Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-05-29
"Ca Ira."..It will 20 on.

the people is eternal" was once mot:
TO Of the Ohio Statesman. An impof.
tant truth it certainly conveys. privi'
ilege, in its day has been powerful, fear
ed, and respected. In whatever guise
it raised its unnatural front, it seemed to
be the Man of Destiny. But its fall is
inevitable as the law Of gravitation.
To illustrate. The worst governed
kingdom in Europe, in 1865, was
France. The Court Of her monarch
was the focus of fashi on, Of splendor,
Of licen tiousness, and the rankest cor.
ruption. The people seemed made for
no other purpose than to support the
proAieete aristocracy. Thei, condition
was wretehed beyond description. Plum.
dered by the Court, by the clergy, by
the military. they were reduced 10 the
last verge Of political degradation.
But this could not endure or be en-.
dured. The troubles Of the kingdom
made a convention Of the States Gener.
al an imperious necessity. The States
General gave ,ise to the National AS.
sembIy, and then came the French Rev.
olution. That tremendous catastrophe
owes all its horrors 10 the vengeance Of
apeopIe who had been cruelty enslaved.
The King was gui!Io,ined. The nobil.
jty we're banished;-so were the clergy.
The State was shaken from turret TO
foundation stone, and every vestige Of
the ancient regime swept away. The
crime was stupendous-tbe retribution
terrible. And now, in 1855, not wreck
Of what constituted the privileged classes
remains. Even the clergy Of the An.
cient Church are shorn Of nearly. all the
power which they once possessed.
In America, the change has been as
great, more striking, but less Violent
In 1856, we were engaged in wal with
our French and Indian neighbors-s
war caused by the rapacity Of rulers sep.
arated from US by the wide Atlantic
The enormous subsidies Of England du.
ring the seven years. war, involved her
deeply in debt, and TO pay the interes.
thereon, she resorted to the expedient OF
taxing her colonies. The latter resisted.
Rolh parties appealed 10 arms. and the
struggle was decided by the recognition
by Great Britain, Of The independence ce
of the United States.
The political systems Of Europe in
1855. have all vanished, or become
greatly modified. The German Empire
founded by Charlemagne, more than q
thousand years ago. ceased to exist a,
ihe commencement of the present cen
tury. The Austrian despotism that has
succeeded it is as despicabIe and weak,
as the old German Empire was formida
BILE. But for the hordes OF Russia she
would have fallen PROSTATE before the
Evolutionary Hungarians in 1s49.
Contrast Prussia now with Prussia in
1755. Then she was ruled by the ables,
monsrch Of his sge, or perhaps any age
The whole. continent in arms was no
match for his consummate skill as q
general. and his iron inAexibiiity Of pur
pose. But Prussia has never recovered
from her humiliation on the field Of Jena
in 1905. And now she is the most vas
cillstios and cowardly Of oil the Euro
Psan powers. .
.e'H will 80 on!" Privilege is dscli
ming day BY day. Dsspotism hourly Dc.
csys. Prescription is losinsits hold on
itbs minds or men. Republicans are no
longer accounted a snsmiss y socisty.
Dsmecrscy has ceased 70 be tssm q
aapfoach. Prssidsnts are infaiteIy more
feared and respected than monarchs.
III spd i not YET. "It will 80 on. !"