The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-13


open attack from which not in the nature OF par
tisanship 10 refrain But in such case II the error
has been great one, most men will feel, when the hst
delight OF party hit is passed off, that the damage doae
10 great reputation Is damage not merely to man or
party, but TO all Interested in the maintenance Of
high standard among public men, and in the general we'll
being of the commonwealth When the lapse involves
something worse than mere biunder when man OF
doseryedly high character abuses his influence TO nsis!ead
the people respecting facts principles and stoopa 10
Misrepresentation of and things adapted only to
hatter the passions OF the popuace or to soser the
special preudces to which he is himself addicted his po
cal antagonists have other feeling than that OF
grave and sad dsplcasure.
The greater the influence and reputation Of the offender
the more heinous the offence committed by Its abuse
The obvious the sin against knowledge, the more
notorious the facts which are ignored and the causes
which misrepresentedthe grayer and more serious
must be condemnation of the prejudice and passion
which could lead 10 speh fascations When Mr. Ernest
Jones denounced the British constitution Tie greatest
legislative curse ever inflicted nation, quiet men
shrugged their shoulders and sensible smiled batno
took any serious notice OF the assertion or Its author
Both we've beneath rebuke refutation.
But when Mr.. Bright advocates the adoption d demo-
cratic institutions by the example OF America, and grave
y tells that law and order respected thcrethat
life and property i'll New York and at Balti-
more tic matter becomes too grave to be passed over
with the silent contempt to which it would have been
consigned had any meaher given uterance to sni
lar absurdtes Had such assertions respecting Ameri-
been made by ordinary demagoguc In meeting OF
tolerably well informed men, the assertcr would have
been laughed down with unanimous derision. when
they emanae from orator who has few rivals IN Eng
ad and who has been in his day valuable and indus
trous public servant, compelled to treat theinas
seriously as the natCre of the will allow.
Dir. Bright is indignant that should be warned
against Americanizng nstlsutions. Perhaps as re-
CARDS Others the warning is unnecessary for beyond
Mr.. Brights immediate following, man dreams OF
doing anything SO utterly unreasonable But The mem
Der for Birmingham made haste to prove that as applied
TO himself such an admonton was most necessary. lie
evidently regards approach to the condition Of Amer
lea the end and aim of all efforts at political amelor
ton in this country The come to the state OF
eliberty' enjoyed by our transatlantic brethren the
eifecually shall realize the wishes and nspira
os Of late representative, We cordially obliged
to him for the admirable defence of his rejection which
re has thus published. Whatever he may think, no one
who knows the real character of Manchester mcnteis
seadness regard for individual rights and love Of pub
lie ordercan suppose that any class of our fellow citizens
could be represented by PARTISAN OF American ideas on
these subjects.
Mr. Bright informs that there only institution
in their country of which Americans ashamed We
cannot assent such libel distant brethren
We believe that all honest and respectable are heart
lily ashamed Of the House Of Representatives at Washing
ton Of the elections Of Baltimore of the democracy oi
New York, and not few OF them dsSusfed and SICK
ened by the working Of that admirable system OF secret
voting which the partsans of the ballot adore, hap
PLY for u.s. at safe distance Whence does the mem
ber for Birmingham derive his ideas of American feelings
and opinions 1t cannot be from the conversation OF
honest and intelligent natives they speak with shame
and regret of the mrc into which their country have been
dragged by the bbe Of New York and the ogarchy OF
South Carolina.
hardly be from the democratic will
not believe that the most violent partisan OF deoc-
acy admire the pictures of American politics daily
sletchcd by the New York papers 1t cannot be from
the general which reaches Of the doings at New
York and elsewhere for OF peace cannot but de-
ploe the atrocious duels and mutds which matters
of every day gossip and honest man must condemn
such outrage the burning of the Quarantine Station
by the people of New York; crime which Will almost
certainly go absolutely UNPUBLISHED by elective judges and
authorities implicitly subject to the will of the mob.
Whence, then does Mr. Bright derive his conception OF
this second Utopia?
We fear that the America which he skctched before the
adniTing eyes of a Birmingham audience has no exist
ence but in lis glowing imagination When we arc
told that law and order exists that life and property are
secure in this Atlantis, Cannot identity it With
the United States of our actual time land where
snations almost daily perpetraed with mpuny; III
many parts Of which the revolver constant and neces
sary companion; where Judge Lynch has superseded al
other authorities whenever the ordinary tribunals do not
perform the peoples bidding with sufficient disregard OF
law and morality and where more than one OCCASION an
surecton of the respectable inhabitants has suspended
the government appointed by universal suffrage, and IN
trusted to rude Committee of public safety the potec
ion of life and property from the wicssness q thc sov
eregn people.
But there is one feature in which Mr. Bright America
resembles that of reality and it il IN this resemblance
that the mischief OF his Misrepresentation lic Had he
conned himself to eulogiums the preservation OF peace
and order in the United States no one would have be-
lievcd him and would have cared to American
government for the sake Of securing these bless
ngs in the degree that they enjoyed in Charles
ton Baltimore But it is true that physical comfort
and the prospect OF wealth open to all classes in the
northern States, and if this great advantage were owing
todemocratic Institutions represented to the peo
pie Of Birmingham it would be worth while making great
sacrifices to attain it, But all know that this happy
feature in the condition of America entirely ndcpend
cnt of her political state.
Mr.. Bright knows perfectly we'll that the governing
class in England would be very glad to see the same bless
ings prevail in England and he cannot but know the
reason why at disadvantage in this respect IL
the government of America despotc, ann that OF
England republican, the same difference would stl re-
main for it results simply from the unlimited supply in
America of the thing absolutely limited by nature in
all old countries land,
While land in good condition be had for little
than the expense Of clearing IT, the working classes
will always be well off, however fast they multiply.
In countries where land is narrowly limited in comparison
to the population only great temperance and industry
the blessings. Political institutions if
very bad may slightly aggravate the evil however
ceent they only mitigate it to very trifing ex-
tent.
If Mr. Bright had dealt fairly with his hearers, he
would have told them that to obtain the ample subsistence
of American laborers they want, not institutions but the
backwoods and prairics of America.
If had these, the condition of working classes
would as much better than those OF their tunsatan
tic brethren order is better than anarchy and public
morality than political profigacy Without these mate
rial conditions of easy prosperity, no similarity Of po
litica forms produce similar abundance Of mate
rial comfort.
II England were to Americanze her institutions in the