PHILIPPIC. 93 



jjublic opluioii ouglit to fall like the hammer of the great Thor ; seeing 

 that the laws of our highly civilized country are imj^otent in these matters. 

 We write not of particular individuals, but because of an inverted love, 

 akin to indignation, which we have for these vile principles, " let the galled 

 jade wince." We think of founding a new school of reform and shall 

 advertise for a " self-acting minder " — as secretary, should he have a 

 family of " piecers " all the better, it is an excellent matter to have a 

 secretary careful not to have too many ends broken. A word about your 

 mere party-man, what is he? Will he keep his engagements, is he con- 

 sistent in thought or conduct, does he sacrifice his inclination to save his 

 honour or maintain his integrity before God ? Answer ye who best can 

 tell, as to the municipal politician we trust the creature is becoming 

 extinct, we never properly understood the undefinable laws and ethics which 

 rule at these elections; they be customs which are the plague of ■wise men, 

 and the delight of fools. And now enquires a reader whose sublime 

 patience has enabledhim to wade up to thispoint, are you a reformer? Under 

 qualification we answer in the affirmative, and we believe that our country 

 is about to pass through another grand climacter ; grand because free from 

 bloodshed; we rejoice over the improvement of our country, having faith 

 in our countrj'men that they will be able to break through the traditionary 

 political meshes woven many years ago, when courts arrayed themselves 

 against common sense, humanity, and the people, down to that period when 

 Barafyeld Moore Carew was king of the gypsies, and quarternion George 

 was first magistrate of these realms and the most finished gentleman in 

 Europe ; the latter statement we cannot consider complimentary to his 

 contemporaries, and which posterity and Christianity denies. ' Tis an im- 

 mortal truism, exemplified in the history of kings and politicians, that Ipse 

 dixit proclaims itself by its flatterers, but Ipso facto turning on a full 

 glare of truthful light proveth it false. Our parting words are not to the 

 man who claims the peculiar merit of not doing wrong and at the same 

 time avoiding that which is right ; not to him who believes himself free 

 and is simply content to be so alone ; no they are to him who believes 

 himself boimd ; and to that man we say, scrutinize well your bonds, then 

 without doubt you will find a necessity for a reform which if you achieve 

 will confer greater things than even the political franchise. 



U. tf. 



