New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-04-08

youth a visiter in Europe, he enjoyed always the
parental discipline Of one Of the Founders OF the
American State. and often the daily conversation
of FRASKLIS and JEFFERSON and combined travel
in France. Spain, England. Holland, Denmark
Sweden and Russia, and even diplomatic expert
ence, with the instructions OF the schools OF Par
IT, of the University at Ley den, and OF Harvard n
versity At Cambridge and all these Influences Tell
upon him a, a period when bis country then open
ing the way To Human Liberty through trials OF hre
fixed the attention OF mankind.
The establishment of the Republic Of the I nlted
States OF Americs is the most important secular
event in the history oi the Human Race. II did
not dsentsnge the confused theory Of the origin OF
Government bat cut through the bonds Of power
existing BY prescription a, blow and thus direct
ly and Immediately affected the opinions and the
actions Of men in every part of the civilized world
1t animated them everywhere TO seek freedom
from despotic power aud ars,ocratic restraint
Whenever and wherever they have since moved
either by peaceful agitation or by physical iorce to
meorste systems of government whether In
France at the close of the last century, or after
ward on the second subve-son OF the elder branch
Of the Bourbons or in the recent overthrow OF the
constitutional King. or in Ireland, or in England or
in Italy, or in Greece or in South America whether
they succeeded or failed, there in the tumult or In
the strife was the spirit Of the American Revou-
ton " 1t gave an example Of great people, not
merely emancipating themselves, but governing
themselves without either monarch to control, or
an arstocrscy TO restrain them and it demonstrated
for the first time in the history of the world contrary
to the predictions and theories Of speculative philo
sophy, that great nation, when duly prepared, is
capable of selfgovernment by purely Republican
Institutions
But the establishment of the American Repub-
lie was too great an achievement to be made all
at once 1t was Drama of FIVE grand acts, each
of which filled a considerable period, and called
upon the stage, actors of peculiar powers and dis
tnguished virtues Those acts were Colonization,
Preparation, Revelation, Organization and Con
solidatiop.
Two of these acts were closed before JoHN
QUINCY ADAMS was born The third the Bevolu'
ton, the shortest of them sl. dazz les the contem-
plation by the rapidly and the martial character
of its incidents The fourth, the Organization Of
the Government, by the splendors of genius ell
cited and the felicity of the new form of govern
ment presented, satisfies the superficial inquirer
that when the constitution had been adopted,
nothing remained to perfect the great achieve
ment. But other nations have had successful re-
yolutions, and have set up free constitutions and
have yet sunk again under reinyigorsted despot-
ism. The CoSsOLIDATIos Of the American Re
public the browning act, occupied forty years,
/ nuring that nariod
join QUIscY ADAMS participated continually
in public affairs and ultimately became the prin
cipal actor.
The new government was purely an experiment.
! Ia opposition to fixed habits of mankind, il estab
lshed suffrage prnctic ,y universal aud represen-
tation so perfect that not one L sgisatiye House
only, but both Houses not legislative officers only,
bat all officers, Executive, Ministerial, and even
Judicial, were directly or indirectly elected by the
People. The longest term OF tho Senatorial trust
was bat six years and the shortest only two, and
even the term ofthe Executive power was only four
years. This government, betraying so much PoPu
lar jealousy, was invested with only special and
limited sovereignty. The conduct OF merely mum
cipal affairs was distributed within the States,
among governments even more popular than the
Federal structure, and without whose ever renewed
support that structure must fall.
The government thus constituted, so new, so
complex and artificial, was TO be consolidated, in
the midst of difficulties at home ard Of dangers
abroad The constitution had been adopted only
upon convictions Of absolute necessity, and with
eyanescent dispositions Of compromise. By nearly
half Of the people it thought too feeble to sus
tain itself and secure the rights for which govern
ments are instituted among men. By as many 1t
was thought liable to be converted into an over
shadowing despotsm, more formidable and more
odious than the monarchy which had been subyert
ed. These conflicting opinions revealed themselves
in ike discordance upon every important question
of administration, AID were made the basis Of par.
ties, which soon became jealous and rreconcilable,
and ultimately inveterate and even in some degree
| dsloyal.
These domestic fe1ds were aggravated by per-
nicious influences from Europe. In the progress Of
| Western civilization the nations Of the earth had
become social The new Republic could not like
the Celestial Empire, or tina! OF Japan, confne it.
self within its own boundaries and exist withou,
national intercourse, IL bad entered the family Of
nations. but tue postum IL was u assuho al"
/ the advantages is was to be allowed to enjoy, were
vet 70 be ascertsined and fixed Its Independence
confessed to be only doubtful experiment at home,
was naturally thought ePhemeral In Europe. It's
example was ominous. and the European Powers
willingly believed that, if discountenanced and
baied, America would soon relapse into colonial
.ubjus alton. sucu preJudices were Ouuded In TIE
I fixed habits Of society Not only the thirteen col
ouies. but the whole American Hemisphere, had
been governed by E aroPean States from the period
of its discovery. The very sol belonged to the
trans atlantic monarch by discovery, or by eccles
a.tical gift Dominion over il attached by divine
right to their persons and drew after it obligations
/ of inalienable allegiance upon those VINO became
the inhabitants of the New World. The New World
WAS indeed divided between different powers, bu.
the system Of government was the same. IL wss
administered for the bened. Of the Parental State
alone. Each power prohibited all foreign trade
with lis colonies and all intercourse between them
and other plantations, supplied its colaies with
what they needed from abroad, interdicted their
manufactures and rnonopolized their trade. The
prevalence Of this system over the whole Continent