The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-02

H0lQorS, ana aO0llSn ner oStdOllSneQ religion,
with its political priesthood, if she desires to
be great and prosperous.
The Right of Suffrage and its Abuse.
There has been much ado in England of late
in consequence of the detection of numerous
election frauds. by means of bribery; and by the
latest received journals we learn that contests,
committees Of investigation and convictions are
becoming everyday affairs. 5s4aa IS.
| In the London Times, of the 18th of April,
some account is given of the Lancaster cleo
ton for a member of Parliament on the pre-
cedipg day, a Mr.. Green and Mr.. Armstrong
being the candidates. "There was vast
amount of drunkenness" the account states,
"and few fghts" sit is alleged that the most
corrupt measures have been practiced during
the contest, votes having been freely bought at
FL. and 81. ahead At 8 o'clock there were
upwards Of one hundred voters waiting in vari-
Gus public houses to be purchased; but by this
hour customers were scarce"
| 1t has been the custom of English journal.
lists to quote reports somewhat approaching the
above in character from American newspapers,
and to parade them before the British public
| in the most imposing manner, serving as they
do the double purpose of dsparaging our social
condition and proving how incapable the masses
are of selfgovernment. But now the evil
dences are more directly before them-nume
rous, authentic, overpowering, and conclusive;
and our wre,ched example need no longer be
presented as warning to the subjects of her
Majesty
| Let US, however, say few words in two
fold vindication. In the first place, elections
are by far more frequent in this country than
in England. In the second place, the electors
comprise a vastly larger proportion of the peo-
pie, inasmuch as the right of suffrage has but few
restrictions here. In the third place, the egibili-
ty of almost every man to Office renders our peo-
pie generally more deeply interested personally
in the results of the elections. But notwith
standing this, and notwithstanding the further
often affirmed fact that the arm of the police
| is less potent in this country than in England,
fights are at least as unfrequent at elections here
as there, and bribery and corruption so rare
| that single contested seat in each Congress is
| probably above the average; while even in
| these fraud is seldom proved to have been prac
ticed
Whence is all this difference? We reply
that it simply proceeds from the fact which
our English brethren have SO long labored to
disprove, that the more real liberty is accorded
| to men, the more implicitly may we rely upon
| their integrity. English voters. with all their
prerequisites of ga stake in the community"
a freehold, &c., are less free than are the
masses of our citizens, and consequently less
| to be depended upon. British aristocrats may
seek to make the argument point the other
| way ; but candor and common sense receive it
as it is plainly presented to view.
A fact worthy the attention of every observer
is the uniformity of purpose evinced by the
widest Of agrarians and the most lordy of
conservatives. The tendency of the former is
toward excitement, disorder, excess, and riot !;
the delight of the latter is to witness the pro-
gress of these things. The present gratifca-
ton of the former, his only care, is thus Sc
cured the cherished hope of the latter, to
prove the inapplicablity of republican institu-
| tons to mans real wants, is thus encouraged.
The practical and profitable deduction from
all this is plain. So necessary is good order
among people claiming to be republican, that
the patriotism should hardly be relied upon of
any man whose sober, industrious, and peaceful
life does not bear testimony to the wisdom of the
institutions under which he lives; zeal and devo-
ton to the abstract principles of republicanism
are surely but empty assumptions in him whose
| life shows no appreciation of the blessings it
lconfers. Sc Patriotism" said celebrated Eng
lsh writer, :" is the last refuge of scoundrels'
In the ranks Of over-zealous partisans may
Everywhere be found the proofs of this declara-
ton. Men who have no other title to conf
dence or esteem, fly to the standard of party
with an ardor beyond what Is demanded by
the crises of the times, and seek by such dis
playsto extortt the applause and advantagesthei
industry and worth have never merited. These
are the men who through their own conduct
and that Of the ignorant and vulgar whom they
seduce into their Improbable fraternity, d.
. discredit to the cause of freedom, and afford II
the minions Of aristocratic and despotic powe
their arguments against mans adaptedness t.
self government. Such men may occasionally
be found in various positions, from the highes
to the lowest, alike in their feelings and ten
denotes, and differing only in the measure Q
: their success 1t should be regarded as tn,
, public duty, as it is happily the private right
, Of every worthy man and good citizen to spurs
and contemn them wherever found, whether il
the lowest byways, in the halls Of the Nationa
! Legislatqxa, or in the deliberatlve councils Q
: that class Of lovers Of freedom who would con
duet war; Of agyrsssion on priva1s 1eeoant. AM