New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-05-23
pr.neo.Sner.csin.

The washington Union, IN noticing The merits of
Oh. Covyr,er S<s Esats Una and the Franco Amer
;a,osu observes: The CouSrier may be considered
The organ of NJ Guizots policy, while the Franco
American represents the Republicans OF France.
N. Rene Mason, editor Of the latter, is Republi
can to his fingers ends he combats, with all his
force, the doctrines and tendencies of n. Guizot-
1t cannot even be said that be represents " Tbe-E
but Ii pure Republican"
N Rene Mason makes this comment on the no
tice:
I'VE have said, and mus, repeat we are part
sans only of America and the political institutions
of America: We wish, 30 f.- as il may depend on
Us, to cemen, an intimacy between France and the
United States because i. il msnifes;y for the inte-
rest of both nations and indeed all things conspi-e
to make such an intimacy easy and durable. Bat IN
reference to the account which has been given OF
our political opinions We would say,
We are not Republican, or rather we are more
than Republican, we are Democrat II the writer
reads our prospectus he will ind that we have ab-
stained from assuming the tile with which he hss
decorated Us. 1, i1 easy to see whence his error
proceeds: in the United States, as elsewhere many
words have lost their true and primitive meaning
in assuming another that is conventional Thus The
term Democrat, in America, is bat subdivision OF
Republican, while, according to Us, the Republic is
only mode Of applying Democracy. Some bret
explanations may develope our idea
If we revert to the origin Of the word Democra-
cy, we find it from TWO Greek words, demos, the
people, crates, power. 1t means the power OF the
people bu, wisely and reasonably established, so
as to respec, the rights and secure the happiness OF
the greatest plumber. The two principles on which
Democracy rests are! the sovereignty Of the people
and equality before the law. These principles are
those TO whose healthy application We wish 10 de-
vote ourselves Are we then Republicans No;
because i, may happen, and there are frequent e1-
amples Of its having happened, that Republic
may not be Democratic. The Republic Of Rome
had its Patricians and PleDeians.
The Republican government Of Venice was 8
powerful and jealous Aristocracy. The names OF
its mobiles, who alone were empowered to admins
ter its affairs, were inscribed in register called
The Golden Book.
In our own time, does not the Helvetic Republic
comprehend three aristocratic cantons, Berne, Lu-
cerne, Fribourgl 1t il true that Democracy gains
ground there de'ly, but much remains 10 do.
What is the Argentine Republic, unde. Rosas 7
VIVA, are the other Republics of Central or South
America Nothing but focuses OF military despot-
lam.
Republican is not then synonym of Democrat;
one OF these words represents the form. the other
the principle. Here, in America, indeed, we are
Republican, because we find the two in harmony ;
but we would be as good Monarchists under Mon
arcbical government that should give Us the same
guarantees Of Democracy as the United States,
In word we attach ourselves rather TO ideas
than expressions. There may be hundreds OF forms
of government but they include only three fanda-
mental ideas: Democracy, Aristocracy and Despot-
ism. We have said what Democracy is; Aristocra-
cy is the power of privileged class, Despotism
that of one alone. But the title of Democrat is the
one we choose in preference to Republican" x