National Republican., 1877-02-24
THELArENr USES OF EVIL,

The ancients believed that there was
some superior being whose Office 1t was to
cast shade upon any great and emiuent
prosperity. and SO to mingle the lot OF hu-
man life that II may not be perfectly free
from calamity; and that happiness itself
Is derived in part from the presence Of
evil, inasmuch as 1t can not be telt and
enjoyed as such without experimental
knowledge of an opposite nature. Hence
they deemed those most happy to whom
fortune gave an equal share Of good and
evil; and HOMER, adopting the impressions
of his age, put the following into the mouth
of ACHILLES In his address to PRIAM:
Two urns by Jovn's high throne have ever stood,
The source Of evil one, and one OF good,
From thence the cup Of mortal man he fills,
Blessings to these, to those distributes ills
To most, he mingles both-the wretch decreed
To taste the bad unmixed, is cursed indeed,
The happiest taste not happiness sincere,
But find the cordial drought is dashed with ease.
We have been at this pains to gather
something which would aid in accounting
for the existence Of that faction OF the
Democracy which desires 70 bring about the
chaos ofanarchy after the fourth Of March,
by defeating the succession Of legal Gov
ernment. And we are satisfied that they
have relative mission here only, that
of giving the name and quality of good"
to others, who. but ioI their exertions
would be less appreciated and that the
end they would accomplish is revealed to
US in the distance through their machina.
tions, that, In accordance with the pagan
theory, having witnessed Its evils In the ex.
perience Of other nations, We may know
the blessings Of appiness in being relieved
from their desolating effects When the day
of the Inauguration has supplied US with 9
President, and from the placid scenes Of
peace we turn back to the threatening
spectacle Of violence now held up to our
view, we shall be happy indeed-not that
there is ordinarily any positive occasion
for special happiness In the due course of
government thus observed, but because the
chances against It's realizationinthis instance
were Of 90 serious character as to make
the contamination the cause Of supreme
Joy. So will our disorganizing friends
minister to our ultimate happiness, through
the fears excited by their present conduct
however they may strive to prevent 1t; and
we shall be compelled to recognize In them
the proper attributes Of that superior being
Of evil, whose inferior agencies they have
been appointed to us, and to give thanks
to Him who tempers justice with mercy.
and distributes good and Iii 20 beneacently
for our well'being.
PLATO has censured II as impiety to say
that God gives evil; and we disclaim any
intention Of sscribing to His economy the
peculiar imperfections which have trans
formed these representatives Of the people
into public enemies and political pests.
They spring from the communications en-.
gendered by ambition-the source Of orr
ginal sin. just how early men so sui-
mated began to participate in the concerns
OF nations 1t Is impossible to say. Yet stop;
upon referring to Paradise Lost, 1t appears
they were on the earth In advance of such
organizations. They were cast out of
Heaven for conspiring TO obtain the throne,
and they have doubtless piled their voca.
tion from that day 70 this, alternately gain.
ing and losing the power they perpetu.lly
seek. So 1t is clear they were pre-.
sent at the first election that took
place among men, and Of certainty
they exerted their sinister powers to defeat
the popular will. They want nothing IL
they do not want confusion, and they have
sooner or later caused the ruin of every
government yet created by man. They