Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-11-17
9ailg Tirgiaiau.
Tho American Elective System.
VIEW THROUGH ENoLisH sPEcrAcLEs.

ing mischief has laid himself open 10 an attack
from which it 10 not in the nature of psrtisanship
to refrain. But even In suoh case, II the error
has been n vrent ono, must mon will feel. when
tho first delight Of party hit ia passed of. that
tho damage done to great reputation ia damage
not mer~ly To n man ofa party, but 10 all mon in.
tcresied in the maintenance of u high standard
an,ong public men, and in the general well being
of the commonwealth. When tho lapse involves
something worse than more blunder; when n man
Of dcservcdly high character abuses his influence
~ mi-lcnd tho people respecting facts or prinoi-
ples. aud stoops u misrepresentation Of men and
thing. adapted only to fatter the passions Of the
populaco. or u foster tho special preiudices to
which he is himself addicted his political antog-
onists can have other feeling than that Of grave
and sad dsrleasurc.
Tho greater tho influence and reputation Of the
offender. the more heinous the offence committed
iy i,s abuse. Tho moro obvious the ain against
know led ~. tho more notorious tho tacts which
are Ignored and tho causes, which are misrepre-
srnrl. tho grRvcr and moro serious must bo our
condemnation Of the prejudice and passion which
could lend to such falsifcstions. When Mr.. Er-
neat Jono4 denounced tho British Constitution a.
the greatest legislative curse ever inflicted on q
naton, quiet men shrugged their shoulders and
sensible uirn smiled; no one took any serious no
trc of the assertion or its author Both were be.
meath rehuke or reiutaton.
Hut when Mr.. Bright advocates the adoption of
democratic institutions by the example ct Ameri-
en- and gravcly t"lls us that law and order arc
respected there; that life and property arc stcnre
in New York and Mt Baltimore tho matter be-
comes ton grave 10 lie passed over with the silent
contempt to which i, would have been consigned.
had any meancr man given utt"rance to similar
nhsurditics. lInd such assertions respecting Am
erica been mndo by nm ordinary demagogue IN
meeting of tolernbly well informed mon. the as-
s"r,cr would have been laughed down with nnan-
inous dersion. When they enanate from an ora
tor who has few rivals IN England. and who has
been in his day valuable Industrious aud public
servant we are compelled to treat them Ms serious
" IA the nature of tho case will allow.
Mr. Bright is indignant that We should be warn
81 against Amcricnnising our institutions. Per-
hap~, ms regards others. the warning is nnneccs-
sary, for beyond Mr.. Brghts immediate follow
ing, no man dreams of doing anything 40 utterly
unreasonable. But tho member for Birmingham
made hnsie to prove that. as applied to himself,
such an a'lmonition was most necessary. Tie owl
IDENTIFY regards an approach to the condition of
America the end and aim Of all efforts at polt-
icnl nmeoration in this country. Tho nearer We
come to the state of liberty" enjoyed by our tran
satlnntic brethren, the more e6ectually shall We
realize the wishes and aspirations of our late re-
preventative We are cordially obliged 10 him for
the admirable defence Of his reieation which he
has thus published. Whatever lao may think, no
one who knows the renl character Of Manchester
mcn-ther steadiness. regard for individual rights
aud love Of public order suppose that any
clns- # our fellowcitsens could be represented by
II pnrtiznn Of American ideas on these subjects.
mr.. Bright informs us that mere u o"iy one
institution in their country Of which Americans
are nshnulcd. We cannot assent to such libel on
our distant brchern. We believe that all honest
ana respec,hhle men are harnly ashamed OF tne
House of Representatives at Wnshington--of the
elections nf Baltimore-of the democracy of New
iork-ahd no, lew OF then di-gas'e""n s'seh-
ell ny the working ol th"t adnirnpe sys,eih 81 nc
cret voting which inc Phrtlsahs o' the 'h, auore'
haPp'ly Tor us' NJ no sale distance. whence
does the member i"r Birmingham derive hrs hdlea'
oi American ieei'ngs a"d opinions! ~ cannot be
IRON the conversation OF h"nest ana ihieHiBeht
natives; they speak with shame ana reret vi the
inire INTO which Their country have been dfagged
ny inc rnhhic oi New forK ana the oi's"rchy ot
South Carolina.
IL ran hardly DE from the democratic Press-ior
We VIII not hciih'e that even tne most ''o'eh' par
'ISnn OF democracy cnn admire the rIctures OF
american pohucs da,Iv Sketched by the I'VE" iork
papers IL cannot DE from the genera news Wnich
reaches us OF the doings AZ New iorK ana else
where Tor n man OF peace cannot but deplore the
ntrocions dneis ana murders which are matters
OF everyday gossip; ana an honest man mus, con-
drmh such an outrage rs the burning oi tne 2aar-
a'ltne station by the people OF New 1ork; o
crime whi'h viii almost certainty 60 npo.lu'ely
umpunshca ny eiec'i'e Jumges ana author,,,es ,, I'M
pi"'tiV suD,ec' W tho VIII :" '"e "o". ne,co
then, d'es Mr. bfisht uerVc MS cohcep''oh Vi 'hiS
second ot'h"!
We far that the America which he skotchcd before
the ndm ring eyes of Birmingham audience has
no existence but in his own glowing imagination.
When we are told that law and order exitss, that
lite and property are secure. in this new Atlantic,
wecanno identify it with the United States of our
nctua! tne,n land where assassinations are almost
daily nerperrated with impunity; in many parts Of
which the revolver is a constant and necessary
companions; where Judge Lynch has superseded
III .lo, ,Lu uhoua,or tho ordinary t.i-