THE CULTIVATOR. 
184 
tier of being destroyed, and lo describe the successive steps by which a calami¬ 
ty s > great, should it ever occur, rnay be expected to be brought about, would 
fir exceed the limits of this chapter. But it is enough to know, that our course 
is beset with dangers, and that their only effectual antidote is to be found in the 
intelligence and virtue of the people at large. . , 
Without intelligence, how cart the people judge correctly of the conduct ol 
their public servmts ? How are they to know when they are faithfully sen- 
ed or when their interests are betrayed 1 I heir rulers may be capable, honest 
and z ‘al ms in the discharge of their duties, and yet be disoirJed as unworthy 
of confidence! they may he incompetent, nr unlaithflll, and yet be retained in 
their places—to the discouragement of public virtue, and to the groat detriment 
of ihe people. 
Those who are in ofhce. and the party leaders who support them, are natu¬ 
rally desirous of retaining the political power, and the ambitious men of the op¬ 
posite party, are naturally eager to displace them, in order to gel into power 
themselves. But, as it is only by the suffrages of the people, that either can 
hope to succeed, the object of both parties is, to obtain a m jority of voles in 
their fiivor. With this view, the leaders of each party endeavor to convince 
the people that they are their only irue friends, and that they alone, therefore, 
may be safely entrusted with power. 
For this purpose, they establish printing presses, and circulate newspapers 
and handbills, among the people, and address them in public speeches. The 
means thus resorted to, would not only not be dangerous, but would be highly 
useful, provided those who use them, would publish nothing but the truth, 
urge none but fair and honest arguments, ami abstain from attempts, by unfair 
practices, to prevent the people from listening to both sides. 
But how widely different is their conduct! What is false is proclaimed as 
true; anti whit is true is declared to be false. What is asserted on the one! 
side, whether true or false, is denied on the other. Where the facts are too 
notorious to be safely controverted, cunningly devised and deceptive argu¬ 
ments are res >rted to, to bewilder and mislead the public mind. The same, 
measure is applauded, as in the highest degree useful and praiseworthy—and 
condemned, as mischievous and wicked. The same individual is held up as 
a wise and devoted patriot—and denounced as little better than a traitor. 
Attempts are made lo shutout the truth by inducing the people, through 
over, at heart, patriotic. And yet we often see them driven almost to pliren- 
zy by its influence. Why is this so ? The answer is easy. 
Not being sufficiently enlightened lo be able clearly to discern for themselves 
the exact nature of tlie questions at issue between the conflicting parties, they 
are liable to be strongly excited by artful misrepresentations. Being little ac¬ 
customed to reasoning cooly and impartially upon public affairs, their passions 
are, on this account, the more easily inflamed, and when aroused, exert a 
more unlimited sway. Thus it is, that many of our well meaning, hut unen¬ 
lightened citizens, are borne onward in their support of particular candidates 
for office, headlong, and heedless of every thing but the success of the parly 
in whose behalf their passions happen to be enlisted Thus it is that they 
are continually in danger of becoming, in effect, their own worst enemies. 
The prevalence of high party spirit is therefore a great evil, not only be¬ 
cause it disturbs the peace and harmony of society, and makes men worse, 
but because it is inconsistent with the duties of patriotism. There is but one 
means by which it can be checked and controlled; and that is, the diffusion of 
knowledge. When the great body of American citizens become as highly en¬ 
lightened as they may, and certainly ought to be, when they understand and 
justly appreciate their distinguished privileges, they will not fail to defend 
and maintain them. No longer subject to being misled by others, hut accus¬ 
tomed to follow the dictates of enligtended reason, they will scorn to be, what 
there is otherwise butloo much danger of their becoming, the blind instruments 
of political aspirants. 
Let every American who loves his country strive to hasten on this happy 
period. Let him ask himself whether it is filling—whether it is consistent— 
whether it is not disgraceful, that ignorance and delusion should be suffered to 
endure among this youthful, but already great and powerful people; a nation 
pre eminently favored of heaven: blessed with every natural and political ad¬ 
vantage—with no external danger to fear—with a vast and fertile country, and 
a salubrious climate—with a form of government admirably adapted to its ge¬ 
nius and character—justly boasting itself the freest, aud as yet, thanks lo a 
kind providence, the happiest nation upon earth, and aspiring to the proud dis¬ 
tinction of governing itself by wise and equal laws. 
