The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-26 00:00:00

(From the Norfolk News.)

SlR,—Permit me to resume, in this communication,
the topic to which my last letter referred. I endea-
voured, insthat letter, to give your readers some idea of
a Genevese election by universal suffrage and by ballot;
and to show that democratic institutions work, in seve-
ral respects at least, more smoothly here than our sys-
tem of restricted and open voting works in England. I
think this point is fully established. And if such be
the fact—if it be indeed true that universal suffrage and
vote by ballot tend more than any other electoral ma-
chinery to give a true, a deliberate, an uncorrupt, and a
patriotic expression of public opinion, whether tried on
a small scale at Geneva, or on a gigantic scale in Ame-
rica, it cannot be unimportant or uninteresting for Eng-
lishmen, now engaged in plans of reform, to consider
well this fact, and the evidence by which it is supported.
But it will be said again and again—ls it safe to make I
every man a voter ? Will you trust the fortunes of the
State to the idle, the ignorant, and the criminal part of
the population? The answer is obvious. Universal
suffrage, though it emancipates the dregs of the
population, and thus does much to better both
their moral and material condition, does not give
them, while they remain dregs„ any atom of
political power. On the contrary, it deprives them of
their only force, the force of discontent, by removing
every inequality, and thus removing every real cause of
complaint ; while it drowns the voice of the dangerous
part of the people in that of the majority. If, indeed,
the majority be dangerous, the democratic system will
not prevent ruin. But neither will any other system :
least of all the despotic, which leads inevitably to revo-
lution, and thus to the most destructive [form of demo-
cracy. Every representative system supposes what is
borne out by every page of history, that public opinion
is the best and safest basis of government ; and the only
question that remains is, whether the voice of the majo-
rity is the true expression of public opinion. I think
that all the evidence is in favour of this conclusion.
Universal suffrage and the ballot-box have always given
utterance to the predominant opinion of the place where,
and of the time when, they were employed, not to the
ignorance of this, or the prejudice of that section of the
community. And by predominant opinion, I mean not
the opinion of mere numbers, but the opinion of what-
ever is strongest in the country—of wealth, of intelli-
gence, of enterprise, of public spirit, of all that goes to
make a nation powerful, prosperous, and respected.
Public opinion, indeed, is not always in the right, but it
is more likely to be so than the private notions of an
aristocracy, or of an autocrat. It is for practical pur-
poses the best opinion, and universal suffrage by secret
voting is the best way by which this opinion can be dis-
covered and declared.
Such is the conclusion which I think would be de-
duced by every impartial observer of the working of
complete representation in Geneva. And there are
some reasons why the example of this Canton may be
especially worthy of note. When the advantages of the
American electoral system are quoted, the answer is
always ready :—Oh ! America is a very large country, a
very new country, a country without an Established
Church, and without an aristocracy. Now, Geneva is
the very opposite of all this. It is a very small country
—it is an old country, quite as old as England, it has an
aristocracy and an Established Church. It cannot,
indeed, be compared with England in many particulars ;
and no doubt ingenious objectors will be found to urge
that, though universal suffrage and the ballot may be
safe for a very big nation like America, and for a very
diminutive nation like Geneva, they may be quite unfit
for a moderate sized nation like that of Great Britain
and Ireland. I shall content myself with the observa-
tion that what has been found to suit the largest and
the least commonwealth, is not very likely to be unsuit-
able to a commonwealth just half way between the two,
and then proceed to establish the case, so far relates to
the miniature republic wherein it has been of late my
lot to dwell.

I have spoken of the election ; of an election without
noise—without drunkenness—without any notorious
bribery or intimidation ;—of an election which has satis-
fied not only the Ultra-democrats, but the Conservatives
also :—of an election which, beyond all doubt, is the
national voice :—of an election in which the victors con-
quered, and the beaten yielded with dignity :—of an
election, in short, such as an election should be, and -as
different as possible from what it too often is in Eng-
land. It only remains for me to show that the new in-
stitutions work well, not merely in electoral crises, but
in the every-day affairs of the State. A glance at the
general appearance of Geneva will suffice for this pur-
pose. _ - _

