Wilmington journal., 1876-07-28
For the journal.
Salmagundi.


more delightful singer than the Quaker
John q. Whittier. His productions are
unc:.mmOnly sweet with a natural sim
plicity, grace and tenderness. There is
nothing metaphysical or obscure about
his writings. All is clear, direct, artistic
and melodious. But we refer to him
him, not to criticize his own fine work,
but to quote his opinion of another
living poet. He has recently publish
ed a luma of choice poetlcel selec-
tions bear the title, Songs OF
Three Centuries" In it, he says with
true critical insight and taste, Ten
nyson undoubtedly stands at the head
of all living singers. d his name might
well serve as the high aoater mark OF
modern Uerse." 1t is curious that
while the poets all agree as to the
Laureate's unchallenged supremacy,
there ar critics If certain nameless
school who only find him an echo or
something worse. He is more quoted
by the best writer's Of Great Britain
than any poet of the nineteenth cen-
tury, unless, We except Wordsworth.
His works have taken "a strong hold of
the British mind, and he is felt to be
one of the great intellectual forces of
the age
Every one knows that Mirabeau was
one OF the greatest orators Of modern
times possibly the greatest orator
that France ever produced. Some
have thought that Vergniaud was the
most eloquent speaker who ever
mounted the tribune OF the French
Assembly, but this opinion Is not we'll
sustained. Viscount de Cormenin, one of
the mostoriginal ard e!Oqueuto of French
writer's, says that Vergniaud "was all
orator without substance, without So
lidity, without argumentative force"
He was doubtless a great master of
an elegant, glowing, picturesque,
splendid eloqnence; but he was
not profound or logical think
er. MIrabeau was tremendous. He
was passion incarnated. logic on
fire. And yet his set speeches, that
We're always very carefully prepared,
were very elegant, measured and lm>
posing. But | refer to him for the
purpose Of mentioning one or two of
the principles he lays down in his
famous 'Declaration of the Rights OF
Man No one can read that Declara-
ton without seeing how very much he
was indebted to the Constitution of
the United States, for his opinions
and principles, and how profound IA
student he was of political science.
Here are some of his aXlOms:
"The equality and the liberty of all
men by right of birth. y
"The law, the expression of the
general will"
''The delegation of the Legislative
power to representatives frequently
renewed. legally and freely elected,
always existing, annually assembled
and inviolable."
"The previous voting, the proper
tional equality, the morality, justice
and moderation of taxation"
"The establishment of a regular ac
economy in expenditures,
moderate salaries and the abolition of
and sinecures'"
"The admissibility of every citizen
to the offices civil, ecclesiastical, mill
tary."
The subordinatiOn of the military
to the civil authorities.
"Resistance to oppression
Surely. these are very noble senti-
ments. In them there is a grandeur
and majesty of declaration that must
excite the admiration of every Amerl-
can patriot. When such principles are
really made the corner stones of a
great political edifice, we may trust
that the foundations are secure. At
this time the voters of our country
will be wise and Iiberty-loving if they
support that party which by reason of
its antecedents gives the best surety
that these principles will be maintain
ed inviolate. On the very eve of the
awful reign of terror and of the vol
canic French Revolution, the greatest
orator and statesman of France de-
rlared t at there must be justice and
moderation of taxation, a regular ac~
among officeholders,
economy in expenditures, moderate
salaries and the abolition of perquis-
ties and siuecures. How much more
important are these things to the |
peace! How very necessary that there |
should be genuine, thorough, COM
plete REFORM in our land! With
out this there will be no NOR
ality or Justice or moderation in
the taxes that will be levied-there
will be no ECONOMY" in the public |
duction of salaries to the standard of
a moderate and decent republicanism
there will be no "ahOlitlOn" Of those
forty thousand offices that were cre~
ated for the special benz tit of party
heuchmen and party clacquers-there
will be Nc true accountability" to
the people on the art Of Office holders.
If the public places of tie republic
shall be cleansed and purified, there
must be reform from without. The
rottenness is within. The regeneration
and puritication must come from with
ont. Law is Intended to refOrrn as
well as punish. But it is not left to
the thieves and robbers and pecntators
who crowd the jaiis to begin aud to
carry on the work OF either reform or
The majesty of tue law
vin,ticates itself from without. and
awards TO each his due according to
deed and intent.
The party 50 long IN power has
grown so corrupt and insolent that the
very genius of reform cries out that
they must be expelled, and that the
places that now know them shall know
them 10 more, forever. 1t IS not
Hayes who can become the Hercules
of 1876. It is TILDEN whose name Is
really but a synonyme for honest and
thorough reform, who must cleanse the
Augean stables of the nation. Raise
high the standard of REFORM; plant it
on every hill top in the land; let the
honest people of the Union gather
around it, and when the ld-s of No
vember shall have come, its pure,
white folds will streaM in triumph
amid the splendors of the setting sun.
.July lS. 1876. T. =. X.