The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-07-02
THE TENDENCY or ArFAIRs.

nun OCih5 'NSN''NNNN h"o
grown TO be universal Not alone is it an
accompaniment of citizenship, but in some
States it is bestowed on those who have
never abjured their allegiance to the country
Of their birth. The term Of residence (says
a contemporary as qualification for suffrage
has been gradually abridged. In no State
does it exceed one year; in several it is limi-
ted TO three months. With this extraordin-
airy expansion of suffrage, every restriction in
the shape ofproperty qualification or the
payment of taxes has been swept away, and
the conditions now required for the exercise
Of the elective franchise in most of the States
is simply n term Of residence and citizenship.
AS might have been anticipated, the .applica-
ton of the elective principle has proceeded
pari pdSSu Nth tho extension Of the suffrage.
Every Office, from the highest TO the lowest
executive, Legislative and judcial-is made
dependent on the will of the body polite.
In the eagerness ofawgivers to court the
favors of the masses by enlarging popular
prerogatives, there has been a species
Of competition amongst the States which
should repudiate most speedily and most
completely the principle of n representative
republic, and substitute in its stead that of a
pure democracy. While thus sappng one
by one many of the safeguards of law-regu-
lated freedom, the evil consequences which
were certain to follow have been overlooked
in the fond anticipation that the virtue and
integrity of the people would prove equal to
the new responsibilities with which they
were invested Recent events, however, be-
gin to impair the convictions even of the
most sanguine advocates of democracy
Theoretically, the idea that in an enlightened
and free community the people may be safe
ly made the direct repository of all power, is
certainly fascinating and specious. Practi-
cally, however, il does not seem to work well,
or to answer general expectations. The
abuse and errors which flow from it are less
manifest in the rural than in the urban popu-
lation. The former are usually fixed to the
soil, trained to habits CT reference and obedi-
cnce to law, less violently agitated by the
spirit of partisanship and suffering less from
the alloy Of unworthy and turbulent ele-
ments. Cities are composed of different ma
terials. Tn the latter there are thousands Of
men enjoying the right of suffrage who rarely,
if ever, use it with wise discrimination; who
are infuriate zealots of party; who are bad
citizens, reckless of the restraints of law and
indifferent to the preparation of crime
These are the men who usually control our
elections. They hold at least the balance of
power, if not more, and very frequently
achieve deplorable triumphs over the mode
ration, the good sense, the sobriety and The
intelligence of the rest Of the community.
These conclusions have been forced upon
dispassonate observers by tho increasing
proclivity TO violence ard disorder constantly
evincing itself in our cities. "Wo cannot
help seeing," says an able Northern journal,
'that the public confidence in the ability OF
great cities TO govern themselves by univcr-
sal suffrage, has been sorely shaken by the
events of the last two years. Many promi-
nent and influential men, thorough democrats
in principle, and not at all inclined to sympa-
thise with ant-popuar tendencies, have open
ly declared that, so far as great cities are
concerned, democracy is failure; that where
every scoundrel and vagabond has an equal
vote in the government with the honest and
upright citizen, it is utterly impossible TO
maintain good government. The scoundrels
and vagabonds, in the division caused by
political parties, will always be able to turn
the scale and manage matters to suit them
selves. Every day experience in New York
as well MS in New Orleans, in every large
State in the Union, in fact tends powerfully
to confirm and strengthen this convictions; and
unless our public officers make thorough
and complete reform in their mode of admin
stering the government, they will inevitably
before many years, be swept from their
places, and make room either for the lawless
and irresponsible supremacy of viglant CON-
mittees, or for the strong arm of military
power.
These are sad truths, and we commend
their consideration to candid minds. We are
rapidly approaching n crisis in our political
history, when VIC shall be compelled either
to retraee our path and submit to those
wholesome restrictions which in the early
days of the republic enabled us to steer the
ship of State safely across the stormiesi
ocean, or submit to be overwhelmed beneath
the surging and swelling tide of an unlimited
democracy. The problem of republic is
not yet solved. The nations of antiquity
tried it and failed, and those amongst mod
ern powers which have repeated the expert
ment have proved equally unsuccessful. The
danger in all republics has been the gradual
absorption of the representative by the dem
ocratic principle and although tho advanced
and general intelligence of America has great
y mit;gated this peril, and rendered its in
huence slower and more nsidious, We are
far from being exempt from its pernicous in
fuence. A despotism is frightlul, whether
it be that Of the many-hoaded multitude or
of one man. The rule of Louis Napoleon
may be horrible enough, but is it worse than