American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-08-05
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TOLERANCE.

I0LERINCE.
During the Dark Ages learning
took shelter in the cloister, wi list
passion and fanaticism ran rot
with the human mind. TITS strange
and pitiable to contemplate the
same mind, after the lapse of So
many centuries, with the resplen-
dent light of the advanced epoch OF
the XIXth Century's sun shining
full upon it, still trammelled by the
same benighte ed membranes. IT'S
pitiable indeed to behold men at
the present day-even some filling
the ''learncd profession" and claim
| ing to be gentlemen-so full OF
lnuendO and so intolerant of opinion.
no matter however honestly enter
tanned or however founded in justice
and truth, which differ from those
they express-I will not say believe
cannot imagine how any intelli.
gent. unbiased man could advocate
| from conviction measures of radical
and extreme bearing, that would
jeopardiZe the interest of his coun-
tlymen or any considerable portion
of them, however humble their
sphere, and that must prove retro
active upon the party they repre-
sent. Heightened, broad-viewed,
magnanimous minds accord to all
opponents,u unless proven reprobates,
the bearing and privileges of gentle
men. The man who enters into
Biiingsgate and sweeping denun>
citation of classes without exception,
IS either down or let's himself down
from that high position which
every one claiming to lead and
mould the minds of the masses
should occupy. If his cause needs
holstering OF this kind. it is IL bad
one if not, why should gentlemen
indulge in it and pander to the
vicious elements of human nature
for selfish ends and party purposes
Every party has it's riff-ratf to do its
dirty work, we presume, under
pressure of political stress, rs
vessel makes for any port in IL
storm but gentlemen SHOULD hold
themselves aloof as far as possible
from such associations, and endea-
vor to keep all such turbulent ele-
ments within proper bounds if they
really desire the good of the com
munity, and that Innocence should
not dance to the saturnalia in
augurated by Crime.
BY an appeal to reason, which
still fingers in the haunts of many
men, we hope to disarm prejudice,
establish tolerance of opinion, and
labor for the good of the whole
State-lrrespective of color or past
regimes. "An honest mau scOrns
all pretense," and no man can
desire or hope to become leader
or to command the respect of first
class minds, just aud generous, who
does not take his stand upon prin-
cipies well defined and adhere to
his misunderstanding in his in
tegrity, como veal or woe. If his
are not derived from
true premises, he must fail, and
so, too. Every man,
whether he be leader or not, i
should have manhood enough to |
differ from anyone if his honest con-
victions are not the same and should I
have nerve enough to bear up |
against the furious tide of intOlcr- I
ance, abuse and malignity hurled at
to time, just cause,
and IL clear conscience, for vindica-
ton, until the light of reason can
Dermeate the debris left by the
;toi III of passion. /
Born and reared upon the soil OF
his State, there dwells not III the
BOSOM of any man within its limits,
Of whatever creed or color, % warmer
owe of her soil or interests than
hat which actuates the author of
hese lines. We propose i'll few
lrtIcles to discuss the situation ttir-
Y, brio fly, and with view of re-
or removing existing diff
iculiies and think we shall prove
hat neither the present nor past
rider of politics will continue to .
xist, whether Hayes or Tiltlen be ;
lected. We ask 10 favors at the
lands of any one, and shall hold
urselt upon a plano too high to be
cached by the petty filings of vulgar {
minds. We shall lay our line # 7
onduct purely upon principle, r,-
of the attitude of friends
& foes, and in no instance will we
1T ourself down to the disreputable I
me OF diatribr. If, after we have c
adj our say. any of the Goliaths of $
he Democratic ranks feel like ,
the humble Republican
David, we will enter the lists upon Il
he field of argument and reason,
ut do not assume that we will draw C
own upon our standard SO signal q
vic Ory as was vOuchS;tfeed to ! 7
udah'S future Poet King.
MEDIATOR.