What say you then, my young countrymen 1 Will you qualify yourselves 
to discharge the high duties that await you I V\ ill you take care to know 
prejudice, to shut their eyes and ears against it. Appeals are made to their || your rights, and firmly and faithfully to maintain them 1 To learn your obli- 
passions, sometimes to their worst passions, w hich ought to be made only to gations and religiously lo fulfil them ? Do not, 1 beseech you, prove recreant 
their reason and judgment: and, what is worse than all, false and pernicious to your trust. By all that you ought for yourselves to hold most dear : by the 
doctrines and principles are put forward, and industriously propogated, to ad -' glorious memory of your ancestors ; by the debt you owe to your common 
vance the present person il interests of party leaders, regardless ol the lasting j country : by the just claims of the friends of liberty in other lands, who look 
and irreparable injury they are calculated lo produce; and even at the hazard l| to America for encouragement and guidance in their struggles for freedom : In 
of corrupting public morals and subverting our free institutions. j the name of the whole family of mankind— I conjure you—do not permit the 
Tl iis is no ideal picture. No one well acquainted with our political history, 1 noble inheritance, won by the heroic valor of your sires, to perish in your 
brief as it is, will deny that it affords but too many illustrations of the truth of hands,—but take care that it shall descend, like the unclouded sun, bright und 
all that is here said. The great instrument by which all this is done, and tho ''glorious to your posterity. Suffer not the fairest prospect the Almighty has 
only instrument by which it can be effectually done, is the public prkss. I ever yet vouchsafed to his creatures on the earth, to be shrouded in darkness ; 
And yet, the freedom of the press must bf. maintained. If it propagates h thus, not only impiously drawing down unspeakable calamities upon our own 
error, it also disseminates truth; and is, afler all, the only means by which the j country, but quenching, perhaps forever, the flame of liberty, wherever it 1ms 
people can be sufficiently enlightened to enable them to guard against still been kindled by our example, throughout the world.— Young Citizen's Manual. 
greater evils than those which arise from its abuse. ! -- ■=■ - x —-*'— raml . - 
Most fortunately too, the abuse of the press, great as the evilis, may he ren- J The COMMON SCHOOL ASSISTANT, a monthly publication of eight 
dered comparatively harmless, and even in a great measure corrected, by the quarto pages, conducted by J. Orville Taylor, and devoted to the improve- 
people themselves. Let the whole American youth be well instructed; let ment of Common Schools and the education of teachers, is published at No. 
them begin early, and continue, to read for information and to reflect upon 71 Stale-street, at fifty cents per annum, in advance. 
what they read; let them take care thoroughly to understand their civil rights , ^ --—- . - - 
and obligations, so as to be able to fulfil the one and enforce the other—and j RECEIPTS.—We have received payments for the number of subscribers 
the abuse of the press need no longer be dreaded. j indicated below, between the 20th and 30th Nov. inclusive. Numbers under 
When our youth shall be thus educated, and shall faithfully follow this ten not noticed, 
counsel, there will belittle danger of their being deluded and misled; and 
then, and then only, will they be qualified, upon attaining the age of man- 
hood, to discharge, in a safe and becoming manner, ,he high duties of Arneri-' 
can citizens. ' 
When this shall be the case, it will then be true in fact, as it is in theory, 
that the American people govern themselves. Then will there no longer be 
reason to fear the influence of universal suffrage, and then will this boasted 
right be of some value to its possessor. Then will it be, what our political 
fathers designed it should be, the safeguard of liberty. i 
But of what avail is this right to an unenlightened people? It is the right of 
freely chousing their own rulers; the right which every citizen lias of voting 
for whom he pleases. But what is this right worth to a man incapable of 
judging for himself! A man who does not understand the principles involved 
in the elocli n at which he is to vote; a man, in short, who lias no better rea¬ 
son for prefering one candidate to another, than that he has been brought for¬ 
ward by the leaders of a political party to which lie himself professes to be¬ 
long, but whose success, for aught he knows, will endanger the prosperity and 
even the liberties of his country. 
