from conservative dsrkn.s to
radical light
Before we proceed farther with tho subje let
Us examine Webster, anc get the true dctuition
OF the two words under discussion "Conserya-
tlsm-l he desire and effort ct preserving what
is establ she'd" "Radicalism- The doct1in, or
principle Of making radical reform in govern
state of things" The desire and effort of con
servatlsm to preserve what is established" would
have kept the world without form and void,
and darkness on tho face OF the deep for all
time and eternity. 1t was radical reform" sn
"overtulning and changing the present stale Of
things" that transformed this Ga tn from void
and darkness to light beauty and productive
Less. w hen world or a thing is pei feet all
its parts, it would be the heigh,h of folly tc
change the present state Of things" The Gar
den of Eden WAS perfect in al! it's appointments;
1t was for Adams interest to remain So his IN.
forest to be a firm conservative and "pr serve
what WAS established" There is good rudi-
calism and bad good conservatism and also
a bsd. The radical change which the {. rprls
proposed was bad one, and Adam and Eve
should have rejected the proposition. Paradise
was then IN state OF perfection, and perfection
cannot be improved The same can b.. said of
n stlons states and communities. A perfec gov
ernmel.t has no use for raticalism should OPP
pose all Efforts to 'overturn and change :ue
present state of thi lgs." 1t Virginia cam be
lmprovedi If her trade commerce, agriculture
and finances are SO complete SO perfect t1at I'M
provement is al lmposslb!lity, then it would be
for her interest to r, msin SO; then her people
should all be conservative !! Every attempt 10
introduce r.dicasn should be firmly and per
sstentlv resisted Shoot him on the spot"
should be executed on every radical y h. nt-
temple to change the present state of things.
and his eptaph should be-
II was well-wanted to be better;
Took physic, and died"
A RAI1c.L.