Look first at the rural districts. When the traveller,
after a weary journey in a French diligence, through a
comparatively uninteresting country, at last reaches the
top of the Jura, and, suddenly, turning a corner, sees at
a glance the whole of the Canton at his feet, he beholds,
indeed, what no forms of Government can give or take
away. The blue lake, and the everlasting mountains
which are round about it, would make the situation of
Geneva a paradise--though Geneva had never been,
though man had never tradden this happy valley. But,
besides the indescribable beauty of a landscape, almost
unparalleled on earth for loviiness and grandeur, there
are features which impart a human interest to the scene.
The whole region is a garden. The road is everywhere
embowered with trees which stand in the hedgerows of
fields, rich by nature, more rich by cultivation. But
what is this, half-mansion, half-cottage, which stands by
the road side, covered with clustering rose bushes, and
peeping through the shrubs of a well-ordered pleasure
ground, where apple-trees and acacias, cabbages, and
choice flowers, a charming medley of use and ornament,
strive together for the mastery ? Is it a philosopher's
hermitage ? Is it a lover's Elysium ? Is it a refined
citizen's retreat ? Is it the realization of a poet's dream ?
It can hardly be any of these, for lo ! here is another
and another. The whole country is thickly studded
with them. There are the farmers' houses, standing but
a few hundred yards apart from each other. This fact
alone-is conclusive in favour of the prosperity, moral and
material, of the district ; for it is a rule without exception
that the land is a good land where the soil is moderately
subdivided, and where there is a numerous and wealthy
middle class of proprietors. In such a land, though of
course, some poor will even here be always found, no
artificial, no excessive, no irremediable poverty will exist.
Where there are many substantial yeomen there will al-
ways be employmentfor the laborer ; and where the able-
bodied labourer is sure of employment, the casual pau-
perism, resulting from sickness or old age, finds an ade-
quate resource in the benevolence of the neighbourhood.
Such seems to be the case in the rural district of Geneva.
The population is healthy and happy-looking. No
wretchedness, no beggars, no union-houses are to be
seen. Moreover, the neatness of the buildings, the
goodness of the roads, the decent attire of all classes,
and the decorated air of the whole scene are unmis-
takeable indications of something better than merely a
sufficiency of food, drink, and clothing. It is impossi-
ble to walk ten yards in the Canton without feeling a
persuasion, which subsequent investigation will abun-
dantly confirm, that the people are educated and intelli-
gent in no common degree.
The town is worthy to be the metropolis of such a
district, in all respects but one. It has every merit but
that of beauty. Perhaps no city, except Naples and
Constantinople, enjoys a finer site ; but, certainly, no
city has turned a good position to such poor account.
Those, however, who deem the interests of humanity
more valuable than scenic effect, will pardon Geneva
her narrow streets, her mean public buildings, and even
the perverted ingenuity by which her architects have
contrived to exclude almost all view of the lake. " Hand-
some is that handsome does," as we say in England, and
certainly the good doings of Geneva abundantly ex-
cuse her want of good looks. Work I work ! every-
where. The town seems the very temple of industry.
Masons, carpenters, and painters by hundreds, and all
busy : new mansions, new hotels, new quays, new
churches, new hospitals, new roads, in short, a new
town outside the old one : within the usual allowance of
shop-keeping in general, and more than the usual allow-
ance of watchmaking in particular. Horology is the
staple of Geneva, and this branch of trade has never been
in so prosperous a state. The manufacturers, I under-
stand, cannot execute all the orders they receive. As
might be expected, therefore, the town wears a cheerful
appearance. One singularity, occasioned by the abun-
dance of employment and good wages, of Geneva is, an
extraordinary proportion of young people, drawn thither
from all the surrounding country. All, however, whe-
ther young or old, seem to be usefully and happily em-
ployed ; all look as though they were able to earn a fair
day's wages for a fair day's work. There is no misery,
no mendicancy. And, best of all, there is, on every
hand, evidence of an educated, a moral, an intelligent,
and an independent population. There is obviously con-
fidence, for capital abounds and trade flourishes : and
confidence supposes order, and order in a democracy
supposes, at least, good sense, good teaching, and good
habits, as well as good victuals and good clothes.
Such is the external aspect of Geneva, town and
country. But it may be said, all this is rose-coloured ;
are therein° darker shades to the picture ? I answer,
none for which democracy is answerable. It is quite
true that all is not gold that glitters even at Geneva.
The Genevese, though inhabiting a paradise, are not
angels. They are mere men, and where man is there
are also sin, sorrow, and deformity. I have already
mentioned the prevalence of party spirit and religious
rivalry ; and, no doubt, other defects will appear on a
close inspection. But these are common to the human
race, and ought not to rob the little Republic of her
claim to be considered one of the happiest spots upon
the earth. I was, at first, indeed, a little mystified on
hearing, one or two of the Conservative citizens croak
about the fortunes of the state ; but I was re-assured
when I recollected that croaking is one of the privileges
of freedom. Does not Jonathan tell us that his Con-
federation is on the very eve of disruption ? and has
not England been ruined three tunes over within our
own days ? The truth is, that a free man considers
himself free to grumble ; and Geneva would not have
risen to all the advantages of her high position if she
were not to indulge, now and then, in imaginary com-
plaints and fears.
It can be hardly necessary to say that I do not attri-
bute all the moral and commercial prosperity of Geneva
to universa) suffrage and vote by ballot. It is enough
for my purpose that the welfare of the people is com-
patible with, is promoted by, a complete system of repre-
sentation. That this is the case is proved by the single
fact, that, since the revolution, the Canton has advanced
considerably both in agriculture and commerce, while it
certainly has not declined in any of those more impor-
tant particulars on which its antient reputation was
founded. If democracy, therefore, has not done all, it
has done something for Geneva. It has, at least, made '
all the citizens equal before the law, and that is mach.—
I am, Sir, one who was lately, and who hopes !again
soon to be,

A NORWICH-3,JAN AT GENEVA,
Milan, 2d January, 154.