The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-04-30
THE FICKLENEss OF HUMANITY.


THE FICKLENESS OF HUMANITY.
Probably NO quality is 20 common TO
mankind ss ackleness. Men dart from
one thing to another 50 frequently, and
with such utter disregard OF constsncy,
that one msy almost, at times, doubt
whether, after all, we are not machines,
and that the boasted free agency and
powerful intellect Of man. .'crested IN
the express image of his Maker" are not
myths, Or at best, greatly creatures of the
imagination. From the earliest dates
history constantly records evidences of
this human mutsbility, land in nothing is
it SC strongly shown, Ms IN
the political history of every
people. Monarchs have been crowned
suid the esr.splitting plsudits OF vast
multitudes, only to be discrowned in an
incredibly short space of time. amid the
boots and jeers of the same populsce.
The victorious leader to-day marches at
the head of his forces in triumph, and
men crowd and trsmpe upon each other
in frantic efforts to outvie each other
in doing him honor, and hardly is he
puffed up with the pride of his position,
and over the batteries he receives, thsn
his rival suddenly rises from the dust
into which he had been crushed, and i'm
medistely, the crowd deserts its first
love, and taking part with the new
god o: its idolstry, has moth
ing to bestow upon Its late
hero, but abuse and curses. Verify moth.
ing succeeds like success" And it never
yet has failed that the man of the mo-
ment, no matter what has been his past
record, has been able to secure large
crowds of sycopbants, ready to grovel
at his feet, and seek, in every manner,
to secure q glance from, or to revel in
smile OF, his gracious countensnce.
We say that history is full of such
records, from the earliest days, and as
time has advanced, and progress" has
made its boastful march, this spirit o.
fckleness, vscillation and sycophancy
has kept even pace and to-day, that spirit
shines forth more prominently in these
same United States of Americs. than in
any other country of the globe.
Take, for instance, the policies of
President GRANT and Mr.. HAYES and
compare them. That OF the one, was
noted for its intolerance, fanatici.,n and
tyranny. 1t Was the legitimate outcome
OF Radicallsm, and in strict accord with
the teachings and tenets Of that party.
rne main great idea which ruled the
country then, was hatred and oppression
OF the South, and when this idea was
being carried out IN all its wickedness,
men IN place and power, all applauded;
neld up the hands of the President; re-
ioced at every new act of his, ard when
radical Congresses aided him with their
force bills, and their efforts TO trample
upon the rights and freedom Of people
already worn out with war and suffer
ing, thousands of cries would go up from
thousands of throats "God speed. You
are fighting the battles OF the Lord"
But now see the difference, and note
what change has come over the spirit
of the popular dream. GRANTS admin
istrstion began TO lose favor to such
an extent, that in November
last, the Democratic candidate for the
Presidency, Hon. SAMUEL j. TILDEN-
was triumphantly elected, and Radical
Ism was sternly rebuked. And, so great
was the change of sentiment, that
though Mr.. RUTHERFORD b. HAYES was
enabled to seize upon the chair. still he
did not dare 60 against popular will
The result is that he is carrying out
Democratic ideas, and making his admin
istrstion in several important respects
almost as good one as the regularly
elected President would have done, had be,
as of right he should, been insugursted
But amid these changes, do we hear him
denounced by his sirnon-purc Radical
followersf No indeed. Some OF the more
hardy, the BLAlNEs, the CHAMBERS
aud those of that stripe, it is true, every
now and then venture to find fault and
complain, but from the great mass OF
men, VINO but few months ago were
praising GRANT to the skies, he receives
plaudits for his patriotism, and honor
for doing the very thing they then
decried. Day after day, fresh in
stances of this nature arisc, and
only this morning do We read in the
dispatches that Colonel THOMAS WENT.
WORTH HIeaINsoN, one OF the old guard
o: sbolltionism," writes from Newport,
Rhode Island, highly applauding the
new departure, and predicting glorious
results therefrem, Strange, passing
ST. snge, that the eyes OF these people are
SO suddenlyopenei toright, after cropping
so long in darkness.
In this case, however, we have no
special fault to find with this display OF
human mutsbility. 1t is, for once, on
the right side, and, coming as it does from
our bitterest political enc mics, is grard
and glowing tribute to the principles of