M
IVm.ro SKJrrr.Mrc.vr.
tains of Ills soul, Hint was warm with mo.
rnlily and purity. Tims hu became omi
iK'iil ns n moralist. Ho loved virtue. He
abhorred vice. Says Von Schlegol, "Mis
feelings revolt tit tho inlitiiiiaii cruullius
wliicli Nero inlliclcd upon llio Christians."
lie related crimes from a moral stand
point. And, by means of bis characteris
tic philosophy., springing up sponlane
ously in his words and general obser
valions, lie sie.es upon the opportunities
allordcd lor purifying his rondoiK Thus,
lu his Ournuiniii he throws reproach into
the face of his countrymen, JVtvuo en tin
illt'c ritiit ci'rfct, nee comnnpero ft corrinnpi
Kivciilmn cocttlur. Thus he lives among us
as n moialist, a reformer, gi eat alike by his
deeds and words. And would that our
words for him in closing could be immor
tal like his for Agrieola Then poteritnti
mirnitiiK e( Irathtus Hiipertten en't.
P. M. L.
P'JIi 'AG S'JNTLUKXT.
Legislative bodies often enact laws.
Which become ucad letters on the slat
tttes, and consequently fail of their inten
tion. These law become abortive, simply
because they fail to receive the indorse
ment of the public. T.ie action of some
" of our legislatures would imply that they
had failed to learn thai in a republic like
ours, with the greatest freedom of opinion
, prevailing, supported by the universal
exercise of Mill'rugc, no laws can bo suc
cessfully cnfoiced against a strong public
sentiment. Public sentiment is unstable
and varying as individual impplscs, at
one Mme taking a certain direction, at
oilier times an opposite trend, sometimes
mistaken, but none the less potent for
good or evil when active. Like the individ
ual miml, sometimes biased by ignorance
and prejudice; at other limes in a purer at
mosphere of intellect and reason, swayed
only by love of justice, equity and pa
triotic devotion to country. Public senti
ment must be heeded by those clothed
with power, or their political martyrdom
will so-ii be a realized event. Ordinary
observation should tench reformers that
their work should llrst be among thu peo
ple, and law .nuking bodies afterwards.
Temperance refirmers can never hope to
gain the day by prohibitory laws or other
measures with an iiidilVerent or averse
sentiment, on the part of the people, to
wards them. If the time which has been
occupied by temperance agitators in at
tempting to suppress the sale of intoxica
ting liquors, had been eon lined to amel
iorating the condition of those whose de
praved appetites impelled them to the
rumshop, in no would have been accom
plished in the sphere of temperance. Does
any one suppose for an instant that the
liquor traillc would flourish with a strong
public sentiment against it? Reform the
people and the liquor trallic will cease to
nourish. The latter proposition no doubt
grate ImrMily on the mimN of many, it
being in contradiction to what is usually
said of the people. From the mud-gutter
politician to the average statesman, a
sympathetic cry Is eontinuilly raised on
the oppression and wrongs suffered i,y the
"poor people." We confess that we have
not any particular love for the people.
There does not enkindle within our breast
any great amount of cheap sympathy for
a people who, with power in their hands,
stand listlessly by and suiier the 11111113'
abuses heaped upon them. Maladminis
tration is met with in nearly every
department of government , and thu
evil seems not to abate, but grows
worse day by day. Where should the
blame be attached V When we reflect that
the various olliccs of importance are
mainly filled by the vote of the people;
when we observe the indifferent and care
less exercise of the elective franchise, 01
the failure to lake advantage of the priv
ilege at all; when wo observe the com
plexion of our legislatures and other of
fices, and note the inferiority, both in
mental capacity ami morals, we can but
attach a great deal of the political evils of
the day to the electors, who, having pow-
m
Bji,
SB
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