THE MUGWUMP.
POLITICAL organization is necessary for
the advancement of political truth, par
ticularly in enlightened and Democratic gov
ernments,
The history of our own country affords
many examples of this. But the efforts of
such organizations are frequently toward
wrong ends rather than right. Our history
affords many examples of this also. The rank
and file of a party may not see the drift towards
evil—they generally do not see it. Party pre
judices in such cases obscure their vision.
A Political party that inaugurates a great
truth, cradles it, fosters its manhood; and fi
nally secures its practical triumph by its incor
poration in State Constitutions and laws, is
prone thereafter to rely upon its past achieve
ments, to idolize the men who were conspicious
in its early struggles, and to revere their
opinions as the essence of all political wisdom.
Those composing such a party are not apt
to learn that "new occasions teach new duties."
Their political opinions are moulded upon the
traditions of their fathers; they "inherit the
ancestral virtues inscribed upon their father's
graves." If they were then satisfied to be
"fossils" merely, petrifictions of the past, no
great harm would ensue; but they usually per
sist in masquerading as a living body in the
habiliments of the "dead past," and obstruct
any progress towards new ideas and. duties.
It is then that such a party may become danger
ous. Devoid of any living vital principles of
its own, it becomes the prey of demagogues,
who are able to use it despotically for selfish
and corrupt purposes, by appealng to its
"glorious past." Wisely has DeTocqueville,
said: "The weakness of a Democracy is that,
unless guarded, it merges into despotism." A"
number of times in the history of this country
have the most sacred principles been betrayed
upon the tyrannical and arbitrary demands of
party leaders. There are many still living who
THE FREE LANCE.
remember how the Whigs in 1850, faltered in
their fidelity to freedom, disgracefully compro
mised with slavery, and " took lessons in
smothering discussion, and in slave hunting."
There are still more who remember how the
Democratic party in 1860, attempted to open
the free Northwest to the blight of slavery, and
even dallied with the spirit of disunion. Party
"rule was strong enough in each of these cases
to rally the bulk of its supporters to favor the
commission of such crimes, but in both in
stances there were enough of good strong
willed believing men, who abandoned their
party associations, interests and hopes, who
sounded the alarm, aroused the people from
their lethargy, overthrew the Whig party en
tirely, and for a quarter of a century abolished
the supremacy of the hitherto invincible Demo
cratic organization. But these men were as
sailed with malignant ferocity, the mob howled
after them as traitors; newspapers and orators
lost no opportunity to asperse their motives;
yet they were the men who prevented the be
trayal of freedom in America, and saved this
nation from destruction. They were the MUG
WWII'S of their generation, the men of trans
cendent conviction and courage, of a "purpose
so generous and sincere that they could not
be tempted aside by any prospects of promo
tion, wealth, or other private advantage." We
now recognize the detested Mugwumps of
thirty and forty years ago as the Prophets of
their time, and,
The present political questions are not so
momentous as those of the generation just
passing away, yet there are many things which
make it necessary to "hold the present man
agement of State affairs up to the tests of con
science,"
Among the most honored of political leaders
in the land are those who either conceived or
"The hooting mob of yesterday in silent
awe return
To glean up the scattered ashes in
History's golden urn."