"The One Idea Principle."

Since the establishment of the Liberty Party, much has been said and written on the absurdity and folly of following out one idea, to the neglect of minor considerations. Anti-sJavery men have sometimes denied the charge of being men of one idea, and appealed to their steady support of every good cause in proof ofj its falsity; and soraetimes they have admittedit, and called on their opponents to weigh well the magnitude and importance of the great principie of the Equality of Human Rights. Let us examine, for a moment, what is meant by a one idea man, and the effect of this peculiarity upon his character and his standing in society.When we see a man who toils, calculates, con tri ves, keeps nightly vigils, and uses ceaseless exertions to become rich, we cali him a miser. The entire community say that his whole soul and body are gi vento the work of acquiringwealth, and they cali that his ruling passion - his predominant idea - in short, that is his "one idea." But it does not therefore follow that he has no interest in other things. While he loves money supremeJy, he may be fond of rausic - he may love his children and friends - he rnay be addicted to intellectual pursuite - ie may have an inventive mechanical genius. - All these may be indulgcd to the fullestextent, so long as they do not come in collision with his preuominant passion - thelovcofmoney. The miser has all the feëfings and inclinations of other men; but they ave gratified only irf subordination to this one, whicb has assumed an invincible empire over all the others. - This, then, brings us to the definition of a one idea man. He is one who makes all his actions and pursuits subservient to the accomplishmeiit of one particular object. He has as many subjects of thought, feelingand action as any other man; but they are all subjected to one predominantpose, with which they are not suífered to come in collision. So it is with the Political Abolitionist. He has one ruling political principie in his creed - the extensión of Equal Political Rights to every human being in our country. To carry out this principie, he will be willing to take any course which is right and proper. He will scatter his vote, or unite with others, as may be most effectual. But this object he will pursue, and so adjust all his political relations that they shall not interfere with it. But it does nottherefore follow that he has no interest whatever in other political questions. If he be intelligent, he cannot avoid having an opiniotí and a choice respecting a Tariff, a National Bank, the Repeal of Adulterv laws, and all other topics of public interest. He may also have a deep interest in the Bible, Temperance, Tract, or Missionaryenterprises, or he tnay not. An interest in all these things is consistent with the one great principie of his political faith. Let it be reraembered, then, that a Libertv man is stigmatized as having only one idea, raerely because he labora for the prevalence of one predominant political principie. Secondly, what is the effect of this trait of character in individuals and in masses of men? We have seen that the miser is an acknowledged specimen of one idea men.He devotes his mental and physical energies, day and night, year after year, to the acquisition of wealth, with a diligence that never tires, and a zeal which never relaxes. Does conununity thercfore judge that he wijl fail of his object, because he pursues it with undivided singleness oí purpose? Or do they not rather saythaf, in al I probabi]ify,ybr Ihis veryreason he will attáin his object, although, perhaps, at the expense of whatever else is valuable. In all departments of business, an ardent devotion to a particular calling,is considered by community a forerunncr, not of failure, but of success, and is an element, not of weakness of character or effort, but of strength. Some of the greatest military commanders have been notorious as on e idea men. They have had an ardent thirst for military distinction. Wlien Julius Caesar wns on his way to Gaul to take command of the army, he saw a siaíue of Alexander the Great, and he wept whon he remembered that Alexander had conquered the world at an agevhen he had nccomp;i.-héd comparatively nothing. Here was a specimen of one idea equal to any that can be adduced among abolitionists. It was no transient,momentary feeling which caused tearsof emulation to roll down the cheeksofthe Roman General; and the profound observer might even then, from this manifestation of burning ambition, have foretold danger to the Roman Republic.The passion of Buonaparte forwar, as every one knows, was supreme. It was ernphatically a one idea with him. When a boy, his plays were but military movèments; and when a lieutenant of artillery, his practice was to rise at two o'clock in the morning, and spend his hours in planning battles, sieges, campaigns, and the numberless details of military affairs. Plutarch was a favorite author of his, and as he raad the account of the battles of different generáis, he sketched them on paper, and contrived the manner in which defeat might have been preventedj or victory won. Was Napoleon any less able as a general, or any less dangerous to the peace of the world, because his wholesoul was