Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-14

In recent speech in the Senate of the
United States, Mr.. CLAY, of Alabama. gave
expression to the following sentiments:
"Our Governments are republics, not de-
mocracies. The people exercise their sove-
reignty, not in person, at the ballot-bOx, but
through agents, delegates or representatives,.
Our fathers founded republican governments
in preference to demOcracies not SO mach be-
Cause 1t would be impractcable, as because it
would b. unwise and ineXp dent for the peo-
pl. themselves to assemble and adopt laws
They were satisfied from reading, aud from
ref lection, of the truth of Mr.. Madison's OBJ
servatiOn about pure democracies that they
'have ever been spectacles of turbulence and
contentious; have ever been found incOmpati-
BILE with personal security, or the rights
OF property. and have in general been AZ short
ii the r lives, as they have been violent in
Il .ir deaths They knew from the examples
furnished by Greece and Italy, that it is I'M
p ,ssible, in pure democracy. to remove the
causes or control the effects of faction; that
its voice is otener that of demon than OF a
& I'd; that it is the most cruel. rapacious, in
tolerant, and lntolerablc OF all tyrauts. They
knew that it is a wholly irresponsible power;
acknowledging no superior, Tor il is itself su-
preme; owing no obedience. tor ii is its own
master; respecting no authority, for it is u
law unto its, If subject to no control or res
Q isIca, winch is too often drowned in the tu-
multuous waves of party or OF faction. 1t
might sacrifice public good or private rights
to any ruling passion or interest of the hour,
with impuuity. 1t bad robbed the rich to re-
lieve tn poor, aud oppressed tn. poor to az
grandz, the rich, with equal ardor or indiler-
enc. 1t had vOt. d hemlOck to-day and stat
ues tomorrow, to its best citizens. They suf-
fcred no man to be a judge in his own case,
lat uhn 10,
terest; aud could lind no better reason why
large body of men, although majority,
should be the supreme aud final arbter of its
cause On the contrary they knew that Il
large body OF men IL more liable 10 be- con-
trolled by passion or by interest than a single
individual. and is more apt to sacr. flee tue
rights OF the minority, because il can he done
with more impunity. Hence they endeavored
To impose restraints upon themselves. Hence
they committed the making of all their laws
organic or municipal, To their delegates or
representatives; whose crimes they could pun
ish, whose errors they could correct, aud
whose powers they could reclaim.
1.-The great security of our rights of life
liberty, and property, is in the responsibility
OF those who make, aud of those who execute
the law. Establish a principle that Ia give
sanction to law il must be approved by the
IN ijority ut the ballot-boX. and you take away
this security and surrender those rights to the
most capricious, rapacious, and cruel of ty-
rants. l regret To see the growing spirit ia
Congress 4, aud throughout the coIntry, To
delnoci atize our Government, TO submit every
question, whether pertaining To organic or
municipal laws, TO the vote Of III people.
This is sheer radicalism. Ii IL the Red Re-
publicapism OF revolutionary France, which
appealed To the sections on all OCCASIONS, and
not the American Rcpublicanism of our ia
theirs. Their Republicanism was stable aud
this Is mutable aad revolution
AIRY. Theirs afforded a shield for the minor
ity; this gives sword TO the majority. Theirs
defend d the rights Of the weak; this surreu-
ders them TO the power Of the strong. God
FORBID that the demagogism Of the day should
prevail over the phiianthropic aud philosophic
craftsmanship OF our fathers"
One would scarcely b .lieve, ON reading the
above sound and admirable views. that the
author Of them was Democrat-that he has
been consistent and lifelong member q.
that party from his youth up--and that be-
still claims full fellowship in il organization.
put strange US IL may seem, IL j. true, never
theless.
Radical Democracy first took hold Of the
Northern States. Its fruits were visible In
the enlargement Of the rights OF suffrage In
the giving OF the most lnsi snilicant OF m lnic-
pal Offices TO the choice OF the peonl la th,.
usoAeN"oa VI ~ "'NNl'N""eutc ~ the liiul-
ciary. and ia various other so-called .r,forInsp
which served Only 20 keep the people la con
slant tumult and confusion. Gradually IL
mad Its way 10 the South. L, fortunately
the destructive spirit of democracy inf CT a
the Southern atmospiere--for there were not
wanting men, like John on Of Tennessee, and
Wise Of Virginia. to become is propagandists.
has swept over almost the entire Sout
8 nth Carolina alone. we believe, ye. holds
10 20 the true pri lciples 81 government with
which all Of us first started.
We have fore expressed the opinion, enc