The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-04-20

revenge neither ought nor can be supposed TO have had
any gres, influence the consderate and steady cham,
pions OF great reform but unfortunately, those wild
and destructive theories OF social and political reforms,
which have struck terror into the hearts OF the liberals
O Europe, have not been conhnsd TO few OF 10 small
casss Of zeaols. German philosophy Tor series OF
years has combined with the popular literature OF The
day TO ngaft upon the mind OF their excitable and i'm
agnave readers all over The Continent the same mischev
Gus theories New strange, and bewderng theories OF the
destiny OF man and OF human society," and the perfection
oi which both by nature susceptible, have quite un
settled the faith and confidence OF tens OF thousands IN
all existing institutions social and political. The
followers OF The philosophy, everywhere seeing that
their theories OF universal happiness and equality not
likely to be realized in any oil the known or existing
forms OF society government become the advocates
Tor the abolton OF both. Denying all lmperfectons IN
the nature Of man. and oreseeing that the Christian re
gon stands in the way OF their reforms, they
PEELED to abandon their cherished theories TO re-
nounce that also And hence observe that the policy
OF reconstrucDg imperial and arbitrary governments on
the continent Of Europe embraces the altar as well as the
throne.
The great curse of Europe Of the present day is, that
the thepres and doctrines OF the champions and advo
Gates o2 hbsy and Iepubcanlsm have all along pIo-
ceeaed upon the same which rendered all the phi
iosophy Of the schools Of antiquity aborye and for the
most part utterly useless to mankind. They all proceed
upon distractions. All their theories of society and
government ideas of liberty and equality, and the
forms they would institute to them-are founded
upon some preconceived notion in their own minds Of
what they conceive ought 10 be right and proper with
out the slightest reference TO any practical iesto any
thing that has been proved 10 be sound and practicable in
|
be able to construct true and practical systems Of govern
ment they must first reconstruct their system OF phllosO
phyhey must reconstruct their own theories and adapt
them to human they have developed in the
pas-ss they il displayed al present. They must
adapt them to the OF they perceive them to
exist in all their varieties and differences OF capacities
aud propensies without troubling themselves about the
question Of original unity equality They must found
their theories upon experience, and not upon fancy.
They must come TO understand that the competency
1 OF man for self-government is not simple or uni
|
proposonlhat II may be true OF one and The same peo
pie at stage OF their progress and not at anoher and
races they must to learn that every has
civilization peculiar to itself, and physical and mental
faculties of various grades of capacity for Improvement
and development all history teshes. In short, they
must adapt the method OF reasoning, and theorizng
pointed out by the great founder of modern progress
Bacon When they shall have done this. they will
have taken the first step towards true progress IN
cant and catch terms about liberty and equality,
they must to know that there s beriythat there
is an equality which is natuala liberty and an equality
resting solid basis that will stand; and that all else
is spurious, delusive, and mischievous.
| lrist, sir | may now be allowed, without taking
my inal leave OF Europe, to pay short VISIT TO
disease or conlagion, moral and physical that orgl-
Mates in foreign atmosphere. We see II proclaim
ed through the columns OF thousand presses IN
this country that the spirit Of democracy necessarily
gressve ask PARDON for intended dvest myselt as far
possible every parzan view and feeling IN delivering
my sentiments on this great subject; but am unable 10
may to have a partlzan cast. We are told
that reform in this free country is a laggard-lha
fingers lar IN the rear OF The advancing sprlt OF lne
age Sir il is said through the channels, and pro,
claimed TO the people OF this country, that too much o
the old democratic eaven still turks and ierments IN
constitutional forms and in our legislation BY more
cfcumscribed party but still widely dhused over the
country, and OF Insignificant nfiuenceour institutions
denounced being oppressive and the natural
rights OF mankind, alien TO liberty, uphodng social forms
which admit OF no equality OF position or OF happiness
that there is rae fraterntyno freedom such as the
spirit OF the age and the progress o civilization demand
! Whence this type OF democracy IN this country! NO
man mistake its paternity. IL IS European born II
is the spirit and type Of democracy which have nm
douethe liberty n Europe and is mission in this
country can never be accomplished but by the rum
OF liberty here Does not every one know that The mos
popular and leading champions OF the cause OF repub
canism and democracy in Europe regard win positive
conemptnay, that they turn away with disgust al the
very mention OF American republlcansm They scofn
TO receive our American, home bred ideas OF liberty
Why they say, zoe have no Phiosophy-loe have no JUS
and lofty conceptions OF the destiny OF man and OF human
sociely-we far in the rear OF European enlghten
ment upon all these subjects Such are the arrogant
preienslons OF the European champions ot liberty
Some OF the more reckless among them have the
hardhood 10 declare that system Is false, and tha
il cannot be reformed they are prepared to destroy IT
that il is model which msleads the friends oi freedom
abroad and that il had better be pulled down than up
i held in error
should like, il had ime 10 say word about this
age OF progress. That IT ls an age OF increased popu
aton wealth. and power in this country and OF increased
knowledge and science everywhere, no one doubts
That is all Tor good But should like to know in
what consists that progress OF the age which u
announced the basis OF reforms in regard tc
political institutions The highest moral institution
on earth, except religion, is that of government Wha
is the progress OF the age in the science OF govern.
mentl IL is experimental science New revelations
OF facts lay the ground work for reforms and improve
ments in government What is that progress IN America
We have what modern progress has done IN Europe
ia this department OF science. But ask what progress
has there been in Amercal Have any new and better
forms oil government been discovered ANY new princ
piles brought out by experience better calculated to adj
and the happiness OF mankind than our IN
sliiuons they devised and dlgested by the
architects OF our revolutionary period What new
theories have been developed in The lapse OF the
last bali century which show advance in the science
OF government Has our legislation become wiser and
pufer-founded IN more patriotic Ideas, and better cal
culaed TO advance the interests and happiness OF The peo
plei Are public ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, legsla
i've, judicial, Of higher order OF intellect, OF en-
llgltenment--of patriosn, and OF fidelity TO the
great trusts9 And, to notice some OF the ordinary
tests-has crime diminished Are frauds less preva-
ent IN trade Are life and property more seeuref J,
the administration of justice more pure, able, anc
impartial Is the spirit of personal ambition less pes
enual Is the spirit OF faction less turbulent and mis-
chieyous And regard 10 the great Distinguishing
characteristic of people competent to segovernment
prevalent and Astounding But ! cannot dwell longe
upon this subject fear, sir that this idea OF progress y
to be ruin Nineynine hundreds ot those who tall
OF IT, (not in this chamber, oil course and OF those who
proclaim II to the country, do not discriminate between
change and progress We are all progressive. Their
lls progress in timea change IN everything We arr
not what were We canno remain what we are
and in society, which may Justify material changes IL
lQov 1 w AIT 10 ls a