Daily national Democrat., 1859-02-25
Dismal Jenny Abroad.

The n. Y. Post speaks of President Bu-
chanan as Dismal Jeems, and says:
1t has turned out precisely as we anticipa-
ted and predicted in regard to Mr.. Buchan-
ans lachrymose letter on the occasion of the
Fort Duquesne Centenary Festival. 1t is do
ing the reputation of this country n very
great injury abroad. All the English prints
copy it, and comment upon it as a signal con-
fession of the failure of democratic institu-|
tions. The President of the Republic him
self, they say, turns against it-he bears wit
ness of its depravity and decadcnce-he
doubts whether it will continue to exist.
at is not pleasant to remark" says the
Manchester Guardian, upon the loss Of no
BILE opportunities and the disappointment of
lofty hopes. The theory of a constitutional
democracy is so flattering to human nature
and SO manfestly consonant with abstract
notions of equity and sound policy, that no
thoughtful man can yield without reluctance
to the evidence Of its practical failure under
all the varieties of condition in which it has
been tried. Nowhere in the world has the
experiment been essoyed on SO grand a scale,
or under favor of advantages so conspicuous
and so various as in the United States" Then,
quoting Mr.. Buchanans letter rs evidence of
the failure of constitutional democracy here,
it adds:
"We fervently hope that the time may be
far distant when any English Prime Minister
or other person holding here position at all
analogous to that of Mr. Buchanan. will feel
it his duty to speak in this depending tone
of the future of England We cannot con
ceiye of any motive except n solemn sense of
responsibility, likely to impel the head Of the
American Executive to interrupt n festive
ceremony with these startling forebodings."
The London Times, which devotes to the
same extraordinary document column of
dissertation, in which our readers may be
sure that no opportunity is lost for dwelling
upon Mr. Buchanans complaints of venality
III legislation, ofthe use of money at elections,
Of disloyalty to the Union, and of the gener
al decay Of virtue; says on the last topic:
These are .he doubts expressed by vet
eran statesman, not far from seventy years of
age. No English statesman
would speak in the tone which Mr.. Buchan-
an uses Not even the most lugubrous tory
would think Of predicting the disruption Of
the British Empire and the establishment of
military despotism as o consequence of in
creasing venality. The language of our pub
lie men of all parties, whether in Parliament
or at public meetings or in the intercourse
of rivate life expresses nothing but con.
tentment and hope. The feeling of the coun.
try goes with them. Every one is conscious
that steady improvement in morals, laws.
political institutions, and the sentiments Of
class towards class is going on, and likely to
continue Our evils we fee to be passing
away, while the tone of American society
indicates that those of the New World are
increasing
Even the London Economist, q commercial
Journal, W ich has usually a good word for
the United States, is startled by the melan-
choIy tone of the President, and scarcely
knows what to make of it. 1t says:
The remarkable letter in which the Presi
dent of the United States expresses. to the
gentlemen assembled at Pittsburg for the pur-
pose of celebrating the first centenary Of the
capture of Fort Duquesne from the French.
his fears for the future of the United States.
is written in a tone of dependency which,
Notwithstanding the protests of Mr. Bright,
will be but too likely to infect Englishmen
though for reasons very different from those
which obviously influenced the writer. Mr..
buchanan's reference to the truly marvellous
physical development Of the American States
curing the hundred years of their growth, is
only striking ON account Of the rapid and
marked transition to the dark possibilities on
Which he touches as clcuding the prospects of
their moral and political life"
But the Economist is not di posed 10 he
leVe that the prospect in this country il So
utterly cherries as Mr.. Buchanan renresents
and it suggests that possibly the results of
the late elections have somewhat discolored
the hues of his fancy.