New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-03-14
The Peril OF a Republic.

ers against their own Country, we would earnestly
commend study Of the following extract from
Inc last Edinburgh Rerie,c. The writer Is review
ing Lord Brougham's Political Philosophy, and in
considering the assumption that Popular Govern
ments are more pacific than States under Absolute
sway he says:
what are the results OF experience Are the
modern European nations pacific IN proportion 20
their fieedom1 Is the peace Of ;he world more en-
dangered by Austria or by Prussia, than by France
or by England! Have Democratic ln=tliuiionsp'o-
duced peace IN America?
1.-The motives 10 war are two-ambition anu
vanity. The one shows itself IN the desire OF On
extension Of territory or OF intuence the oisr IL
the desire to acquire glory avense insult, tn nf
Government OF France is az democratic a. e .h~
England, perhaps more 90 and yet sue ~ m,
mad with ambition. Nor l. TINS TO- nf Erance
present time In proportion as the peoPie Vi lal'
have been .bl. TO influence their Governments
they have forced il on wars OF conquest. III Gu,
nroyok ed con1uest OF Savoy was one OF lhe Iti1'
nets OF the Convention IL was iilIn.u'1 49,.
lowed by the incorporation OF beisluiri eno VIZ
.,,,t;a-,,eo of Holland The conqnests OF NapoieoI
.d ~. French 10 endure his expressions, and
-. hon now idolize his memory Inc paciiIc
49, NJ IN. Restoration was the great obstacle
~ II. oopularity In the hope OF pleasing the peo
al. the Government PeTpeirated me wahloh lh!a-
-, of Sosin and the experiment was successful.
w soooer did the Revolution OF 1870 lead the pee
10 -, believe their influence supreme, than they
demanded war and conquest, the boundary OF the
Rbioe and the retention OF AIglers Even within
The last wear the Government obtained some popu-
arity by engaging IN war with Morocco, ana lo1' II
again by debating a triumphant but reasonable
oeace That France IS not now at open war IN any
oart OF the globe except Atnca-that III Europe she
Is mourning only that portion o. The evils OF war
winch consists IN the waste Of the national Iesour-
tcs on Notifications, armies and teeis and the DIS
IL fkp
doubltulness Of the fulure-is altogether OWING TO
the prevalence in her councils OF the monarchical
over the democratic prlncple.
"I there be any portion OF the world IN which
the desire of conquest IS peculiarly irrational, IL IS
America, where a population not greatly exceed
ing that Of France Is scattered over country more
than four times as large as Europe; and yet through
on, that hemisphere, ambition has been the curse
of every state in which the influence OF the people
has become dominant. The democracy Of the
United States bullIed Spain out OF LOUISIANA bu-
lied Mexico out OF Texas, rose ca masSe along tic
northern frontier IN the hope OF seiZlng the Cana
das. and is now ready for war, IN the hope OF APP
the Oregon country, t'go thousand miles
from their own back settlements As tor the
Southern Republics, no sooner had they freed them
selves from the nonarchlcai Influence OF spain and
Portugal than they began to fight with one another
for frontiers and that III d country where the great
evils are the pauclty OF the people and the extent OF
territory
off popular Governments are prone to wars Of
ambition, still more are they to those OF vanity
Let any practical dplomatist say, whether II be
easier to induce a minister who represents the Will
of an absolute monarch, or one who depends on the
majority of popular assembly, 10 repair or even TO
confess a wrong, or TO accept equitable terms OF
satisfaction or compromise. The reasons for this
are numerous, and we fear, not likely 10 be re-
moved or even weakened In the first place, the
secrecy which covers the negotiations between
81. r,s.u A iS
made where It's only real evil depends on It's pub
lefty, aud that publicity can be prevented A VIC.
-ory is of little value when II is recorded only IN
The archives OF state-paper Office popular
Government lives in the face OF day, and has TO
Apologize to Its own subjects Tor every act oil pru
depce or OF justice. In the second place, an indi-
yidual can generally be forced TO hear both sides OF
The question. There are few disputes IN which
each party not in degree IN the wrong, or IN
which he can avoid perceiving that he Is so, once
he be compelled to give deliberate attention 10 all
MS opponents arguments. The instant that this
discovery has been mutually made, ii there be no
H,aia fdes-that Is to say, II the controversy arise
not from ambition but from vagltv, II II be the cause
of a quarrel, not It's mere preteXt--an accommoda-
ton is almost inevitable. nation does not listen
to reason 1t icanno, be forced to study both sides
of question, aud never does so voluntarily threads
only It's own sate-papers, It's own newspapers and
lis own pamphlets II hears only lis own speakers,
IL accepts all their statements OF facts and OF law
and holding ltSell ID Dt OBVIOUSLY anu
right on every point, believes that II would be dis
honored in the face OF all Europe by the slightest
concession. Again, every popular Government Is
infected by faction. 1t always contains one part,
sometimes more than one, whose great, and some
times whose principal object is the subversion OF
The existing ministry. The foreign policy OF a MN
stry is generally its most vulnerable point II is
the subject about which the mass OF the people
always understand least, and sometimes feel most.
II a minister he bold, the Opposition ha!loo hun on
To make eXtravagant demands. In the hope that he
may he cntanged by war or dissraced by retreat;
ii he he prudent, they HIM OF sacrificing the
interests or the honor OF the country, of surrender
ing 10 foreign ambition quaiing before foreign
influence. And lastly, there in every nation in
which the democratic element prevails, an lmpor-
iant power whose immediate interests are opposed
TO peace, external as well as internal; and that is
the daily press. A newspaper lives on events. II
iircS by taking Of those erets The rie that agrees
best ruth the passions and TCjrdicCS Of the people
picaseS them best By stimulating Their PRIDE, Their ran
ity, their ,eSenSmcni, aud Their datipathicS. 1t
the demascgue OF "A nation ot readers: and, like
other dcmagogues Is generally popular in proper
non TO the violence and the mlschlevousness OF It's
counsels"
Who does not see in The above the very picture
of events and influences around us =! Who does not
see portrayed the elements which have annexed
Texas and are urging us on 10 a low with regard
TO Oregon Reader study this picture, drawn in
utter Inconsistencies of lis special applicability,
and Judge whether those who are accused Of TAX
ing sides with Foreigners against their own Coun-
iry,' will not, almost inevitably, be in the right,
rather than those who ride on the wave of popular
prejudice and seshness, extollns our own upright
ness and defaming the conduct of other Nations
Heed and reflect
o. We have great number OF good Communi-
cations, which possibly make for at pre-
il We forced 10 eccnomze space 10 the ut
most and Advertisers gyumbc tits. We shall have
more room by-and-oy.
Gy- The Wings of the FIFTEENTH Ward nomi-
mated last evening, for Alderman, WILLIAM V.
BHApv, and for Assistant Alderman JAMES D,
OIlvER. The Wings of thus Ward are wids awake
CLINTON COUNTY RKpErMEp The Wings of Gin
tom like their brethren in the adjoining County Of
Essex, tsays the Albany E"ening loumal,) have
done nobly at the Town Elections. Last year