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“upon the subject of politics.
—ror 7 THE WEEK ENDING—
“SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1854.
1 > Unver the “ Notices to Correspondents,” on
page 364, will be found the announcement of all new
articles examined and accepted for publication. '
; ' Political Duty.
"Tre study of polities is the duty of every
true patriot.. It is the duty of those, also,
who make no claim to merit, for. the, pos-
session of excessive love of country above,
all other considerations, but who rejoice in
the title of Christian. For the latter class,
it is preéminently a duty.
In the political world, action is taken by
party. Party tie is the recognized bond of
union, and the _only one which renders ef-
fectual any design for the governing of a
people. Particularly i in the case of our re-
public, where individual rights are guaran-
teed, and the expression of free thought is
encouraged; where all men are sovereigns,
and all submit :to government. . Sovereign-
ty and subjection must be reconciled to each
other, the means of which is found in the
delegation of ruling power into the hands of
a comparative few. To do this, the: voice
of the people must be heard, and that of the
majority obey ed. ‘Party organizations are
necessary—we . will not say evils, but instru-
ments, in the social fabric—for the mass of
mankind are ‘sluggish, and require more
than individual effort to, stimulate . their
movements into activity.
_| sanctified ambition. .
Thus parties have’ and maintain: great
pow er, which, being vested in the hands of
the leading few, who profess to uphold ideas
and policies deemed essential to the welfare
and prosperity of a nation, acquires a mas-
tery over individual: judgment that is dan-
gerous to the growth of national mind. __
To check this power is a useless attempt,
if restraint is the only method proposed.
‘The evil must be met, and displaced from
its high position, by substituting virtue for
vice, honor, for baseness, truth, for -lying,
right for wrong, in the hearts of those who
would serve their country and their God.
Virtue is the only strength of a people.
, Recognizing this principle as the true
one, how important for.a nation it is, that
they who represent its interests, and by
reason of these weighty interests, wield a
force terrible in consequences for woe, if
not rightly comprehended—how necessary
it is that rulers should be properly imbued
with the spirit of truth, and justice, and
right. [Tow necessary it is that a people be
indoctrinated into this spirit, so as to choose
those for their rulers who shall truly repre-
sent them in the sight of God and presence
of mankind. A Christian community should
participate in political action, and not leave
their dearest rights’ and “privileges ‘in the
hands of men who profess to be governed in
life by no other than the law of expediency,
and who, as trading politicians, are base
enough to sell themselves and their country
for office, emolument, and power.’
~ There has been heretofore a morose in-
disposition maintained by even good men
They have
feared loss of character by mingling with
the strifes of party; they have thought the
ted their faith in an all-wise Providence to
supersede individual action. The church
has shown a lack of interest in politics that
resembles, in its mildest aspect, stupidity.
By this remark, we would not favor in any
way the fusion of church and state,; but
would. ‘have the great doctrines. of the
Founder of the Christian religion inculeat-
ed into the hearts of its members.’ The
church should uphold right, and denounce
wrong, especially when wickedness sits en-
throned in the high places of the land, and
rulers enjoy the fruits of an unholy and un-
It’ should, by the re-
gard which it has for the interests. of the
:| Spiritual kingdom-—the advent of. which on
earth is the burden of its prayers—lift the
warning cry, and prophesy with ‘the thun-
ders of Sinai, against those who suffer them-
selves to be drawn: into the great vortex of
national wrong. The spiritual kingdom has
much. to,do with republics‘on earth, by
which a relation is _ established , between
them... We contend, therefore, that the
church should purify the political world, and
commence by an onslaught upon the strong-
holds of disease; now ¥ preying upon the body,
politic..-, «
», The times do need fearless. men, earnest
men, to speak. for truth ;, because corrup-
tion is found in all the walks of. life... Cor-
ruption is in the hearts of the people, and in
their rulers. Government i is corrupted by
ambitious, unprincipled “ men. _ The luster
of the ‘age is tarnished by corruption’ that
is now almost universally shared. , Com-
merce, the hand-maid of civilization, is pros-
tituted to base purposes in the grand scram-
ble for gain.“ Office, and power, and wealth
are the prizes for exertion. Government
has been perverted from the exercise of its
true function of working for common good)
to administer to private ends. The trust of
millions has been violated by trading pol-
iticians, whose. creed’ consists of robbery,
meanness, cunning, duplicity, and audacious
perjury, summed up in the words, “ To the
victors belong the spoils.”,
To introduce and maintain the dignity of
the Christian religion in the sphere of polit-
ical action, is the duty of the church toward
the nineteenth century ; 3 for it preserves
upon its altars the truth of all. traths—the | *
knowledge of God—a nation’ 8 safeguard.
