Year: 1867

the City OF Portland, an aftlclu Dy IraXi ON
Trees and Nurserymen; together with the
usual variety of foreign and domestic news,
market reports, shipping news, Sc, sc.


"a Plague ON Roth your IIeuses.'


So says prominent literary paper, adapt
ing the well-knOwn execration of Mercutio,
when he found himself about to become
"gave man" in consequence of the quarrels
of the houses of Montague and Capulet, to
the public disquiet and individual annoyance
occasioned by the strife of political parties
and their adherents So the literary editor
washes his hands of the matter in a chance
paragraph of iIl-natured tone and goes on his
rosy way, filling all the glowing columns Ofhis
paper with tales Of strange adventure and of
happy or ofunhappy love; with sparkling mar
rative or humorous recital in prose or verse !;
making all its out of the way corners richly
digit with mirth provoking faceti9 or puns
so good that they seem almost sinful, as the
taste of pineapple seemed to Charles Lamb; i;
impartins to all fragrance by the skilful in
PRODUCTION of choice excerpts from rare old
Edglish masters-Spencer, Sydney or Drum
mond of Hawth0rnden. -d


1t is doubtless rude and unkindly inter
ruptiOn to summon contemplative individu-
al from following the fortunes of a lovely mai
den through delicious troubles and interest
Ing embarrassments, to listen to three OF six
column opinion by Buckley, a profano-sacred
speech of Hunnicutt or Brownlow, or a con-
versation with some garrulous Senator; to
shrek in his ear that President johnson has
fixed the day for his coup d'etat, if he is a
Radical,-or that the Black Republicans are
running the country by their extravaganza
and folly, if he is a Democrat; to discourse
to him of finance, registration or impartial
suffrage, and tell him that he mus. exert him
selfto have Boggs sent to Congress. 81"


But all these things must be looked after by
somebody, and ifthe fastidious, dilettanti sort
of people conceive them to be unworthy of
their personal attention, they should at least
abstain from disparaging comments upon
those who relieve them OF that duty, and
keep government over their heads. The as
saults upon political parties and upon politi-
cians if seriously intended, are absurd; for in
these days of government by the people the
functions formerly belonging to philosophers,
philanthropists and, in some respects, even
to the clergy, have been transferred TO the poll
tician, and are by him performed to much
better purpose than they ever before have
been. Morals are no longer mere matters of
speculation, to be taught to few and left TO
the chance OF being Weserved in the hearts of
individuals, but they are Incorporated into the
fundamental and secondary law of States, and
thus secure an eternal vitality. Governments
and laws are the objects with which the poll
tician occupies himself and, in the abstract,
nothing can be grander than his position. A
law is the best thought of the highest intelli-
gence of a large number of men, and no lon
ger the expression of the caprice or ignorance
OF single individual. The Politician makes
it bis business to influence and direct the gen.
eral sentiment OF the people to those objects
which he deems most important. His work
affects every man in the State. He busies
himself about the common good This being
the case, he may arrogate to himself some
thing Of the sanctity pertaining to the priest
hood. At least there is no impropriety in say


ing that sman cannot be good Christian
without being politician; for it is clear that
il he attempts to benefit mankind without
making use of incomparably the most efficient
means of doing so, he is guilty ola derelc-
ton of duty. Yet people will complain that
nOliticaI suhiacts ara 6isouaaad in tba nuIpit
and that moral questions are dragged into
politics The fact is clergyman of to- day
must be politician, for democracy is an
attempt to establish that equality among
mankind which is the generic idea of Chris
tianity. 1t is an approximation to the pur-
pose indicated by the first herald of the gos-
pei when lie announced that every hill and
every mountain should be brought low, AMI
every valley filled. What is merely specula-
tive in religion becomes practical in politics.


We would not claim that every man who
intrigucs in a ward caucus, or even goes to
Congress, is saint. We would not attempt
to make John Morrissey, fighting the tiger
or stupidity sitting through debate, a compan-
ion picture for John Rogers burning at the
stake. But Morrissey is not politician. He
has the outward form of one, but not the in
ward grace. He is quack. Abraham Lin
coin was politicians glorious politician,
honest, disinterested and gifted with that
clairvoyant intellect which Heaven bestows
upon statesmen (politicians) whose hands are
clean and whose hearts are pure. They over
look Abraham Lincoln, who are fond OF in
dulgng in indiseriminate abuse of politicians.
There is an increasing demand for, and an in
creasing supply Of, men of his stamp to direct
national affairs. And notwithstanding the
bad repute into which many of our public
men have fallen, their collective action has
been guided By spirit of the loftiest patriot
ism. The constitutional amendment abolish
ing slavery, the Civil Rights bill, the Freed
mems Bureau bill and the reconstruction acts
might all of them be very properly designated
bills for the establishment of Righteousness in
the Southern States. fi4sa.I 4.. e m