“I think it was about the year ‘40, when party disputes about Whig and Tory ran high--but no matter what year, it will do for any time. A gentleman of undeviating integrity, an independent man, just such a man as Mr. Vivian, offered himself candidate for a town in the east, west, north, or south of England--no matter where, it will do for any place; and the first person whose vote he solicited was a Quaker, who asked him whether he was a Whig or Tory?--‘Neither. I am an independent, moderate man; and when the members of administration are right, I will vote with them--when wrong, against them.’ ‘And be these really thy principles?’ quoth the Quaker; ‘then a vote of mine thou shalt never have. Thou seest my door, it leadeth into the street; the right hand side of which is for the Tory, the left for the Whigs; and for a cold-blooded moderate man, like thee, there is the kennel, and into it thou wilt be jostled, for thou beest not _decided_ enough for any other situation.’” “But why should the moderate man be condemned to the kennel?” said Vivian. “Was there no middle to your Quaker’s road? A stout man cannot be EASILY jostled into the kennel.” “Pshaw! pshaw!” said Wharton: “jesting out of the question, a man is nothing in public life, or worse than nothing, a _trimmer_, unless HE JOINS a party, and unless he abides by it, too.” “As long as the party is in the right, I presume, you mean,” said Vivian. “Right or wrong’” cried Wharton, “a man must abide by his party. No power, and no popularity, trust me, without it!--Better stride on the greasy heads of the mob than be trampled under their dirtier feet. An armed neutrality may be a good thing, but an unarmed neutrality is fit only for fools. Besides, in Russell’s grand style, I can bring down the ancients upon you, and tell you that when the commonwealth is in danger he cannot be a good man who sides with neither party.” “If it be so necessary to join a party, and if, after once joining it, I must abide by it, right or wrong, for life,” said Vivian, “it behoves me to consider well, before I commit myself; and, before I go into the ranks, I must see good reason to confide, not only in the abilities, but in the integrity and public virtue of my leader.”