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REV. A. J. RYAN, Editor
AUGUSTA, GA., SEPT'R 26, 18G8.
THE PEOPLE’S FAULT.
“ The People have fallen far away from
political truth, and justice, and integrity.
They must be reformed ; but, how shall
it bo done?” Thus, in our last issue,
we closed an article, which wc wish here
to continue. Blaming, as we do, the po
liticians of the for the evils which
oppress it, and endanger its very exist
ence, we go back of them, and blame the
People more. A corrupt People will
produce, naturally and necessarily, cor
rupt Politicians ; a pure People will pro
duce pure public men. For it is the
fairest of tests to judge of the character of
any People by that of its leading men.
And, if a people elect, support, and ap
plaud men of loose principles, and of
little or no moral worth; if they place
such men in positions of trust; if they
delegate to them powers which the wisest
and truest fear to possess, and tremble to
exercise, are not the people, themselves,
responsible for the evils which such men
create ? The abuse of power we trace
back to the source of power. We blame
the fountain if the stream be corrupt. We
blame the people for their politicians.
Theso are the outgrowth of the body po
litic. They are the fruits of the tree—
and by its fruits we judge it. “A good
tree cannot produce evil fruit—nor can
an evil tree produce good fruit’’—is a po
litical as well as a moral maxim.
Why, then, such continual complaint
of our politicians ? It is the people’s fault.
Why such complaint of the corruptions,
the venality, and other infamies of our
politics ? It is the people’s fault. Cor
rupt politics—corrupt politicians —corrupt
people. One necessitates the other. To
purify politics, you must purify the poli
ticians ; to purify them, you must purify
the People. That our politics arc a very
Augean stable, no one will deny. That
the corruption is becoming worse and
worse, no one will gainsay. That this state
of things, if we have any desire to escape
ruin, must be remedied all admit. That our
politicians, with the tremendous trusts in
their hands, are not to be trusted at all,
nearly every one will concede. Here
and there, from the midst of the People,
a voice of warning is raised. Now and
then, brave men and true, who care
more for principle than for false public
opinion, step forward and enter their pro
test, At times, honest and upright po
liticians, uncontaminated by the almost
general corruption, sound the notes of
alarm. But the People, in their majesty,
where arc they ? In their majesty, did
we say ? Yes —in the majesty of their
principles, their honor, their power, their
rights ; yes—in the grandest majesty of
conscience. In their majesty, did we say?
But, what has become of that vaunted majes
ty ? Constitutions violated, time-honored
laws trampled, as if they were vile things, in
the dust; inviolable rights invaded; Jus
tice mocked in the halls ot Justice ;
liberties torn by sacrilegious bands, from
their altars, in the Temple of Liberty ;
have not the People witnessed such pro
fanations; aye, and worse than witnessed
—approved them ? Great and good men
thrust aside to give way to the vile and
the mercenary ; men whom bribes could
never buy, forced to yield place and
precedence to those wdiose consciences
could be purchased for the paltriest pit
tance; intelligence forced to obey the
dictation of ignorance ; integrity obliged
to bear the exactions of corruption ; true
men and men of soul driven from posi
tion and deprived of influence by the soul
less and the false; have not the People
looked on such outrages, and borne them ?
Votes bought and sold, not merely here
and there, but everywhere ; elections
carried by fraud and intimidation ; bayo
nets barring the way of freemen to the
ballot-box ; arrests without cause; trials
with bought testimony ; convictions with
out law; imprisonments and deaths with
out justice. Have not the People seen
such things, and stood still ?
Usurpations of the most daring kind
by their Representatives —the Executive
denounced and defied in the legitimate ex
ercise of the very powers which the
people had conferred upon him ; the Ju
diciary attacked in their Constitutional
privileges; the Halls of Congress made
foul with language that would disgrace the
lowest haunt of depravity; the sessions of
the People’s Legislators turned into orgies
where ribaldry and passion ran riot ; the
interests of the poor tampered with, and
turned to the advantage of a new-born
moneyed aristocracy; the treasures of
the Government made to subserve party
purposes ; the offices of the Government
filled, not for the People’s advantage, but
for the benefit of Party ; enormous taxes
enforced for the ostensible purpose ot
paying the People’s debt, and, when col
lected, wantonly squandered; the highest
officer in the Government running around
the country and disgracing his person
and position before the civilized world;
Congress disgracing itself by returning
railing for railing, and both outbidding
one another by insulting epithets. Have
not the People looked upon all this—and
more—and meekly tolerated it ?
Talk not of the majesty of such a
People. Boast not of the honor of such
a People. Breathe not a syllable of
the conscience of such a People.
