Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-04-19

LILO, s1848. % ..
$ rights-not its. rights, but its pretenses an
: its possessions. La the quietude of despotisH
: no reform voluntarily comes to break upsl
= the. leaden silence Of the, people. 1t is onl
] when human suferings are pushed to ex
tremes, and human strength is reused t
= exertion, that the privileged orders Civ
4 way, and dole: out scanty norsel to til,
famished masses; and the moment the pres
q sure stops, the tardy reform stops with it
q Force, therefore must be applied, or the
/ buses of governments will often become in
4 tolerable, as well as interminable.. 1t i,
lone Of those evils insepernble from human
4 Society. But while we acknowledges its es-
istence and deplore it, we rejoice the more
the more seldom it is called, by circum.
stances, into action. :.l1zl-ss
i should not have said one word to you
tonight, my fellow citizens, had not been
induced TO do do by q. particular circum-
stance. A few years ago, while in France,
published in the Democratic Review some
remarks upon the condition Of that country.
Among these were illusions to the enseutes
which were often breaking out in the streets
of Paris, and occasioning CONSERVATION and
alarm to the quiet citizens, who were dis
turbed in their occupations by the din OF
arms, and sometimes by bloody conflicts in
the midst Of their city; and all this without
the least beneficial result, or any expecta-
tion of it. They were not revolutions; they
were riots and instructions. commune
Gated also the facts as disclosed by the wit
nesses on the trials Of persons indicted for
those offences. 1t was shown conclusiyely
that the persons engaged in them belonging
to secret societies, sworn to abolish chris
tian religion, to destroy all the rights ol
property, and to overturn in fact, social or
der. 1t was describing. more particularly
what in France were technically called the
days Of May 1899. The sentiments Of q
journal which favored these proceedings,
may be judged by the term it employs when
speaking OF the United States, whose gov
ernment it calls, ''a ridiculo6s republic, and
a noneyed aristocracy." The following
quotations mark its spirit and objects:
'lt is. without doubt, beautiful to be an
atheist; but that is not enough" &c.
I SIT ought to say, all that is connected
with religious worship is contrary to our
progress; while, at the same time, whenev.
er people are religious, they talk nonsense
| ''Our Saviour is called the Democratic
son Of Mary 3s
My condemnation of such principles has
recently been construed into q condemna.
ton of the principles of revolutions brought
about BY the people seeking the redress of
haI orrIn -
( ing of my heart, word Of my mouth, nor
an act of my life, which would give any
man right to call in question my sympn-
thy with the struggling masses, or the sin.
cerity Of my hope for their success; and |
defy any man TO quote from my remarks
upon the condition Of France, one single
sentence inconsistent with the progress Of
rational liberty.
What thought and what foresaw, are
shown by the following extract .alluding
to the condition Of Europe, and ofthe chang
es that were in progress. *''t
"But in Europe, this last great element
of public happiness is beyond the reach of
the governments, and it is therefore the
more necessary that they should use all the
means within their power to improve the
condition ofthe poorer classes of society,to
extend the advantages Of education to all,
put stop to expressions, and to introduce
the most impartial equality before the law,
and into the public employments.. In this
way, and in this alone, can the political ST.
fervessence which is everywhere visible in
Europe, be safely guided, when it cannot
be wholly controlled. There is forward
movement in opinion, which can neither BIO
misunderstood nor put down. 1t has pro-
duced great changes, and will produce still
greater. Its operation is a question of
time only; but the extent and intensity Of
that operation depend essentially upon the
wisdom and justice Of the governments, and
upon the forbearance Of the people. Hap:
py will it be for both, if the changes de-
manded by the present state Of society ,and
called for by the thinking classes of the
community, are made in time to prevent
revolutions, instead of being the consequen-
ces of them.''
Is there one American in this broad land
who does not reciprocate these sentiments?
8 Unfortunately for the late dynasty, these
liberal views were not adopted by it; and
if its principles did not undergo change,
certainly many of its most obnoxious meas
ures were adopted and pursued after that
period, and have given 10 its government n
character for insincerity and love Of power,
which, if they were before charged upon it,
had not acquired by such course of con-
duct as has since been adopted, and which
left the French people no choice between
tame submission and armed resistance.
At that period, or about that period, (for
| do not recollect the date precisely,) NJ.
Thiers was the prime minister: and his
character and principles were guarantees
for rational progress, and against arbitrary
measures. But the later wears Of the fall
en- dynasty have been marked by measures
svincing settled determination to strength.
IN the powers of the government, and to
narrow more and more the circle of popu-
ar rights, till the foolish project of'prevent- t
ng even social banquet, to be partaken
~ a large portion Of the chamber of Depu- G
les, and by much that was able and liberal G
n France, and where public measures a
we're to be discussed, applied the torch to v
he inflamable materials, and kindled that o