What is the nature of that fiery zeal which our elections call forth? does 
it spring from patriotism and an enlightened love of liberty—and has it the 
public good for its object? With the more enlightened an honest part of our 
cit zens, such doubtless is its origin and its aim. 
But with a vast majority, it is nothing but party spirit; —a spirit originating 
in selfish ambition, avarice and envy, and of which patriotism, if it mingles 
in it at all, forms the least active ingredient. This spirit is, therefore, the re¬ 
verse of that which ought to animate the bosom of our countrymen when 
their rights and liberties are at stake. Instead of impelling them to take care 
of their true interests, it too often renders them blind to the public welfare, or 
heedless of its claims. 
That party spirit will ever be entirely banished from our country, is not to 
be expected. There will always be men who prefer the honors and emolu¬ 
ments of office to the welfare of the public. But there is no reason in the na¬ 
ture of things why it should pervade, as it has hitherto done, the great body 
of our citizens. They have no personal ends to answer, and they are, more- 
Post-Offices. 
Hartford, Ct. 
17 
Post-Offices. 
Clinton, la. 
14 
Post-Offices. 
Williamsport, Ia. 10 
Wilton, 
Liberty, 
Ct. 
12 
Covington, 
Ia. 
32 
Monticello, Ia. 10 
la. 
II 
Attica N. and R. 
Ia. 
21 
•Georgelow nX R.,Md 22 
Augusta, 
Ga. 
27 
Crawfordville, 
Ia. 
38 
Flemingsburgh, Ky. 11 
Nuttsville, 
Va. 
11 
Franklort, 
Ia. 
n 
Pennington, N.J. 22 
•Eugene, 
Ia. 
24 
Delphi, 
Ia. 
24 
Toronto, U.C. la 
Stonewall Mills, Va. 11 
Newport, 
Ia. 
13 
Lafayette, 
Ia. 
38 
if 
Including former payments. 
PRICE CURRENT. 
ARTICLES. 
N. York. 
Dec. 19. 
Boston. 
.Dec 21. 
Philadel’a. 
Dec. 19. 
Baltimore. 
Dec. 20. 
Beans white, bush. 
1 
2a.. 1 
50 
1 
75. 
2 
25 
..1 75 
1 75 
Beef, best, cw t. 
6 
50.. 7 
50 
5 
50. 
. 6 
25 
a 50..C 50 
7 00..8 00 
Pork, per cwt. 
9 
00..11 
00 
11 
00. 
.12 
00 
12 50 
8 50..8 75 
Blitter, fresh, pound,. 
25.. 
28 
22. 
30 
17.. 18 
25.. 28 
Cheese, pound, . 
8.. 
10 
8. 
. 
12 
10.. 11 
Flour, best, bbl. 
9 
75..10 
00 
10 
00. 
.11 
00 
10 75 
10 0..13 0 
Grain —Wheat, bushel, .. 
1 
90.. 2 
00 
1 
98. 
. 2 
00 
2 00..2 15 
1 40..1 85 
Rye, do. 
1 
18.. 1 
25 
1 
15. 
. 1 
20 
l 14..1 25 
1 02..1 10 
Oats, do. 
50.. 
62 
60. 
65 
40.. 51 
50.. 53 
Corn. do. 
1 
06.. 1 
09 
1 
05. 
. 1 
25 
99..1 01 
98..1 02 
Seeds —Red Clover, lb... 
10.. 
11 
13. 
14 
9.. 11 
10 
Timothy, bushel,. 
2 
00.. 2 
25 
3 
00. 
. 3 
12 
2 50..3 25 
3 00..3 58 
Wool —Saxony, fleece, lb. 
75.. 
80 
70. 
# 
75 
68.. 75 
55.. 60 
Merino, lb . 
55.. 
68 
60. 
70 
60.. 62 
48.. 55 
1-4 and com. lb. .. 
40.. 
50 
45. 
65 
40.. 55 
36.. 40 
1 
75. 
Q 
75 
Cows and Calves,. 
18 
00..45 
00 
23 
00..42 
50 
. 
18 0..50 0 
FROM THE STEAM PRESS OF PACKARD & VAN BENTI1UYSEN. 
