Litchfield enquirer., 1877-10-25

uation. The candidate had quite anpthe.D purpose than that of Bpeaking upon tnO business he- had mehsiohed, 9hdl knowing 70 the hour at which hisIxisitors would apr %. pear. he had filled his room with guests so that when the vieis0f arfivs0y the Scan. Eaidate hthrew opeu14the doers welcomed sc him loudly, and cushering hlm into tue room, introduced him by name to An ms guests, with an air which said plainly "Behold another sof, my friends ana suP- porters!' The visitor, as he said, could not help laughing again as he was passed % along the line, and having no taste for po-
 itical office himself, contemplated the un- savory price that must be paid for 10.
 The instinct of every generous and hon. orable man assures. him that no man is willing to pay such price should be able | to procure the prize. And the reason ls evident. It is that a man who will ac-' qnire an office meanly will not hn It no- ply. Itis undeniably the shame Of Dan.
 iel Webster that he consented duEinB ma >actixe life K0reeeiReE great sumsTot money v l on the best authority we learn that at one I time. when he was- in Congress, finely l furnished, house was procured for his use | by gentlemen Interested in certain poll- l cy, and he accepted 1t. Indeed, Mf. Web ster was known Co live largely upon gifts of money from others It IS true that he might have received the money and have spoken and voted and acted with absolute | impartiality. d But it is undeuiable that he placed himself under very powerful | temptation and that he was necessarily under sore suspicion. If Washington would not accept 'inconsiderable gifts as tokens of personal regard, not because he
 repelled the regard,1 but because he felt
 
 swayed, how great was the peril of MT.
 Webster's impartial regard for public l question when those who were largely inc l terested in certain view of it maintained | him in luxufyl 44HG stg@ q 1sAt tadW .sia- r. Terror of .aloES closets, and imposing up-l on others as Q supporter of your own q
 man who is not SO; living in public posi- l tion- upon money furnished by others; g0- | ing home from the Senate to "look after | your re-eIection;" setting whiskey shops l on tap before election; and buying, brib- ing, and cajoling votes-are all incompat- ible with simple self-respect.g The man who condscends to them forfeits his own
 respect and sincere regard of others. IF l it be true that the man who will not con. descend to them is altogether too good l for this world, then this world is pro- l digiousiyl contemptiblei place. in which | high position is not high honor. VFOrtu.
 nately it is not true that such abasement is necessary. John, Quincy Adams was | certainly not too good for this world, if
 sturdy hates and preiudices and Weaknes-
 ses fit man for it. But he was Altogeth- CT too good for the utter meanness and un-
 manly ssrvility of direct or indirect per-
 sonal solicitation for office. s5.gaa There is certainly no nObler ambition than that | .6ro mould the seass's decrees."d3 tna n, l and political life in large and true sense
 is alcareer that naturally attracts the high
 est talent and the purest character, But
 such character, however solicited by the l consciousness of power and taste and ac- complishment for such q career, can no
 more stoOp by an unworthy cOndescen- sion to obtain it than diamond can be
 bent. There can be no moro unhandsome spectacle than that which is sometimes l seen in this country of man naturally superior and of high intelligence, waiting upon Legislature to secure 6 nomination | to the highest position it can confer. He
 stands in parlor and graciously shakes
 hands, and affably discourses of the 1 weather, aud imparts his views ot bellows
 mending. He converses with the doubt | full; he clears up misconceptions here; he
 allays apprehensions there. He is all
 things to all men, He crawls that he may
 rise. But every smlrk and wheedling
 grimace is degradation of the office, of
 the country, and of himself. The men
 who were sent to the Continental Con- gress. to the Provincial Congress. to the Constitutional Convention, were sent be-
 cause they were known by character and servicsI to the whole community, They were sent as John Quincy Adams was sent | to Congress. And in 6 time when fear of slop closets and the necessity of propItia-
 ting Deacon Bump are seriously advoca-
 ted as the part of commOn.senses impos.
 ing conditions which are absolutely indis-
 pensible, it is we'll for American youth to
 read the story of John Quincy Adams.
 and to think of George Washington and
 John Jay. Harper's Easy ChGir. .r..