Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-10-22

Mexico, Audrain Coz
lands of the Sandwich Isles, of Africa,
or of the cold North. And in all the
communities there are holy divines,
pious pastors, eloquent Christian
Christening humanity and
earth with the morals of
heaven. In America religious in
struction is more universal than in all
other climes.
Another feature in the aspect of our
day Is that of corrupt state Of NOR
ais. 1t Is said that the manners and
morals of q community are dependent
upon the purity of its religion. A
morbid influence pervades the whole
moral system and deadens most of it's
refined sensibility and purer feeling.
Perhaps our country never before
witnessed as at present such want of
confidence, of veracity-neyer before
such host of violations of
pledges, Of contract, Of covenant,
either In the natural person, in the
representative, in corporations, or in
state-never before witnessed such
schemes of villiany, such list of fell
ONES and misdemeanors--never be-
fore did marauding bands, and insur-
rectionary parties at noon of day
stalk forth from the bosom of relig-
ious communities to pillage the houses
and the affairs of their countrymen, or
to rob and murder the friendly for
eigner upon the peaceful sod of our
land. For this land of justice, of
honor, of law, these are lamentable
facts and startling circumstances.
They have been enacted not only in
one community, but in every circle of
our great country; upon every dane
ing wave of our waters; in every
shady grove of our hills; in every
crowded street of our cities. Nor
have they been performed by mad
men alone, but by tender youth, by
the private man, by men of rank and
wealth, who have long lived in con-
fidence and reputation. They are sad
evidences of the declining state of our
morals. And If it is, as it is said, that
the citadel of our glory and our liberty
is erected on the rock of virtue, it
doth hehoove the guardian spirit OF
our country to shield it from the de-
caying influences of vice, of treach-
cry and violated faith. But they
should not alone be of the few, but the
whole people should make up the
guardian spirits. The influence of
the few, though great and good, will
ever be drowned by a countertide Of
the many. Cicero and his friends IN
patriotism could not alone preserve
their Rome against bad morals and
the thousand handmaids of vice who
ran riot and fed upon the vitals of
both individual and national exist
ences. characterization, treason, fell
ony and base ambition deadened the
moral stamina of the people and
reaching the army ,dismantled the walls
of the empire of their strength and
durability. Then chaos, ruin and con-
sternation mingled their elements.
And the sun that shone upon Rome,s
early liberty, fair, as light and pure as
mountain air, set behind the waves OF
sea of blood that rolled from the
springs of ignorance and corrupt NOR
ais. So throughout the nations like
sequence follows a like cause. The
products of mind are infamous IL mind
is sown with the seeds of infamy. And
virture, even to be stable, should never
be touched with corrodings of vice
And if our country is to stand a daz-
zling light for the globe, an example
to nations, model to constitutions, il
must and should ever be virtuous.
Good morals should characterize every
circle and class, every craft and pro-
fession, should characterize every per
| son, high or low, rich or poor, from the
executive parsonage through all the
| departments of state, through all pri'
| vase life, through every sub order and
grade of citizenship. Good morals
must and ought to be the choices
flower in the national diadem. Their
our land would betruly blest, worth,
alone of its people and of those who
nestled upon the bosom Of the storm
gave order, structure and brilliancy t.
the republic and polluted to comm,
ages the way to honor, faith ant
greatness.
| A third feature In the affairs of th'
day is the instability Of politics, ol
rather the factions, spirit and whim
sical minds of our politicians AM
statesmen. The same could pernap
4 have been said of any ageIor country
and perhaps justly, too, Of the palm
lest days of our young republic. Yet
these days do seem afflicted with NOR
than their appropriate deserts. tn
bad state of the national morality, at
fecting the heart, surely plunges tn
brain of the politician into all the yer
tigo of mental arrangement, and tn
man swims loose from patriotism an
steady principle into the great whiri
political chicanery and popular ma
noeuvre. The desires and interests {
the nation are made to conform to th
! dreamy views Of men-principles
government are made to bend to th
: will and construction of some way
ward mind-necessary measures a
treated as obsolete shams apd the
!, the beautiful, but grand machinery
our government is brought at od'
!: Only One
Standard
I'll You and we may Differ as to
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