absorbed with the one idea of military renown? On the contrary,was it not this one-ideaism that which gave him success? We might mention Cicero and Demosthenes and Franklin and Roger Sherman and Fulton - in a word, we might name many of the greatest poets, orators, artists, mechanics, philosophers and statesmen of ancient and modern times, and show that in their particular department they ware men of one idea in precisely the same sense in which political abolitionists are - they made their favorite object paramount to all others, and this was the great secret of their suceess. The same is true of the voluntary action of masses of men. Concentration of purpose gives strength and efficiency to their movements. The mass iscomposed of individuals, and the one idea of eachperson Decomes tne prevailmg idea oí the whole body, and thus harmony and unity of purpose is secured to all its operations. Most popular refortns of government have originated in the one idea principie. It was the idea of Liberty.ciyil and religious. which aniniated the bosoms of our Puritan ancestors who fought by the side of Crormvell. They were preeminently one idea men. Devout, conscientious, patiënt, and sternly resolute, they could accomplish any thing. They rose from their knees to gird on the sword. They brought their legitímate sovereign to the scaffbld. Our Revolutionary Fathers were their decendants, and, in similar circumstances,would doubtless have dethroned their sovereign. But as he was inaccessible on account of an intervening ocean, they contented themselves with rebelling against his authority, and waging a seven years war with him. They had an idea that Taxation and Representation should be co-extensive among Englishmen; and to suslain this, they maintained a long and deadly war, without stopping to consider its cost. the number of its victims, the destruction of property, risk of being hanged as traitors, and all "the other great interests," which might have justly loomed up in their minds. The furious Revolution of France in 1789 was but the one idea of "Liberty and Equality" öperating on an oppressed, excitable and ignorant people; and the famous revolution of three days which placed Louis Philip on the thronc, was but another exhibition of the streng;h of popular feeling when brought to bear in a given direction. But it is not alone by military prowess that the one idea of the mass can make itself feit and respected. The abolition of the Slave Trade, and of Slavery in the JBritish dominions, has been the result of the one idea of a single man. The committee who first formally attempted it consisted of only six persons; and yet at the end of about half a century, its efforts resulted in the liberation of thirteen millionsoï British slaves.The friends of the Bi ble have had a one idea of circulating it through the globe without note or comment; and the result is seen in the diffüsion of millions of copies, and transiations into one or two hundred languages. The Sunday School system is a one idea scheme, yet it blesses millions in all parts of our world. What has not the Temperarle cause done? Yet what can be more c ntracted and yet effectual than its one principie, "Drink noíhing that can intoxícate?" Then look at its more recent phase in the shape of Washingtonianism. Have we not heard the lecturers again and again, in the most emphaticterms, warn the members to have nothing todowith any thing but moral suasion temperance, and all other topics must be kept out, and the members confine themselves.to this one idea of persuading men to total abstinence? Why have they not been sneered at for being one idea men? 0, they did not interiere with any political party! We find, then, by an examinalion of history. biography, and experience, that iu the pursnits of private life, in the character of the greatest and best men of all profcssiors, ii. the action of popular and military maes,and in thepowerful resulte of voluntary associations, the supremacy of some one object of efïbrt is not only no hindrance to its accomplishment, but one of the most potent means of success. It is invariably an elemknt, not of weakness, but ofWe have been thus minute in our remarles, because fourth rate politicians are in the habit of sneering about having one prevailing idea or purpose, as though that in itself, was a disgrace to a man of enlarged views. It may be new to these gentlemen to learn that some of the most original thinkers and popular writers in our country advocate the one idea system as the most efficiënt method by which popular reforms can be effected. Sometitne since we published some remarks of Dr. Bbecher on the Temperance cause, in which he attributed its great success to the onencss of principie on which the effbrts to promote it had been based. Through the agency of the same individuality ofprincipie, he nnticipated the future success of the cause of Peace,of Anti-slavery,and of every other reform which should successively arise in its order, until the earth should be regenerated. We find the same sentiment confirmed and illustrated in the following reinarles of Johx Neal, from whose writings we haveoften exracted. He malees a practical application of the one idea principie to the Liberty party, and argües its