The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-07-15
A HOPEFUL GOVERNOR


A""rlc.tI theory. that Il free and iGtclli
/ gent people, would be found equal to al
/ CNi"crci2, of the future. Governor Long
/ of Massachusetts j. the orator to whom
We allUde. He rcfuse, to conccdc tha
! our old past WAS as good as our present
! or t" believe that we al" as a people rap
! idly degencrating, and as a nation fast
! drifting into irremeliable disasters. Ever
| OF the earliest stage of Our national exist
cnc"-its heroic reriod-he says:
/ = 1t began as an experiment, doubtful
and uncertain: it began with nothing
;aore than a feeble uai0n Of sentiment,
engenderCd by the enthusiasm of COM
mon military service and common eX-
posture: it began amid a diversity of i'll
Ierests and of races. of religious and
ethnic characteristics: it began not only
without money, but with a crushing bur-
den If debt, which it seemed to have no
resources or means of paying: it began
| with no hold Oh the cooperation of
foreign powers, except the chivalrous
sympathy that ended almost with the
stirring event of the war that aroused it:
4
caused by seven years of campaigning.
and with currency dcbased and worth
| less, and furnishing still terrible warn.
inc against the rot which such imitation
aud depreciation cause in the character.
tone and truth of a people; it began witt.
It disconnected and disturbed soldiery,
unpaid. destitute and neglected, and
smartimg under the iugratitudc OF their
] IFS p1I'Iy EaI Inv
riots and rebcllions. 1t is claimed that
nothing but the firm and enduring weight
OF the character OF Washington held it
together. Its constitution was framed
and adopted only with reluctence and
doubt. The morals of the people were
not OF Il high order The morals of pub
lie men We're low. Aaron Burr was of IL
character SO VIGOROUSLY infamous that
to day it is incrediable how lie could
have been chosen Vice President. and
brought within Two or three votes of the
Presidency itself. Hamilton was not free
from rcproach. Religion. when not asleep
was coarse and llitcrate. Congress was
the scene of debates bitter and personal
to Il shameful degree. The Cabinet was
divided against itself. The mutual hate
of Jefferson and Hamilton it would be
hard to parallel
50 the Governor goes on presenting the
evils and shortcomings of what many re-
gard as tie Golden Age of the Repub-
lie, but which lie gives strong reasons
for considering far inferior to the present.
judged by the high standards of u
christian civilization. He asks:
Shall prefer the old times when /
see government TO day made the use, the
culture, the salvation OF the people, say
ing those who are in peril from want aud
famine: looking after the little children:
caring for the insane. the idiotic, the
criminal. the drunkard, the unfortunate,
the orphans and the aged guarding the
interests of the lapoler: bringing to the
help of the aggicultur.st the best results
of science, and building colleges for the
promotion of the noble calling of the
culture of the soil: guarding the savings
Of the small carriers: investigating the
causes of disease and securing it's proven
ton: giving to all the people comforts
that were ONCE not even the luxurious
dreams of PRINCES. pouring out education
ike streams OF living water; maintaining
great and generous charities and extend.
ing the shield of its foresight and en-
enlargement over all alike? Grant that
after the rebellion of lSGl. as years ago
after the revolution of ii.t;, a period of
war was followed 10y an extraordinary
period Of decentralization resulting from
the excessive and abnormal disturbance
of tine ordinary channels of labor and in
dustry and especially from that initiation
If our currency winch gave rise to incred-
ible increase of expenditure aud debt.
ana from mich rcCaVpry CAME only with
a shock. Grant that corruption some
times exist in high places and in low:
grant that politics are too often turned
into barter. The evil cannot stand
against the discerament which Is 20 swift
to uncover ami Shame it, and that will
permit no cOnccalmelt. And there is
good token III the very ScnsitiveneSs of
the public mind. which was never keener
or quicker to discover and punish fraud
and laithIessness than low
As 10 the RECENT tall ip4t.t iha evils
anu dangers that may a.i@e from the ac-
cumulation o! vast fortunes. the Cover
nor's views are as interesting as they are
fresh, original and impressive
Grant the great accumuations of in
Gividual and corporate wealth, with. it's
large" luXuries: grant this, aud if there
be danger in it-aS there is-be on your
guard. But is it all evil? Have the null
titude been corrcsponHingl, st,,;::!ii..elrd
,,i.i ,icpGi ed; are the homes. the food.
the clothing. the literary and aesthetic
tastes. and the amusencntS of the toiers
more limited, or do they share IN the gen.
eral bettcr,ncut? Is the public library
closed TO them? Is there no newspaper-a
library i'll itsell-in their hands each day?
ii%<9 .n.ey .seIEs o. .tIin;n?f Light l.. read
uy tna.i nelo," a.. ..n.!tiei means Of con.
Veyance from The city TO the field and
beach, or more meagre communication
with the great orbit OF the living world.
its interest, its activities. It's resources!
May we not yet find even in this bugbear
of excessive wealth. with its perilous
luxury emasculating those who enjoy it
and tempting those Who ape -, ,.e seeds
OF ne e<ii.s own cure. II it lie not so. it
is the first instance of Il corruption which
has not wrought its own better life. Need
we. indeed even now, look far off for a
day when the vulgar z iuttony Of wealth
will be the disdain OF good manners aud
high character. not worth its own heavy
weight, and no lnnTe" tie rim; c. : De ter
Iynq ITS. ;iMe., Il ..;.Ii.lues$. CT was it
cvri, correspondent with wealth or luxl-
ry:' .Aie not Hoat men superior TO either,
or to the fever for them? do not think !
ii too much to say that. in the time to
come. Give me neither poverty nor
riches, will be not only the wise mans |
prayer. but the smart mans maxim and |
the autocrats choice. What refreshment
even to-day, to turn to EXAMPLES of
wealth-ot which S" m.,;.J ...e .l,lgstrlous |
Ia your own tity~-@hiGll tnds it's most |
gracious use and its most indulgent luz
nry in cooling streams of charity and |
flowing broadcast amid the |
parched lowlands of want ard ignorance |
and wrong, Under our system tho easy
Of wea'th :; -; u,.t. AZ small
yaieg ,ia.,,, ;,@d ,ts,ii;,t1:. Nat only do |
fortunes some aid 60. not only from ali |
rounds OF the social ladder do the mil |
lionaircS spring: but, even while retained |
i'll the same hand, wealth does not lie in
active and embay ed, but is coursin. |
everywhere. Il trust rather than an ex-
elusive possession TO its owner alloy d
inc. SI"ro"t'u:-, en- ~ ,.iNt Other
ma. s,.::s;ii..iYt is "a attack not him hut
them It Is engaged III tl.eir service
mora than his. 1t has no existence ex-
cept i'll this very subServience to the gen
eial use. Destroy this function and 1t is
but corpse, worth no mans having.
These hopeful and encouraging scnti- /
meuts are certainly IL ,-1ea,~.. ,.,,,act .
- =, s,:i.' sA''f"S'
t.. thr Gi'"''',, n'iiio'la.iona oT rational
that have been recently in
dnlgcd by Prominent speakers and writ
crs.
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