Say not a word of the lofty princi
ples of such a People. They are mis
guided, you say ; but they have them
selves chosen their guides—they allow
themselves to be led by them —they ser
vilely follow them as a Southern slave
would follow his master’s bidding.—
They will return to the true paths, you
say. Well, we have waited long enough }
and that prophecy has been made often
enough since the war ; but, thus far, the
prophecy has proved false —bitterly false.
Trust the intelligence of the People, you
say. It is asking too much, and offering
too little. For mere intelligence is not
enough. Intelligence, guided by Prin
ciple and animated by Conscience, is
worthy of trust; but intelligence, with
neither of these qualifications, is more
dangerous and less to be trusted than ig
norance. In the intelligence alone of a
People wc place no confidence. Wc de
mand something more and something
better. We look more to the heart of
the People than to their head. The
man, or the Nation, with a wise head but
an evil heart, we fear the most. Things
will be all right, bye-and-bye, you say.
We do not understand, how the way of
Wrong leads to Right—we cannot see
how the path of lawlessness leads to law.
No; the Government cannot be reformed
—and Heaven knows it sadly needs a
thorough reformation —it cannot be re
stored to its lost purity, until the People
recover Principle and Conscience. And
let politicians do their best, they cannot
effect that. And, as we go back of po
liticians, to find, in the People, the cause of
our evils, so we go back of politics to find
in the moral order the only effective and
certain and lasting cure of these many
evils.
The moral condition of our People
witness the general depravity of manners;
the appalling increase of crime—and
particularly of nameless crimes—is fright
ful. Read the daily papers, which regu
larly, and with so much relish, chronicle
every” species of iniquity. Note the de
cline of positive religion, especially among
young men. Mark the freedom of man
ners which has taken the place of that
reserve which was the safeguard of one
sex, while it was a salutary restraint on
the other. Observe the increase of Pro
fanity” and Drunkenness. Note the innu
merable immoral publications scattered,
broadcast, over the country, and read
with such avidity. All this, and more,
gives proof of deep, dangerous, and wide
spread demoralization among the People.
And is it any wonder when the moral
order is so disturbed, if the political order
should be so violently agitated ? Is it any
wonder, when Principle has left the
moral order, that it should not be found
in the political order ? Need we be as
tonished if a People have no political
conscience, when they give no evidence
of conscience in the moral sphere ?
Should we be surprised to find People
politically corrupt, when we find among
them such moral corruption? Where
is there a remedy strong enough, thor
ough enough, searching enough, and per
manent, which, while acting on the moral
condition, will better the People’s politi
cal condition ? Find we it in political
measures ? No. Where then ? In Re
ligion ? Yes. Iu what sort of a Reli
gion ?
THE BANNErTf THE SOUTH.
For six months the Banner of the
South has been a -weekly visitor to the
homes and firesides of its Patrons* From
them, as well as from the Press of the
whole country, it has received a welcome
and a praise seldom bestowed upon new
candidates for public favor. This has
cheered us on, and made us hope for a
success commensurate with our most ear
nest wishes. It has given us zeal and
energy in our work, and we believe that
we have met the approval of our friends.
If we could not “ command success,” there
was, at least, an earnest endeavor to
“ deserve it.” And so we come to the
close of the first half year of the Banner’s
existence, with a very large subscription
list, and the earnestly expressed good wishes
of Press and People everywhere. But,
there is room for improvement in the
work of patronage yet; and we appeal to
our friends to engage in that work for us.
It is a work in which they, as well as we,
are interested. It is the work of keep
ing alive and defending the cause of Re
ligion ; it is the work of keeping alive
and defending the cause of the South —
lost on the field of battle, but living yet
in the hearts of the Southern people.
Surely such a work as this is worthy of
aid; worthy of patronage ; worthy of
success. And it will cost but little to
engage in it. All that is necessary is fur
our patrons to stand firmly by us —to
continue with us—to get up a Club
wherever they can; and for our Agents
to canvass their respective districts ear
nestly and zealously for us. This being
done, we feel sure that we shall soon run
up as large a subscription list as any
paper, Religious, or Secular, in the
Union. We have offered the most liber
al inducements to Agents and to Subscri
hers, and we shall continue to offer them,
hoping that, as the business season is
now about to open, wc shall very soon
have the pleasure of chronicling large
acccssiensto our list from every quarter
of the country. California, away to the
Far West, is doing a good part by us ;
aud so are Arizona, and Montana, and
Idaho. Let the East respond to the
West, and the North to the South, and
we shall soon he able to make the Banner
what we designed it, a power in the
jand.