* Therefore, i in’ view of approaching, elee-
tions, and the corruption that has been fes-
tering since previous elections; i in view of
the regard which a citizen. should have for
his country’s prosperity 5" in view of the
many factions in which party spirit is now
found ; sensible of the: radical defects in
social government; fearful of ‘the: conse-
quences of ambition, the ruling of passion
over virtuous “sentiment; in view of party
selfishness; and the degradation of. moral
principle by political : gambling, let :the
Christian man and the moral man’ come
forth from their hiding-places, and march to
the ballot-box, prepared to enforce vpon
public men and public. measures the rule by
which their individual consciences are gov-
erned. , Let men: not longer refuse to “act
where moral power, once: exerted, would
produce ‘grand and ‘noble results. ‘The
study of the politics of their country, would
show them where to act, and testify of their
regard for right, honor, truth, and j Justice,
ea Monesty.—When honesty i is policy,
honesty ceases to exist.
{> JoKEs. {Laughter pills.” Can be
taken ‘without the aid of faith to make them
country prosperous outwardly, and permit-
efficacious. y
cette ope 6° 8...
, The Last Butchery.
Tim ocean; steamers and ‘the railways |"
seem just at this time to be running a race
in the bloody: work of human butchery.’’ In
reading the accounts of some of their doings,
in the daily journals, one would suppose
he had “ lost the place,” and got among the
descriptions of carnage in thé Eastern: war
—*so many killed, so many wounded ‘and
missing.” Before the horrible ‘slaughter. of
the Aretic’s collision’ is half: understood ‘in
its details, we hear of a collision between a
passenger and gravel train on the’ Great
Western Railway, 32 miles this side of De-
troit. It was caused by the trains running
at high speed, in a dense fog, without mak-
ing signals—exactly ¢ as the Arctic’ met her
ruin. ‘As near as can be: ascertained, 47
persons were killed and 51 wounded—most
of them:German immigrants. » Of course,
the officers of the road are blameless, brave,
and humane fellows ; and itis expected that to:
handsome presents will be made: them: for
granting quarter toa part of the passengers.
rarA Governor: Puntsimp—Gov-
ernor Winston, of Alabama, was fined $10
a few weeks since, by a Circuit Judge’ in
one of the counties of Mississippi, for wear-
ing his hat and smoking ‘a cigar ‘in the
court-room’ during a session. « Seryed him
right! If. law-makers : turn Jaw-breakers,
they should smart more intensely t than ordi-
nary folks for it... 64)
rae Ir cost $5, 87 per head to count the
people of the' United States in’ 1850, when
the seventh census was taken, and only $1.13
per head to count them i in 1790, when the
first census was taken. , We are a tremen-
dously “ progressive ” ‘nation every way,
and” especially in Squandering money
through the general government. .
‘a “Tre - DyineG , Marpen’s ‘Goop
Niaurt,” by Miss lattice Stephens, is anoth-
er of those beautiful pieces of music which
we furnish to our patrons. this ‘week. It is
now a settled fact that no paper in America
has such a corps’ of contributors in. music
as the Literary Museum... ...,
' ya Te Philadelphia Sunday Y Stescury
gives gusto to a ‘humorous aécount of the
visit of the “ Boston Committee.” “We pre-
sume they had great ‘times, ' ‘Wonder who
will meet us at the depot, when we. visit the
Quaker City. Will the Mercury y man” “be
“one of vem?” . ,
E> Dexicrovs Menniscewr, —To walk
upon a slippery pavement with a cranberry
pie: in your hand, ‘and suddenly have it
tossed over your head soas to come down
in time to make a cushion for you as your
feet slip from under your body. Imagine
yourself thar, «, iH
EG> Co: AL areas “of the, ‘United States;
133,782 square miles ; of Nova Scotia’ and
New Brunswick, about 18,000 square miles;
of Great Britain. and Ireland,'11,859 square
miles. “No. need of. people’s freezing, if
unshackled competition is allowed. °
| pg AN Irishman in ‘ Waltham ' lately
made a practical “bull” by which’ he’ lost
$31. Becoming’ sleepy at a “wake,” his
pocket was” picked of a wallet coni
that amount of money.
ining
" pg7> ENLARGEMENT 0 OF TE eanr—
A disease that scarcely ever visits some rich
old covies in the midst of a “hard winter
for the poor.”
