Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-03-22
Democracy in England.

III Address, Postpaid, WALKER & COTTON,
indianapolis, Ind.
J. c. WALKER. Proprietor.
Democracy in England.
Many causes have combined to make En-
gland conservative. The existence of an he
reditary nobility is only one of these. A
more powerful influence was exerted by her
educated men, and especially by her great
writers, whose works were the fountains of
thought from which the whole nation drew
intellectual supplies. 1t is only necessary to
name Hume, Gibbon, johnson, Burke, and
Sir Walter Scott; all Of whom had such dread
of new 1eme.lics that they preferred tn abide
any amount of old evils. The exeesseS of
che first English revolution, and Of the French
! revolution of 1889 made them shrink from
every change GIBBoS declared that he
would not abolish the inquisition of Por-
tugal; such, in his opiaion, were the dangers
to which the spirit of change would lead
BURKE exhausted all the wisdom of a ran
sacked world in abuse Of the French revolu-
ton.
3 : Happily this state-nf feeling in her great
-lssFiters-is Is fast diving out. ALLIsoS IS not the
exponent of the sentiment of intelligent Eng
land at this day. His work is but repro
duction of the mind of England fifty years
. ago. Even fifty years ago some powerful ele
ments were at work 10 democratize the popu-
lar mind Among them, We may name the
poetry of Burns. Mrs. STOWE, in her Sun
nv Memories, notices the fact that few of the
Scotch peasantry, though very intelligent.
knew anything Of SIR WALTER ScoTT but
all Of them were familiar with BURNS. SIR
WALTER is quite as national as BURNS. The
true explanation, we think, of the partiality
of the people for the latter is, that he was a
hIorouqh democrat The London Times which
has been abusing the imbecility of titled
nothingness and demanding, in thunder-toles,
that the tools should be given to him who
car use them, is but repeating in prose the
manly thoughts which BURNS has, in many
passages, married to immortal verse.
Another cause of conservatism in England
has been the influence of the established
Church. James the First, whose vanity and
pedantry have done injustice to his natural
shrewdness, has left in the well known adage,
no Bishop, no King" terse statement of
an important truth. The Episcopacy of Eng
land have been the pillars of the throne.
Fortunately, the Episcopacy have fallen into
contempt Carlyle, in his way, has expressed
the general sediment:
The Bishop Of our Diocese is to me an
incredible man and has, | will grant you,
very much more money than You or would
now give him for his work. One does not
eywW al those Charges of his; much pre-
FL speech which is artieulate. In fact,
ID intent ON quiet life, you generally
Keep on the other side Of the hedge from him,
and strictly leave him to his own fate. Not
credible man perhaps not quite safe man
to be concerned with
These changes in public opinion have been
going on for years and now, the war has ex-
posed in the most vivid manner the utter in
capacity of so MANY Of the aristocracy, and
the favoritism and corruption in the patronage
Of the government.
We donot anticipate any violent or sudden
convulsion in England, but We look with
confidence for such ameliorations in her social
condition as will make her what Louis Phil
hppe promised Lafayette France should be-
monarchy, surrounded by republican insti-
tutions. We may expect improvement when
the London Times holds such language as the
following:
We have been content TO live in our own
country, strangers to our own government,
excluding from the working Of our own in
stitutiOns, but il was only on condition that
our national pride should be respected, and
our interests aud position in the great family
of nations remain inviclatc.
This our aristocracy have failed to secure
tl MS, and therefore the people of England
viii, we hope, demand, in no spirit of wild
and theoretical levelling, in no spirit of ha
tired or animOsity to any portion of the com
munitv, but in the spirit of practical reform
of an urgent and intOlerable grievance, tha
the system which excludes plebean talen
from high office shall hencefolth tn be discon
tinued, and that in the army, at the desk and
IN tile cOullCll luuSc ultil SNstli Dc Cdlleu u
the public service who are best able TO serve
the public. We wish all success TO this move
ment 1t has been our painful lot 10 witnes,
more nearly than others and to obtain more
ample information as to the manner in which
this war has been conducted, and We DO no
hesitate 10 express the opinion that withou
an entire change of system, a substitution o
youth and energy for age and deerepitude-
unless some plan can be hit upon by which
merit shall be the only criterion in the film:
up of civil and military offices--without, il
fact, a complete abandonment Of the claims
of wealth, of family, and of interest, in favo
Of that higher nobility which the hand o
God has impressed on the forehead of ever,
man, of talent it is vain for us to continue tn
present contest, and better To accept any con
ditions, however degrading and humiliating
since no degradation and no humiliation SUI
fered at the hands of an enemy can excec,
those which our own servility and meannes
have inflicted, and are about to infict upol
ourselves.
Tho Late Congress and the Next
The Washington Sentinel. thus writes o