Year: 1859

We are in great danger, too, of losing
this lesson which our past has taught
The great question with our political
managers is, how to succeed; not how to
give currency and force to our principles,
but how to get them into power. Our
principles are Of no use in private life.-I
They must go to the Legislature or be
buried. Hence, we fold them up and
place them on the back of him who is
mos. likely to get there. His back may
be rather sharp, but then he makes great
efforts to keep them on, so long as we are
in sight, SO We trust him with our princi-
pies. Men whom we would not trust in
our family, we will trust to represent US
in the highest court of the nation. Men
whose lives make their neighbors ashamed
of their companionship, we send to dis
grace us in Congress. Christians will pray
morning and evening for righteous rulers,
and then vote for the foulest and mean
est they can find. 1t is all proper to pray
that God will convert our rulers, but it
would be more consistent if we should al
so try and send such men to rule over us
that there would be some probability that
God would answer our prayers and that
the subject of them would stay converted
if he did, and not need converting again
just before each election. All this is done,
not because we do not loathe such repre-
sentatives of our principles, but to save
the party which we think embodies our
principles. Availability again has been
the test. The man is nominated that will
command the most votes, and the basis of
estimation seems to be this. The honest
men, the men of real character, in the par
ty are always sure. They never bolt
This portion, therefore, need not be taken
into account, and need not be represented
on the ticket. But the whiskey faction
must be conciliated, and so a whiskey
bloat heads the ticket. The lager bier
faction is also fractions, so beer mug
comes next. The rowdy faction is quite
strong in the cities, so some reckless, dare
devil must come next, to conciliate the
"b'hoys." And SO it goes; and when
election day comes, honest men come to
the polls with sad and heavy hearts, and
deposit their votes with many misgivings,
and finally console themselves by the
thought that it is principle, and not men,
they vote for. Cast your pearls before
swine, and holy things before dogs, but
don't talk about voting for good princi-
pies IN the shape of bad paen.z=A good
principle had better stay at home than 90
to Congress on bad mans back. A par
ty is ten-foid stronger morally, aud every
way, when defeated, than when repre-
seuted by vile men. Let every voter re-
member that, when he comes to a hard
name on his ticket. Your party had bet
ter, ten times over, be defeated, than be
instrumental in elevating a villain or a sot
to power. Talk about his carrying your
principles You might as well talk of
sending white robes in mud boats. If he
should get your principles to his seat of
office at all, they will be so draggled in
mud, and fumed with whiskey, you would
never know them. The good men of al
most every community, if not in the ma
jority, at least hold the balance of power.
Let them use that power to defeat any
party that dares to insult them by the
nomination of rascals or whiskey soaks.


Another truth illustrated by our past
history is, That the character of the people
as more important than their government.
Kansas has lived through the most un-
congenial government imaginable. I'm
posed and supported by outside authority,
it neither represented the character nor
respected the wishes of the people. Still
the people remained unchanged under this
superintendent mass, and by degrees
have loosened the hold of the system i'm.
posed upon them, and now are just ready
to shake it entirely of. You have, per-
haps, sometimes seen a spring, whose wa
ters have been lowered, covered and ap-
parently filled with filth and rubbish
You fear that the beautiful spring is for
ever ruined. But while you are watch
ing, with regret, the apparent growth of its
corruption, the eternal fountains of purity
from beneath are working necessarily and
noiselessly, and soon the water begins to
flow over the sides, and in few minutes
the whole mass of filth and rubbish is car
ried of, and the spring is as pure and
beautiful as ever. So purity among the
people will, sooner or later, correct base
ness in the government. They who stand
at the fountain head of public opinion
and public morals, have a far more re-
sponsible trust than those who direct the
issuing of the stream. The editor, who
dares to inculcate an uncompromising
morality, can well afford to become too
unpopular to secure Office. The teacher
who trains young immortals for duty, for
gets the greatness of his station when he
leaves it to dabble in party politics. The
minister who breaches the word of eternal
life to the multitude, descends a great
ways when he exchanges his pulpit for
gubernatorial or senatorial seat. Remem-
Der, my friends, in the apparent lowliness
of your station, that it is far more impor-
tant to keep the fountain pure than to
scum the surface.


Our great danger now is from the dregs
of our conflicts. All connections in na-
ture, such as earthduakes and volcanic