perpetuity and final triumph from this very objection which is brought against it. "Another Star in the East. - A newparty in politics has just started into existence, and has held a State Convention at Portland, Maine, wlrich was continued for three days, holding three sessions a day. They cali themselves the Liberty Party, and are certainly extraordinary men. and not so much extraordinary for their fanatacism and zealotry, as for their strength of understanding, their usefulness, their determination and their sincerity of purpose. But a word or two as to its character, history and purposes, that our friends East, West, North and South, may be put upon their guard in season. and have nothing to complain of hereafter."The signs, we think, are portentous; and whatever otheTs may do, or not do, we are not disposed tooverlook them, for any purpose. "A third party claiming to havebut one idea, or charged with having but one idea; and for that very reason, the more to be dreaded, if they are wrong; because, like the steam-engine - that iCgiant with one idea" - they are sure to go through their work, after thoroughly preparing themselves, have just broken ground, in the heart of New England, with a slww of wisdom and strength, of moderation, foresightand conscientiousness, heretofore without example. "Third parties in general are not to be feared; they are self-destroying by their own nature; they fall asunder of themselves. Claiming to be wiser and better than their neighbors, they seek to distinguish thomselves by finding fauJt, and by multiplying the points of difference. - They seek to establish a new platform of religious or political faith - to build up a new creed - and the more articles the better, as they think. Hoping to catch every man who may be dissatisfied with anythivg - no matter what - they begin with complaining and promising as much as possible. But by multiplying the articles of their creed, whatever it may be, they but multiply the causes of quarrel, and that in a geometrical ratio. And therefore do they drop asunder of themselves - a weak, inefficiënt, heterogenous mass of rubbish, never missed when they go, never cared for when they come back. But with the Liberty People it woukiseem to be otherwise. Whether they are, in point of fact. wiser in their gencration - wiser by nature - than their neighbors, or whether they have learned wisdom by holding themselves aloof, and watchingme progress ol others, n matters not. - The simple fact is, that, like the founders of the Bible society, the Ternperance peopie, and the President makers of the last campaign, they have started with onzone idea in their heads. And therefore, say we, but the more likely to grow formidable. With two ideas their strength would be diminished one half. With fifty ideas, they would be fifty thousand times weaker than they are now. Men have always enough to quarrel about - the difficulty is, to make them agree. "The new party, therefore, instead of saying to almost every man they meet, Stand aside, we are more righteous than thou - or much wiser; they say to every man they meet - look you, friend, there is one rope at which we can all pull together, (and perhapsthey may.) Here'sour hand - give us yours- one thing at a time, and hut one, to begin with. All who are not with us upon this one point - a love qfliberty - are the only unrightous that we see upon the earth, or ever mean to acknowledge. A party organized upon such principies, and sticking to tbem, through thick and thin, must malee themselves understood everywhere, and must be feit everywhere, whatever may be their intents, whether :wicked or charitable,1 mischievous or praiseworthy "Under the name of the Ldberty Party - while they seek to distinguish themselves, they hopeto stigmatize all who are opposed to them as opposed to Liberty: and to persuade into co operation with them all the Friends of hiberiy,(tind their name is Legión.;) all who desire to see slavery done with, no matter how, no matter why, and no matter when; all Abolitionists, wh ether of the new organization or the old; all the colonizationists, all the Friends of Pence, all the ministers of the Gospel,and - m a word - all who are not ready to go the length of John C. Calhoun and George McDuffie, underthe exasperation produced on their rninds by the abolition movements of the Norlh, in' maintaining that slavery is a blessing to our whoie country, instead of a withering curse; and the best possible foundation for freedom -instead of bcing what their Fathers and our Fathers acknowledged to be, while their heorts were overflowing with thankfulness for their great deliverance - and hey were literally Upon their knees before Almighty God - a tremendous evil, which must be got rid of at some future and no very distant day, for the salvation of the country, and of the whole country. "With their one idea, therefore, they must work their way at last intothe Halls of Legislation - the seats of Power - andthe administration of Iaw. It is our duty to watch a party like this, no matter what their profession may be: nor what the character of their leaders; so that if we cannot make thera powerful for good, we may make them powerless for mischief - sliould they happen to be inclined that way."