Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-05-01

From TssSmss PaIns's Rights Of Man.
kepQb!scan GQ;0rnnent.

tfy. the machinery Of government goes
easily on. Reason shows itself, and ls.
norsnce submits 10 whateve, is dictated
Wit.
Tho two modes Of government which
prevail in the world, are, LIST, govern
ment by election and representation
I'd, eovcrnmcntby by hereditary succession.
The former is generally known by the
name Of republic; the latter by that o'
monarchy and aristocracy.
Those two distinct and opposite forms,
erect themselves on the two distinct and
opposite bases Of reason and ignorance.
As the exercise Of government requires
tslents and abilities, and as talents and
abilities, cannot have hereditary descent,
II is evident that hereditary succession
requires belief from man, 10 which his
reason cannot subscribe, and which can
only be established upon his ignorance;
and the more ignorant any country IS.
the better it is fitted for this species OF
government.
On the contrary, government IN
we'll constituted republic, requires no
belief from man beyond what his reason
authorizes. He sees the rationale Of the
whole system, its origin, and its opera
ton; and it is best supported when best
understood, the human faculties act with
holiness, aad acquire, under this form
Of government, gigantic manliness.
As, therefore, each Of those forms acts
on different basis, the one moving free
" by the aid Of reason, the other by lg'
norance; we have next 10 consider what
it is that gives motion to that species oil
government which is called mixed gov.
eminent, or, as it is sometimes ludicrous.
ly styled, a government ofthis, that' ana
t'oher.
The moving power in this species of
government is. Of necessity, corruption.
However imperfect election and repre-
sen,a,ion may be in mixed governments,
they still give exerton to a greater por.
lion Of reason than is convenient TO the
hereditary part; and therefore it becomes
necessary 10 buy the reason up. A mix
ed government is an imperfect every.
thing, cementing and soldering the dis
cordan, parts together, by corruption, to
act as a whole. Mr.. Burke appears
highly disguised that France, since she
had resolved on revolution, did not
adopt what he calls ga British constitu.
tion;" and the regret which he expresses
on :his occasion implies q suspicion
that the British constitution needed
something to keep its defects in counte'
nance.
In mixed governments there is no re-.
sponsibilty; the parts cover each other
till responsibility is lost; and the cor
ruption which moves the machine, con.
trives, at the same time, its own escape.
When it is laid down as maxim that
a king can do no a0rong, it places him
in a state Of similar security with that
of idiots and persons insane, and respon.
sibility is out of the question, with res
pect to himself II then descends upon
the minister, who shelters himself under
a majority in parliament, which, by pla'
ces, pensions, and corruption, he can
always command; and that majority jus.
ti6es itself by the same authority with
which it protects the minister. In this
rotary motion, responsibility is thrown
off from the parts, and from the whole.
When there is part in a government
which can do no wrong, it implies that
it does nothing; and is only the machine
Of another power, by whose advice and
direction it acts. What is supposed 10
be the king. in mixed governments, is
the cabinet; and tho cabinet is always o
part OF the parliament, and the mem
bers justifyng in one character whaI
they act in another, mixed government
becomes a continual enigma; entailine
upon a country, by the quantity Of cor
ruption necessary TO solder the parts
the expense Of supporting all the forms
OF government at once, and finally re-
solving itself into government by com
mittee; in which the advisers, the actors
the approvers, the justiflers. the persons
responsible, and the persons not respon
sible, are the same person.
By this pantomimical contrivance
and change Of scene and character, th'
parts help each other out in matter
which, neither OF them singly, woult
presume to act. When money is to b.
obtained, the mass Of variety apparentl.
dissolyes and profusion of parllamen
tary praises pass between the parts
Each admires, with astonishment, tn
wisdom, the liberality, and disinterest
edness Of the other; and all Of then
breathe plying sigh at the burdens q
the nation.
But, in a we'll conditioned republic
nothing Of this soldering, praising, an
plying can take place; the representa-
iion being equal throughout the country
and complete in itself, however it ma
be arranged into legislative and execu
tive, have all one and the same nature
source. The parts are not foreigners t
each other, like democracy, aristocracy
and monarchy. As there are no disco
dant distinctions, there is nothing
corrupt by compromise, nor conloun
by contrivance. Public measures al
peal, Of themselves, to the unders,anl
ing Of the nation. and, resting on the
own merits, disown any Aattering al
plication to vanity. The continu
whine OF lamenting the burden Of take
however successfully it may be pract
cad in mixed governments, is inconsi