£4" Disavustixa—tTo see any one who
calls himself a man, Defooled by tailors and
man-milliners. i !: nis
A Funny. Subject,
.:° DPREATED SERIOUSLY.
Tr Portland ‘Transcript has an: ably-
written article on the “ Rosa Matilda” con-
tents of a school-children’s paper, of limited
circulation, published in Boston, and known
as Dow’s Waverley Magazine.” The writer
says that a number of years ‘since he con-
templated publishing a collection of the
poorest verses that ever were known to
have been!“ accepted” bya newspaper ed-
itor; and with this view, he’ pasted in a
serap-book—for more than-a year—every-
thing “rich” ‘that came under ‘his observa-
tion, and when nearly ready to publish, he
was induced to throw the book in the fire,
by seeing one copy of the above Magazine ;
its entire contents being so’ much richer
than - the : richest of his collection. ~The
writer says : .
> “ That: in the midst of rational civiliza-
ion, such a sickly, sentimental mixture of
moonlight and impotent passion could have
increased to such a bulk, was altogether u un-
reckoned for. te
" The critic’ has made nearly ‘twenty ex-
tracts from one number of the ‘Dowédyzine,
to illustrate -the brilliancy ‘of its contents,
and we have laughed so heartily while read-
ing the review, that we are induced to give
our readers a similar treat.
“In the’ Dowdyzine: dated ‘October ‘28th,
Prof. G. R. Poulton—(the Transcript won-
ders what he is Professor of? he professes
to be one of the editors, of course)—has an
eulogistic criticism on the favorite contribu-
tors to ‘that paper.’ “He says of W. IL.
Bristol—whose name, with’ that’ of the-
Prof., is inserted as one of the « ‘editorial
correspondents ” : "3
' “Steadfast in the right, Bristol aims at
the giant errors of the time, and hits’ them.
His verse is flowing and easy, while his ex-
pressions are original and glowing.” .
., We should think that there was a dash of
sarcasm in the ‘above, ‘if. Poulton. didn’t
write . with even greater stupidity than
Bristol, for he adds:
“We look for much from him in the'e com~
ing future.”
The italies are ours. ,
But the following will incontestibly prove,
Mr. Bristol's claim ¢ to originalit yy at least:
ETASTES OF THY BETTER LAND.: |
AL ‘times we'd clasp thé world close in our arms, |
‘And kissits great, cold brow in childlike love!? .
“vill our whole being with God’s touches warms,
And in sublimest senses wreathes above,
As clouds of odor rolling from the ‘soul
* Eartl’s altars breathing ineense unto Goa.”
‘That the Professor should praise the con=’
tributors to the Dowdyzine is not to be won-
dered at in the least; for they all belong to’
the Mutual Admiration Society, and ‘praise
is all they get for their productions, ’ But a
criticism by ‘ProfPoulton—who writes for
the “coming future ”. —is too rich to pass
over without notice. © oF Mr. Binder, ' he’
saysiol : :
a“ Grammatically speaking, he is generally ly
correct, though we sometimes -eatch, hin
tripping—allowing . Murray . to. be; . the
Ju ge.”
Mr. Binder will no doubt i improve in ‘the
“coming future.” - ,
The Pp rof. should’ write a 2 putt for Ww. Ih.
Kilborn—or Kill byron, as the sequel will,
show. Te says: « .
“Farewell, farew ell, my native and, vat
leave ‘thee and forever; ot
‘A wanderer alone I stand . eto vaat
- No friendship’s tie to sever.” - yr6dy
This verse must be original, as we have
never met with a poem in print from which:
such doggerel could be distilled... Two of
the succeeding three stanzas are siolen al-
most word for word from “ Childe Harold’s
‘
Good Night,” by Byron—altered, however,