Excerpt from A Collection of the Political Writings of William Leggett, Vol. 2 of 2: Selected and Arranged, With a Preface

Few things have ever given us more disgust than the fawning, hypocritical and unqualified lamentations, which are poured out by the public press on the demise of any conspicuous political opponent. Of the man whom the day before it denounced in terms of the most unmeasured bitterness, let him but shufile off his mortal coil, and the next day it is loud in undiscriminating, unlimited praise. We would not have journalists wage their political dissen tions over the grave, and pour the ebullitions of party hostility on the dull cold ear of death. Neither would we have them stand aloof in dogged silence, refusing to join in the tribute to the memory of a great man who had made his exit from this theatre of perpetual strife, be cause, while he lived, they were found in the ranks of his opponents. But if there is any sincerity in the politi cal doctrines they profess; if they are not mere jugglers in a game of cheatery and fraud; if they are really con. Tending, with their whole heart and soul, in behalf of certain great principles, the success of which they consider of vital Irriportance to the best interests of man: then not even the death of an opponent - and more especially of one whose rriindiwalsaso vigorous and en. Lightened, whose heart was se benignant, and whose whole life had been so pure and exemplary )as that of Judge Marshall - not even the death of such an opponent, we say, should restrain them from accompanying their tri bute of respect with an expression of dissent from his political opinions.

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