M
Our 1'oliticul Virtue.
ihivs, wi'li I ho achievements, deeds and
thoughts of ii Viui Jiurcn, Harrison, Polk,
Wo need no example to substuntlulu tills
assertion. Merely notice, yourselves, who
Tler and oilieis, who shed their lambent1; formerly tilled our positions ol trust and
light upon Hie Presidential chair ol a still I honor in our government, in our com.
litler day.
F'ok al ii in n common-senso view lay
for a" moment a'l prcdjudioo aside, and
you will readily pi reeive that the ties of
nature and the dictates of policy demand
that we cheriah with veneration and grate.
ful recollections the memory of those men
nioiiwcnllhs, and who to-day hold the
same positions.
Can we then with a clear conscience,
.say that each day our political virtues are
becoming purer, while we observe the
man who to-day holds the helm of our
government, while we sec him floundering
who have laid the foundation of this great , in the vast flood of corruption, surrounded
republic hy men whose characters are tainted with
Vlicn wo commence to ridicule and ox-1 atiociouscrimes.w hose heartsaie hardened
pose the vices 'of tho.-e men, when we treat . by nefarious plots against theireountry and
then. 'as if they had no virtues, and when
we immortalize their Mus and follies in
satirical anecdote, as is lroque:ll done, it
whose imaginations are dazzled by visions
of diadems in treasury vaults?
Can we, citizens of a free governnu'i.t,
shows plainly thn we are losing that Hue with free thought and free speech, stand
principle which should form an element ' by and see our country cairied into the
of every American citizen. 'yawning chasm of innovation and over-
Yes, we are living in an age too deep!;,
overwhelmed by the vast Hood of e.onun
tion to notice and cherish the deeds, to
hold in grateful recollections the Miller,
ings and trials our forefathers euduied in
laying the foundation of this powerful na
tion. Wo are all willing to admit that
there was glory in tho stubborn and
Arm resolution with which our country
during its infancy, under the guidance of
'a Washington, fought for and maintained
its rights; but now we ensuus our.-clves
with tho thought that no such foolhardy,
thrown by men destitute of sufllcient wis
dom, of dccMon of character, of inflexiblo
integrity.
I again ask you, oldening all this, can
wo boast of our political virtues.
It is a self-evident fact that, in these late
years, our ollleials have become corrupt in
the extreme. We are gradually learning
to heed not the cry of eoiruplion. Ac
counts of defalcations, swindles, lorgeiii's.
and briberies, which at one lime won:
startling in the extreme, and which sent a
shudder of fear through our veins, aie
insane risks made under the guidance of i now read as they appear in the columns
the commanders of a Inter day have marred of the press, with that degree of coolness
their warlike renown. Hut, then, why and unfeeling which alone should wain
should costly glory be sought when a I us of the terrible future. Weare nnwablr
. . f ..I I. i . .....1 n ' . i. - ..I . I . . . ...
cneapcr amoiu can uu loiuiu :
As wo co sailing down the stream of
time, tossed hither and thither by the
turbulent waves, wo readily forget the
past in our ambitious desire for spoils,
and look with a longing into the distant
future. Would we but stop and notice
tho vast dillerence between tho early life
of this republic and its later, wo would bo
startled in the extreme. Formerly, our J
ablest men held our highest ofllccs, while
now they do not, and eonfcssvdly, can not. ' principles which they professed to mni.
lo see for ourselves that an aseeitained de
sire for ofllce is a demonstration of unfit,
nessj that the present holding of oJllce is
prima facio evidence ol'unworthiness. Wo
llnd our positions of trust throughout our
land tilled with men who are each day ac
cumulating wealth and honor and tilling
their storehouses to the tunc of our conn,
try's disgrace.
Men whom we send lo our State and
National legislatures, have deseited tho
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