Catholic Intelligence — Florida. —
On the 6th of September the Rt. Rev.
John Quinlan, D. D., visited the little
town of Warrington, on the Gulf coast
of Florida, and administered the Holy
Sacrament of Confirmation to 43 persons,
three of whom were converts to the
Faith. During his stay at this place, the
Rt Rev. Bishop delivered several lec
tures, before a large and appreciative au
dience, that was composed of all classes,
creeds, and denominations, all of whom
went away” exceedingly well pleased, and
determined to come again on a similar
occasion.
rtjp- We call attention to “The Issue,”
to be found in another column. The ar
ticle is from that excellent Catholic jour
nal, “The Banner of the ‘ South.' ’
Any one wishing a good literary and
news paper, from Georgia, will do well
to send for the Banner. It is published
at Augusta, Ga. — Troy (Mo,) Herald t
From the Boston Post.
PENDLETON.
ELOQUENT PERORATION OF HIS SPEECH AT
HARTFORD.
The following is the concluding por
tion of the speech delivered by Mr. Pen
dleton, before a large Democratic mass
meeting, at Hartford, on the 25th ult:
“I say that the true policy of the
United States is to pay the bond holder
exactly what we promised. This is the
only way to relieve the laborer of his
burdens; this is the only way to relieve
the burdens of the country ; to make it
easier for the people to pay their taxes ;
to make it easier for them to gain a liv
ing. Do this, and prosperity will again
return, your fields will again be fertile,
your industry will flourish. The Repub
lican party is opposed to this whole sys
tem. They are not in .favor of paying
off, but of funding the bonds. According
to their plan, the funded debt would
have forty years to run at four and a
half per cent, interest—payable, both
principal and interest, in gold ; and the
bonds shall not be subject to taxation,
neither by the States nor by the Federal
Government. Well, gentlemen, I object
with gold, standing at 140—perhaps 145
If you convert those bonds into gold
bonds now, you will add seven hundred
millions of dollars to the amount of the
debt; you make it impossible to pay the
debt in five years. If it amounts to $2,-
500,000,000, and you pay four per cent,
only, it will amount to $100,000,000 a
year in gold for interest. If you pay
this sum for forty years, you will, at
the end of forty years, have paid $4,000,-
000,000, aud, at the end will still have
the debt of $2,500,000,000 besides.
Forty years! Why, how many of you
will live that time ? How many, even of
your children, will be alive at the end of
forty years ? Year by year you will
have to go on paying this enormous
amount. Year by year it will come out
of the blood and bones, and toil and
sweat of your children. Do you know
what a national debt means ? It means
that the rich shall be richer and the poor
poorer. It means that capital shall be
exempted from taxation, and the laborer
bear all the burden.* It means, for
those who labor for their daily bread,
scant clothing, brown bread, and no
meat. It means that capital shall pam
per idleness in luxury, but that squalor
shall preside over the cabins of the poor,
and that his daily .struggles for daily
bread shall make his life a constant
death. I see before me to-night many a
young man, and 1 can see in his beaming
eye and intellgent face the hope that
lies at the bottom of bis heart. He is will
ing to labor on for a few years, and to
hope that he will be able, then, to trade
on the capital which his industry 7 and
frugality have saved. He has his day
dream and his night dream. He sees a
snug home, lighted up with the smile of
love, aud noisy with the prattle of infant
tongues—made sacred by T the presence of
a wife and a mother—surrounded within
and without by those rays (if content
ment which plenty and prosperity shed.
Young men, are you willing to give up
those cherished hopes of the future, and
to consent, for all your lives, that taxa
tion shall take from you all exceyt wdiat is
necessary for your food and clothing ?
[Voices —‘‘No, no, never !”] No, gentle,
men, do not yield to this siren voice,
that which persuades you to extend the
debt and reduce the interest. Pay the
debt aud save the interest. That will an
swer your purpose. That will ensure
your future. [lmmense applause.] But,
gentlemen, passing away from this
subject of the material interests of the
country, on which I have dwelt longer
than I intended, let me again call your
attention to this sact —that the great
pole-star of the Democratic party is the
Constitution of the United States. [Ap
plause.] Do not, my fellow-citizens, in
the heat of this arduous contest, do not
forget that great lesson. The Republican
party believe they can amend it ; that
they can change it, and make a better
Constitution than our fathers made it in
the days of old. [“Never, never,” and
shouts of applause.] I charge it upon
you, Democrats, who are here to-night,
never to consent either to its abandon
ment or its degradation, Do not seek to
amend it; do not seek to change it; do
not seek to evade it. Obey it. [lmmense
applause.] It was good enough for your
fathers. It is good enough for you. If
you obey it, it will be good enough for
your children for a hundred years to
come. Study it, understand it. Carry
it abouf with you, as a living presence,
in all the daily walks of your daily life.
