Saturday, April 90, 1874.

For the North Carolina Standard.
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For the North Carolina Standard


Mr. Editor: hope, in Government the most
distinctive feature of which is that it originates
with and flows from the people themselves, 1t will
not be considered arrogant in an humble citizen
TO present to his fellow citizens, through your CO.
lunns, the honest results Of his reflection upon
some of the most vitality interesting subjects OF
policy which, at this time, agitate and divide the
public mind And as these constitute to some
extent the great issues that are making, and
10 be made, before the American people; and as
the decision that shall be made thereon, must in
volve the veal or of the largest portion of our
fair country-and especially the South [ will
not doubt but that the same will be read, general
ly, with the same regard to what concerns the
country, and the whole country, which actuates
the writer And ask this, not only as matter
of justice to myself but maintain that it is the
duty of every citizen of this country to examine
the ground of his political opinions free from all
party bias; and when he comes to act through
the ballot box, or in any other public capacity, to
look solely to his country and his country's good,
without regard to this that particular party in
other words, in the language fthe Father of his
country, "we should vote for measures, not men,
That we may be able to do this understandingIy,
it is important that the principles Of our Govern
ment be we'll understood


1t was wisely said by the founders of our Gov
ernment, that, in order long to preserve the bies,
ings of liberty, ga frequent recurrence TO first
principles was necessary" and surely it was
never more necessary than at the preseut day
To great and fearful extent among those who
aspire to be political leaders, instead of attempting
10 enlighten the understanding and elevate the
standard of political and patriotic feeling, by diff
fusing among the citizens generally true know.
ledge of the principles of our Governm ent in ITS
organization. they confound terms the most con
Trajectory, and very often, by appealing to the
passions of some and cherishing the ignorance oi
others, every thing is resolved into a general
scramble for party ascendancy, under such plausi-
tte names as demagogucs are always wont TO as
sumo. Thus measures fraught with the rankest
federalism are often urged forward, under the
specious garb republication and public liberty
and State sovereignty, as we'll as the private in
tercsts Of threeourhs of this republic are in this
way sacrificed to naughty and too often triumph
ant aristocracy 1t shall be the object of the wri-
ter to present TO the honest farmers and citizens of
our country, faithful analysis Of the distinctive
measures of each of the two great Parties that
now divide our country, i'll such way as to pre-
sent as near as possible the true character of each
both in reference to its federal or republican orr
gin, as we'll as its Legitimate tendency 10 future
good or evil to the country And l am impelled
to this course at the present time, from the certain
knowledge that it is of the utmost Importance
A few considerations will convince any man of
this


One Of the most palpable characteristics of our
nature, is our liability to change and this is no
where more strikingiy or frequently exempliied,
than among those who struggle merely for polti-
cal ascendancY. To know, therefore, how to es-
innate the principles and measures of Wings and
Democrats, we must "recur to first principles -
we must trace the history of parties through their
various changes and transformations-stil bearing
In mind that the first distinction that which existed
at the formation of the Government, is to be re-
garded as the root viz. Federaists and Republi-





tinguish the two great divisions or parties, into
which the American people were divided after the
close of the Revolutionary war, upon the great
question of the Constitution of the United States
and its adoption by the people, so they yet do, and
will, so long as form of Government lasts
continue to afford the best and only proper tests
by which to scrutinize public measures, as we'll as
public men. This results from the fact that, then.
the lines of party distinction were drawn clearly
by men who had not yet learned that devotion
to party was patriotism, and blind zeal for men
the only proper passports to honor and distinction
For want of understanding this matter correctly,
many are constantly liable to be the dupes of the
designing; and while dazzled with the splendor
OF name, or the success of party, they are often
made the instruments of their own and their coun