I will not allude to the views entertained by those men whose ignorance
disqualified them from forming an intelligent opinion about our national
affairs, and whose votes were always at the service of the highest
bidders. You know perfectly well where they were sure to be found, and
they exercised no inconsiderable influence on our public policy from
year to year. Leaving this class out of the question, our peril arose
largely from the fact, that too many men, sensible on other subjects,
were fast settling into the conviction, that their wisest course was to
be conservative, and that to be conservative was to act with the party
which had longest held the reins of power. Their reasoning, practically,
but perhaps unconsciously, was this:--The object of a government is to
make a country prosperous and rich; this country has grown prosperous
and rich under the rule of the Democratic party; therefore why should we
not give it our support, and more especially as all sorts of dreadful
results are predicted, if the opposition party comes into power? Why
part with a present good, with the risk of incurring a future evil?
Above all things, let us discountenance the agitation of exciting
topics.
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