New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-07
THE DAILY CRESCENT.
SATURDAY MOANING. JANUARY I, 1864
DEMOCRACY AND REP UBLICsayNISyaf
COMPARED ~ #H

Our neighbor Of the Delta. though clever and
enlightened, seems but imperfectly to compre-
bend as, when we set up and insist on total
distinction between Republioanism and Democ-
raey. Now, we ought to be under no neces-
sity of explaining difference SO necessary 70
hc understood and so well known to all the
higher class of writer's who have treated Of Gov
ernments and their various forms. But since
even our learned brother, q doctor in politics,
has fallen into an oblivion Of these things, the
generality of men less skillful in them than.
he must surely have done the same, SO that it
clearly behooves us, little agreeable as it is, to
60 back to the beginning, and. in order not to
be misconceised, to expound q little, systematic
cally but briefly. what seems to require ex-
pounding, though it ought not. For it must
surely be accounted singular that country
whose entire institutions profess to be the work
of art and science, whose Government is one OF
pure theory, whose population are all the while
discussing abstract principles or engaging in
high speculations abort these matters. should yet
have contrived In the midsto of all this, to become
ignorant Of the very rndiments of all such
knowledge, and absolutely to have studied and
knew. until they have forgotten their alphabet.
All who are recognized as having written
wisely upon the several forms and natures Of
Governments have agreed, from Aristoties time
down to the present, that there are three great
simple forms; the Kingly, the Arlstocratic, the
Popular: which, if ever changed among peo-
pie are almost sure to succeed each other, in
the order in which we have mentioned them.
All these are considered, by the philosophic
writers, as capable Of being good alike, because
what are called temperate governments. For,
until they degenerate-th is, until king
shall desire to rule with no regard to mobiles or
people; or the nobility shall lord it over both
the authority of the monarch and the interests
of the commonalty or this last shall set aside
the participation of both the other natural or
ders Of the society in conducting the common
wealth--they will all be q government of laws,
not persons or an order; will temper each other.
But each of these forms lands to degenerate
into another, the exaggeration of itself, by the
destruction Of the joint share and influence
which the other orders should hold with it, SO
as that the government may be conducted for
their common benefit: the kingly power, if saf-
fered to do SO, will pass into personal des-.
potism, seeking no longer any thing but the
qualification of it's own will or family or favor
ties; the aristocratic order is liable, if uneheek
ed but by itself, to grow into an oligarchy or
tyranny Of a few great mobiles; and the popular
form is apt to fall into democracy, or tyranny
of the mere multitude, who are, Of course, the
worst part of the people.
NJ.
or temperate government the three others into
which they are apt to be respectively yitiated
are looked on as Incorporate ones or tyrannies.
For q tyranny is when one order, class or inter
est in the State rules unchecked by the rest
and there may equally be d despotism of the
one or autocrat, of the few or mobiles, and OF
the many Or populace.
Finally, Republic or Commonwealth is
neither monarchy, an aristocracy, nor do
minion of the majority alone; but preserves
and combines them all. It may, as mere name
call the State what it pleases but so long as
the orders or parts of which it is composed
limit, restrain, check each other and thus bring
about government Of no one class, it is q free
government, true Republic, such as our
founders designed that this should be. 1t is,
however, fast degenerating into mere democ-
racy; and what that is and what its relation to
Freedom, we have we hope, made sufficient
ly clear for the Delta and everybody to under.
stand US. In word, we are Republicans, not
Democrats and shall ever be found struggling
to prevent the people--who have now got pos
session of nearly verything--who are fast
overturning in theirpassions all that was meant
to restrain them-and whom, because they are
masters, nearly everybody is fattering on to
self-destruction, from running this government,
that was SO free and fair.