Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-05
ENGLAND'S DESTINY.

The progrsss of the age is evident in arts and il
science, ipevery Improvement and invention thai
|can contribute to the comfort the instruction and
Fhsppness and prosperity Of mankind. Time aud
Gee are becoming, virtually, almost unknown III
travel and the transmission of intelligence; the va
Eous and wonderful contrvances Of industrial device
are making manual labor much less arduous and fai
more4xpeditious and effective; engines OF war a.
sweJ4s peace bespeak age advancing IN inteiii
RShce and progressing in Improvement and inven
Ron with Revolutionary rapidity. All this Is owing
not to ply scal, but to mental and moral elevations
and as those things that enhance the corporal
fors and convenience Of society multiply and improve
<wouid be unnatural, if those higher attributes Of
humanity, which while they are the landmarks oil
physical prosperity, pertaining to the nober achieve
ments Of intellectual ascsndancy, should not also
the. away where liberty Of thought and action
invite their exercise. Evidences of the with
In, Of the other without. In one instance the i'm.
provemsns rapid and palpable, as they are also
manifested in vast variety of objects and subjectsi
in the other they not only necessarily slow in pro-
portion to the magnitude Of the movement, but they
are somewhat silent aud secret, as they gradually
rsvoive into view, and when only an observant
eye would detect them in ordinary events But
that the march of mind, in the pathway OF politics,
has kept pace with the material improvements of the
present upon the past history and memory both attest
In ruder stages of society, men were willing, as they
thought it right and in obedience to the behests Of
Divinity to recognize superior whose only claim was
an assumption Of authority, and to acknowledge an
allegiance altogether uufounded, except n ignorance
md Rnt cd has a1v ncad
and intercourse increased among the nations Of the
EARTH the popular mind has been gradually disabused
ofthoss serve ideas ofinequality;and athougheIcept
in the U. States there still fingers, even among On
ghtened natious ves,ges of that savage subordina-
ton of man TO his fellow man, it is distinctly percep-
tb!e to the observation of all who have any appre-
citation Of the workings Of government and popular
Manifestations, that wherever civilization has ad-
vanced sufficiently to attract attention to physical
improvements, individual and collective liberty, In.
dependence and equality are manifested more and
in the sentiments of the people and the cbedien
action of the government. The mind OF man is the
parent Of all progress. And while contributing to
facilities for the accommodation Of physical necessi
ties and desres, il ha, not been unmindful of is own
enttrament. Political progress though not, perhaps
40 manifest In its developments has kept pace with
all other improvements.
II is true there are absolute empires, cursed with
despotic tyranny, still in existence; and so there are
people ignorant Of the art Of printing or the uses Of
Runpowder. But in a number Of those countries,
which still retain all the semblances and munimens
of monarchy there is spirit of liberty alive and
exerting such an influence in the government as to
render it much more republican than either usage
or its own genius would justify. Aud as IL
berty enlarges in latitude, must the poll
teal system under which it exists be accommodated
In form in fact to its teachings and practice ia
with this view that We propose to discuss, briefly
thcse points in the political condition of England up
on which conjecture and calculation may be built rs 70
the destiny Of that country. The British government
differs essentially from that of the United States in
il, operations, as it is founded upon ess practical
principles But it is still under the influence Of a
popular prediction in favor of constitutional liberty,
which moll6es the effsc, OF is monarchical insttu
tous and ncites is subjects to still stronger desire
for the advantages Of republic. This is sentiment
consentaneocs, no; only with the middle classes Of
England. who are in fact the bone and sincw OF the
State bnt it is prevalent in Ireland and particularly
so in lhose provinces which have been peopled by
adventurous aud intelligent British subjects. TO con
troll colonies at distance is difficult undertaking.
unless the homo government conforms in all things to
their interests aud wishes, which TACT has long ago
been illustrated to Great Britain in the separation
and independence of The American States.
New countries are almost invariably settled by
men, whose natures render them opponents OF all
other governments than those recognizing tbs most
liberal allowance of individual liberty.
There is no other than republican system OF gov
ernn.ent, which is capable of so safely subdividing
and graduating its authorities TO accommodate its
legislation to distant sections and different interests
And hence, Great Britain with moderate monarchy,
encourages rather tempers its government to the
true spirit of liberty while it is inefficient for the salts
fac,ion of those, who, having become colonial de-
pendants, desire liberty in its largest sense, in form as
we'll as in fact.
Under republican government, the peculiar mode
of representative legislation s such to render an
extension of territory neither dangerous unadvsa
BILE. On the contrary, Democratic institutions, when
congenal to the character Of the people who have
adopted them, expand as naturally as the branches Of
an oak. But monarchcal countries very diff
iereutly related to their distant dependencies.
And upon this, not less than on other grounds, we
think there 10 reason to apprehend that the British
empire is destined perhaps, within the next half GEN.
tury to be shorn Of much Of its wealth and strength
Deprived of her colonies, England will be among the
most impotent Of the powers Of Europe.
While ireland is unable to throw of her thraldom,
her Sons who are sent abroad as exes are generally
Of ability, ardor, eloquencs and energy and they
carry with them, increased In Intensity, that hatred
of the government which marked them at home, as
the victims Of its wrath In Australia the Victoria
ministry have recently been beaten by the Demo-
cratic mslnbers OF the Legislature; and among the
moe influential leaders of the liberal party are Irish
e1iles, who were arrested as rebels by the British
government before they left their native land. This
is truly significant sign of radical dsafecton in one
Of the farest of the fair colonies Of England. In
deed, it is already ascertained that there is move.
ment for the formation of coDfederacy of all the
Australian colonies, under system similar to that
o the United States. England and Australia
cannot long continue their connection. The
people Of that province are fred with an
impatient love of liberty; and they will not
await the slow movements Of the government. while
they possess within themselves all the elements of
an independent and prosperous nation. Let Austria
liza strike with success, aud her flag Of freedom will
be the signal for other British dependencies to fol
low.
England's provincial possessions constitute the
main strength of her empire. And, wherever she
can az foothold, she is to establish colony
as that is worth the cost of settlement and proec
ton. Her avaricious eye is now turned with an
eager gaze to the central section OF the American
continent. Tue Monroe doctrine is q barrier, which
it would BE- dangerous for her to disregard and the
Clsy,ouBulwer treaty also still stands in the way.
This country claims ths guardianship of this CONT
nent' from the innovations of efste Institutions
And to Whatsoever quarter Of the globe che looks for
accss'ions to her dominons, except, indeed, where
civilization has hardly dawned, England will fluid i,