Take it to your home ; read it to your
wife ; teach it to your children ; put it
upon your family altar, that, when you
bow your bead in supplicating prayer, it
may be there, next to the image of God
himself. [lmmense applause.] Do this,
and, in His own good time, you will beablo
to raise it up to that place and power to
which the brazen serpent, in the wilder
ness, was raised, in order that the plague
might be stayed. Do this, and you will
be able to rear it up to that high place of
honor to which the Ark of the Covenant
was reared, round which the unseen le
gions of the Almighty kept ward and
guard, that he who touched it with im
pious bands should die. [Rere.ved ap
plause.] Remember, fellow-citizens, that
the Constitution contains within itself all
that is good in the experiences of the past,
and all that is hopeful in the prospects of
the future, It is the ark of safety, in the
midst of the flood which is upon us. p
may be tossed in the blackness of dark
ness upon the weary waters for many
days, but it will rest upon the mountain
top at last; the sun will shine ; the dove
will leave it never to return, and, row,
as then, emblem of purity, liberty, and
peace, she will seek to rebuild her habi
tations amidst the scenes of her former
life. [Cheers.] I do not despair. I
have hope in the aspirations of men- 1
have faith in the Providence of God. I
know that the pathway of history is
strewn with the wrecks of empires and
peoples, and constitutions and Liberty
aud it may be, in the providence of God,
that this country of ours will follow in
the wake of all the nations that have gone
before. If it shall be so, let it not be
owing to the faults or misfortunes of the
Democratic party. [Great cheering.]
If it must be so, Jet it be known, that it
was the party of our love that stood to the
last, with heroic virtue, to the principle'
of civil liberty. If it must be so, let us.
my fellow-citizens, take consolation in the
thought that,in the eternal circles of God,
death is but the precursor of resurrection:
and that the same principles which
hasten nations to decay, contain, within
themselves the spark of living fire which
secure undying youth to our immortal
race. [Great applause.]
“Time writes no wrinkles on its fair young brow;
Such as Creation’s dawn beheld, it sees thee now,”
Amidst the wrecks of time, its pro
gress is still onward and upward, higher
and still higher,
“And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice falls like a falling star,
Excelsior!”
“Higher, as the eagde when he takes
his flight in the face of the sun. Higher,
as the stars, when, in their courses, they
encircle the footstool of the immortal
throne ! Higher, as the soul of man
when it puts aside this tenement of clay,
and seeks, throughout all the ages, the
home of its father and its God.”
The concluding sentences of the pero
ration were greeted with enthusiastic
cheering, and Mr. Pendleton took his
seat amid prolonged applause.
THE LATEST FALSEHOOD,
We (Philadelphia Catholic Standard,)
nail to the counter the following speci
men falsehood, which we find in the
New York correspondence of The Episco
palian, of that city, of the 2d iost.:
“ The fact being undoubted, it can do
no harm to state that the appointment of
Gen. Rosencrans as United States Min
ister to Mexico, was in deference, in fact,
to the urgently expressed wishes ot
several of the Roman Catholic Arch
bishops, who were very b,usy in the corri
dors of the Capitol, it seems, when the
Senate was deliberating upon his con
firmation or rejection. There is infor
mation to the effect that there was strong
probability of the rejection of the nomina
tion, when the Archbishops alluded to
put in motion those peculiar influence'
which they know so well how to wield,
with the professional politician, under
these circumstances, and the result was
what it was. There is every reason
now for believing that that information is
perfectly correct. Your correspondent
will go farther, and assert that it would
not be difficult even to specify the name*
of the Archbishops in question, in black
and white, were it necessary."
\Ye (Standard,) assert that the above
statement is a fabrication —pure and
simple — made out of the whole cloth.
And we call upon the Episcopalian —it
its Editor wishes to be considered as a
Minister of Christ, and a gentleman—
either to make good the accusation, oi t
retract it. We want the names ot the
Archbishops, and proof that they *' wc - v
very busy in the corridors of the Capi
tol” on the occasion referred to.
Change of Postage Kates to a ’
forxia. —An important change will 1 e
made on the Ist of October in -charge-?
on printed matter sent to California U
the overland mails. Printed matter
now charged the same as letter postage
This regulation has caused much vexa
tion and loss to persons who did not u ‘ : '
derstand the law, as matter placed in t:. '
mail with newspaper postage was not t *.
warded. After the Ist of October pric
ed matter will be sent at newspaper rate-