The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-02-10
CHRISTMAS POLITICS.
onAuScY +. BLACK, IN rim LANCASTER
Ora. IsTELmGEScen.

IRA. IsTELLIGESceR
We propose. for this ono occasion, to
SAX our readers to mingle their religion
with.politics. This Christmas time 10
the best of all times in which TO review
and revive tho principles we ought TO
maintain in both the church and the
state. And these principles, like The
Southern gentlsman's newspaper, ought
TO Consist" A good Christian cannet
be a bad citizen. A genuine follower
of Him who camo totesouo tho lowest
fallen, aud to preach the largest liberty
TO Ill tho earth, cannot lend his polite
al power, whether it be that OF some
great oilico or that only Of single
ballot, to the preparation Of any kind
uf injustice.
In the spiritual common wealth Of
Jesus Of Nazareth, all men wero FREQ
and equal king and subject, lord and
slave IL was the great objection CT
the philosophers and Statesmen OF the
century that tho new religion confound-
oi all orders Of society, that IL stripped
the rich and the great of their artificial
distinctio ons, tnl restored tie servile
and hase oi tho dignity Of nature in
spite Of all tho deerees Of the stato.
II WAS, therefore, in their eyes, essen.
TALLY revolutionary and lsvelling. Out
ef this truth grew cloud OF monStrsus
lies, which eneompagsed tho church for
several centuries, among the rest the
same argument the Know Nothings
urged against our Catholic brethren,
viz That the Christians wer0 estab.
fishing an iH,perium q, impeyio, and
would supersode The civil with their
ecclesiastical authority. Ia vain a
long line Of pious and illuAtrieus apslo-
gists pointed TO tho scripture, which
snjoined obedience, prompt and i'm
plioit, 10 the civil ruler, and made even
the payment Of the mosseneroas and
obnoxious taxes religious duty. Tho
manopolist OF that day, the owners Of
charters and special privileges, thosS
who held the power to make other
men labor that they might riot, refused
TO be convinced. They saw that the
spirit Of the Galiiean's sweet gospel
vas fall OF peril 10 their pre-, cHsisna.
That which filed the heart Of the
broken alaye with a newborn hope,
aad robbed FIRE and cross Of their ter.
rors, must sooner or later 30 fatal 10
the artificial arrangements OF society
which enabled few men 20 live by
tho sweat and tears Of Tho many. That
was the real danger which the Roman
lesd, as well as tho Roman politician
aud tax-ca,er, apprehendcd from the
strange teachings Of the new sect
The gospel Of Christ was indeed he
ffet proclamation Of psre democracy
on the earth II waa good will 10
raen, 10 al men of every grade ana
condition. Translated into politics
that means that ail men should 80
equal before the lag aa they are equal
before Gcd equal not merely ia their
rights 10 life and limb, but in their
right to labor as they sec it, aud 10
enjoy the fruits Of their owa cndcavors.
The Srrmoa on the Mount and the
Declaration Of American Iudspsnd-
once contain tho same selfevident
truth but they have had hard and
a long struggle to get themselves
placed on the human statute book
aud - be Kept thete after they
were enacted. "Eternal vigilance is
the price Of liberty" We make a
little ADVANCE, and then, IL Wa relax
oar efforts in the least, We s.raigh way
lose more than we bad gained. Ambi.
tion, greed, the love of dominion, and
the lust Of money uneaTned never
sleep. 1t is not within the scope of an
article ike this TO sketch this struggle,
or sven to ahude to any Of its incidents
beyond tho limits of our own fortunate
country. But what have we seen
here
Thomas Jefferson was the great
apostle of human Liberty on this con
tinent, He proposed to start al men
in the race Of life upon Il footing ei
perfect equality, and to give no man
aay legal advantage over another. In
| Virginia hs broke down the establish.
ed church, repealed the law Of prim
ogeniture and Of entails, reduced the
Government to pure democracy, and
would, if he could, have abolished
negro slavery, concerning tho csn-
sequences of which to his own race, hs
trelnbled when he thought of tho JUS
/ tice ef God. He was slso the projec-
tor OF system Of popular education
which was FAR in advance of the timos
in whish he lived, and we beg the
young readers TO remember the fact
when he hears some brawling dema.
gogue claiming the credit of the com
mon school system ior party which
was born yesterday, and was born
then only to take up the cause OF the
few against the many where Thomas
JefersoI's ancient enemies were forcet
TO drop it.
But Mr.. JoGerson's great work o
"good will to men," did not stop there
Virginia was frse-frec Of the hoar.
abuses sf monarchy and aristocraey-
and, his Declaration of Independence,
having been sustained by arms, th
colonies were Independent States. Ba
now arose an enemy more dangerou
than the British crown beyond tn
seas had ever been. IL was near an,
pressing, subtle and insidious. l
came in The guise of patriotism AM
iured the people by promises Of nation
al power aud glory. The party Q
which Alexander Hamilton was thel
the head would have extinguished u
staIes, and set up for general govern
ment practical monarchy son III
British model" Failing in that, the