The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-04

one mouse; Tor the least complicated machinery
for free government Is unquestionably the best
such as we may say has, in some particulars,
been just adopted In France
A system Of popular government, to be valuable
and effective, must be simple and energetic not
fettered and encountered with checks, counter
checks, balancing bodies and powers, which all
end in nothing, and which, until they end in
nothing, are prolific source of faction strife, and
political disorder Intellect and principles are the
elements which influence and control people
and these are shown only on two sides, in two op-
posie points, and those two sides are simply the
right and the wrong, and nothing more
Now, in all the various commentaries of the
press which we have seen hitherto, upon this i'm.
portant subject and document, there are none OF
them which, we think, render full Justice to the
spirit and theory of the French constitution, at
least in this particular. Most OF the writers upon
the subject appear to us to to confound altogether
the theory and the principle with the possible
duration Of the constitution. For our own parts,
we do not undertake 10 say what may be the flu.
ture working or duration of this constitution we
can only speak of the theory and principles of It,
Just as we might speak of any beautiful object, and
praise Its form and features, without being able
positively to say that 1t would live long or endure
for ever. Yet the fact of an early dissolution of
such fair object, by some fatal accident or other,
would not, if it should occur, render our eulogium
the less true. Now. precisely in the same manner,
the theory and spirit of the French constitution
appear to us excellent, per Sc, whatever may
be Its possible fate and PROBABLE destiny. The
duration of thing and Its absolute goodness or
badness, are two very different affairs and In this
point the minds Of our contemporaries seem to us
TO be somewhat cloudy and IN confusion. They
take 1t for granted first, that this constitution will
not last very long, beca use, forsooth, France has
had several constitutions within the last century.
Then, calculating with certainty upon a shortlife
for the constitution, they hastily conclude that the
new born infant is deformed and shapeless mon
ster, forgetting that, however short. lived an in
FAINT may be, that does not prevent 1t from being
possibly perfect model of symmetry and beauty.
Among the European commentators upon the
new French constitution, the London Times, espe-
cIally. takes the lead in this style of argument,
and sapiently concludes, that because France has
gone through many political vicissitudes and
changes of late years, ergo this constitution good
for nothing. This is clever way of obfuscatlng
spirit and provisions of this document are good or
bad, is question which has nothing to do with
the past history of France, or any other country
The document ought to be examined and consl.
dered on its own merits, and the argument not be
complicated and obscured by references to past
affairs, or by-gone misfortunes, calculated to ex.
cite the prejudlces and obscure the judgments of
large class of readers. Our own American press
generally, has not greatly exceeded the Times and
other European journals, in liberallty and good
will towards the French and their constitution.
Very lugubrlous representations are made by
some OF our New York journalists upon this SUBJ
ject. One thinks that the President has too much
patronage, another that the National Assembly
has taken to itself too much power the Eren,ng
Post thinks it would be better If 1t had something
like Senate to check hasty legislation, and
that the President for this purpose ought, in
certain cases, TO have the power of interpo-
sing veto. Now, if all these various OBJ
jectlons were only made collaterally by the seve-
raj writer's, there might be some justice IN them;
but when the whole document is laid on the shelf
as an almost worthless production, and thrown
aside like condemned work, or account Of some
accidental lmperectlons, we take it to be unfair,
and an evidence of latent prejudice. We might,
indeed, ourselves, point out flaws in this as well
as in every constitution that ever was framed.
Is even our own admirable constitution faultless!
The French are brave, noble, and gallant
people-frst in the arts, first in philosophy, first IN
literature, first in war, OF all European nations
and they have now taken the lead as first IN the
conflict Of human liberty, and the first to establish
in fio 7 han
honor their efforts encourage their labors, rejoice
in their success, and ardently desire their happi-
ness and prosperity, and not damn by faint praise
or fastidous fault-indlng, this sublime effort to
create, for the first time, among the nations of
Europe, free, rational, democratic, and popular
constitution.
MEETING OF THE Ono LEGIsLATURE.--The
General Assembly, or Legislature, of Ohio, will
convene to-day IN regular session. There is some
prospect of difficulty taking place between the
two parties, wing and democrat. In the House,
the wings have elected majority of four, but BY
the mistakes of some of the election clerks In two
counties, in spelling and certifying to the names of
the persons voted for, certificates of election In
those two counties have been issued to the demo.
Gratis The wings declare that their candidates
are elected, and will sit, while the democrats
insist that they are entitled to do so because of
heir certificates, and that they will per force, if
necessary, eject the wing members. The question
will be brought before the General Assembly
Immediately
LATER FROM BRAzTL.-The arrival of the bark
Gallego, Captain Macoduck, from Rio Janeiro
has placed us In possession of flies of the Ior,ol
do Conercio to the 18th Oct, inclusive. After
careful examination OF these papers we have failed
to discover single Item of interest in them.
FROM MoNTEvrDEo.-By the brig Nancy we
have received copy OF the Concrete del Plata, of
TO the exclusion of any local items The q. S.
brig Perry was going in when the Nancy came
out.
TRINIDAD Spain papers, the Gazette and
the 1rtnfdddlan, were received last night as late
as the 2Sth OF October. The Legislative Cnnncil