Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08

81 tell thee Jack Cade the clothier means TO dress
be Commonwealth and turn it, and set nap rponit"
Second Iayt Of Henry 6th, scsse ID.
This is emphatcally the Age Of Progress; and
ertainly human knowledge has advanced more with
the last fifty years than in the century preceding
IN the mechanical and liberal arts there have been
great improvements; and in all the inventions and
discoveries that promote our comfort and conye-
nience or that contribute to elegance ornament or
refined accommodation, we far ahead even Of the
last generation When we look over our broad land,
too,and see its vast and varied productions marts
for foreign commerce; its boundless internal trade
its steamboats, canals railroads. electric telegraphs
and the thousand other indications Of prosperity
think it must be admitted that we not deficient
in the science of political economy. But, notwith-
standing our success in acquiring the elements of
national wealth and social happiness, we are now
told by some of our learned political pundits that
our whole Governmental structure is upon wrong
basis, and that we really know nothing Of true
civil institutions upon the notion that restraint was
necessary to preserve peace and order in communi-
ties OF men, who associate together either by express
or tacit consent, the fundamental principle that
the aohole should protect all is parts and that every
part should pay obedience to the aoiV Of The achole;
and that for the purpose of coercng this salutary
submission there is and must be I" a supreme, ire
ssistble, absolute, uncontrolled authority, in which
the jura SUNNI imperii, or the rights Of sove-.
sreignty, shall reside and this authority is placed
lin those hands wherein, according to the opinion
sof the founders Of such respective States, either
tepressly giten, Gas by written Constitution or
tcolected from their act APPRECIATION the qualities
requisite for supremacy, viz. wisdom goodness, and
spower, are the most likely to be found"
This, however, it seems, is all rocaco, and "Young
America" claims larger liberty" in this day Of
"new light" We copy from the Philadelphia
"Public Ledger" Of the 22d ultimo a paragraph
which sets forth the views and sentiments of Of
our teachers on this subject. 1t is we presume,
fairly presented, though have not the origi
nal publication:
Doctrine worthy Of Comment.-The Democratic Re-
vew, partisan periodical its title imports proclams
doctrine in its last number which be very
aging to all who would be law unto themselves and
would abolish all other law that interferes with their
dpidual Development Speaking Of the Maine Law it says
that the only definition Of freedom which does define
away all meaning u.s. the absence of restraint and that
'the only criterion for knowing how far Government is
free is The hich bad actions dowed and that
sciva liberty may be termed the constitutional right 10 do
rong and that the freedom of the press is the power
to publish wicked and perncious doctrines and the free
dom Of speech the power to speak them and that rel
gous freedom is the power to follow false worshp free
dom of locomoion the power go the wrong places
freedom Of occupation the power to choose the wrong
trade and that the right do wrong in all these and
many other respects as possible the essential condition Of
III true Development, real happiness, and progress
We have italicised some passages in order that
theymay be more readily noticed as we, ask for
them the careful consideration of our readers. The
opinions of the writer quoted appear to extra
VACANT that could almost believe them mere
hurlesque. But they are gavely stated, and we
@nnot therefore so consider them. Taking them,
then, as the fair import of the language denotes,
What is the general doctrine asserted "Freedom
Is The absence OF restraint" allowance to every man
to commit evil deeds, uncontrolled by the laws of
God or Man, and limited only by the faculty which
the individual may have to do mischief What
pandemonium would not the earth become were this
detestable principle reduced to practice If the
beautiful order, which has been established for mu-
tua preservation, destroyed, all the elements
of society would Immediately stand :" in mere OPP
pugnancy:"
" Then every thing includes itself in power,
Power into win, win into appetite:
"And appetite, universal wolf,
:" So doubly seconded with win and power,
"Must make perforce q universal prey
"And, last, eat up himself
Wewill not attempt to describe the horrible anarchy
that must ensue where every one does whatsoever
is right in his own eyes" The end must be Des-
potism; for men, harassed by continual outrages
and alarms will seek the chance of repose under the
lar of tyrants will, rather than trust the despe-
rate caprice Of ia,olcss mob
If the delusive positions we are reprobatng were
peculiar to the writer quoted in the Ledger" we
should not think it necessary to remark upon them
We fear, however, that they are extensively enter
tanned, and that danger from them is becoming rife
We regard Flibustiering," "German loans,"
Hungarian bonds" intervention" and all the
qualifications Of Kossuthism, as mere separate exhi-
billions Of the same mad spirit Of fncied democracy
"Lccuse they mean, when they cry Liberty"
We are conservative in our feelings and habits
and therefore opposed to every thing that tends
to impair disturb our present happy social organ
nations. The oratorical declarations of sympathy