Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-05-02
RICHMOND HIG.
STABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES-THE NEW
ENGLISH REFORM BILL.
From the London Times, April -


The American intelligence which has Just reached the
country contains formal protest from the President OF
the United States against the investigation proposed by
Congress into its official acts At the critical mo-
ment strange chance has brought TO light document
which is likely TO exercise no small influence in the d
reeton and formation of public opinion TO the value
and stability Of American institutions New York pa
per has given publicity TO letter OF Lord MaCauay
tanning his estimate OF the character of Jefferson aud OF
the effect of the changes OF which he was the author
upon the future destiny Of America. Ii is interesting to
what were the real sentiments of who had de-
voted a studous life and clear and penetrating intellect
10 the study of history aud the analysis of political in
sttuOns the great experiment in democratic selfgo
yernment which is working itself the other side
of the Atlantic. We repeatedly told that We are
abOnt TO Amecanize our Institutions and this American
zaton represented to US as the greatest of caameS
Others admit the excellence Of American Institutions but
assert that they beyond reach from the difference
between the conditions of society in aud an old
country. These questions have become of great ul-
Iortance for the discussion the coming Reform bill.
aud the peculiarly clear aud distinct treatment to which
Lord hacaulay subjected all things which furnished "a
theme for his pen viii give great assistance TO the candid
thinker lie being dead still speaks with al bis usual
elOqueuce and cearness, and, usual with him, in no
heSitang qualifying Spit On the 23d OF May 1857,
Mord Macauay writes-"That he has not high opinion
OF Mr.. jefferson; that he uttered word indicating
opinion that the supreme authority in the State ought
10 be entrusted to the majority of citizens tod by the
head IN other words, the poorest and most ignorant
part of society. Institutions purely Democratic must
later destroy liberty civilization or both In
Europe where the population is Dense the effect OF such
institutions would be instaneOus. America enjoys
empton from these evils. The time will when New
England will be as thckly populated as Old England
Hundreds Of thousands OF artisans will assuredy be some
times of work. Then the institutions OF America,
Lord Macauay thinks will fairly be brought TO the test
The rich will be robbed to feed the poor We have
these critical moments in England but the sufferers are
the rulers and nothing therefore done which pre-
vents prosperity returning In America the sufferers are
the rulers and Lord Macauay thinks that either some
Caesar Napoleon will arise who will destroy liberty, or
the republic will be plundered by a hungry multitude
possessed OF power who will destroy very greatly in
jure civilization"
Such is an abrdgement of this remarkable profession
Of faith, aud from it gather that Lord MAcauly
no admirer OF American irstitutons,-that he be
lieved them be founded false principle the work
ing OF which might be delayed by ply steal causes but
which would later bury the republic under the
ruins of its liberty aud civilization; and that here, in
England whore physical cause uteryenes to save Us,
the effects Of such constitution would operate with the
utmost certainty aud pid. This expression of opin-
ion obviously divides itself into two parts-that which
relates to America and that which relates to England
After ALL considering the tran>tory nature Of human
things the prospect Of crisis which Is not TO lake effect
u considerably advanced in the twentieth centu-
~ may have much terror for the American republic
which young it is has witnessed the French Rcyolu
the general overthrow of 1915 Even the most PROSTATE
worshippcrs OF Democracy do not far know,
pretend that it possesses the divine right which Austria
and Russia still claim for the kingy office, and they may
feel greatly disturbed at that which is pass
in the days of their great grandchildren The evils Of
the American government do not unfortunately require
u hundred years to ripen. They fast
growing TO maturity. Long before New England
shall have become pOpulOus as Old England,
long before the ruling power in the State shall
lind itself in the condition Of wanting meal
and be driven by udigence plunder there IS
fear that the institutions Of America will have their
destined and been superseded by something far
less specouS and perhaps far less toerabe than they
We 90 not speak of electoral corruption aud iutimda-
ton know by experience that corruption and ntim
ilaton are disorders which, though drgtacng and
feeblng, mortal but We do speak OF The fright
fully Increasing orrupugu and Ienay OF the Executives
aud Legislature of the different States OF the tyranny Of
the maj ory which trampes only the minority but
on the law itself OF tho contempt into which the judicial
office held for the short periods aud elected by very low
franchise has fallen and OF the utter dlstrus which the
uation itself feels OF the ability OF its institutions
the end and objects OF civilized gOverement-he
security OF property, the protection Of individual liberty
aud the pure aud upright administration OF tue public
revenue. The danger that mos, nearly bese America is
that those institutions which the fathers Of the present
generation Of Americans believed be perfect, and
praised with aIdor corresponding with their belief the
children of the present generation Of Americans should
learn dislike and despse that the principles of auhOri
y and the yeneratou for law should be destroyed aud
curb should remain strong enough to rein in the headong
course Of democratic passion. If we turn from Lord
Macaullys view OF American institutions - the effect
! OF similar Institutions, ancient and estab-
/ Gshed European State, cannot doubt for mo
1 meut the correctness Of his opinions. Without un-
dertakng predict what NAV happen 10 some more ad-
yauced period Of tue world, when machinery shall have
superseded the ruder kinds OF manual labor and left to
the masses time for the acquisition of knowledge feel
1 Ior A MIA tla
thory in the State in the hands Of the majority Of cit
zeus would produce almost instantaneous ruin We need
seek no other than ignorance The real interest Of
the working i that capital should be preserved and
every nducemeut held out 10 its accumulation, because
upon that capital he must live But short sighted ignO-
rance tells him waste that capital by strikes, or drive
il away by unfair taxation; he cannot genealze sufficient
to understand that the interest OF the poor is identical
with that of the rich and therefore, that identity affords
no guarantee that the property OF the rich will be
spected by him. single act of government appoint
ed by and responsible to the poor in the direction OF
ciasm rediy>on Of property, would dissolve, like
exhaation, gigantic fabric OF credit would close
our manufactures empty our workshops choke up our
barbors with rotting merchant ships and while anniha
ting private enterprise would destroy the public rev.
| enue.
Happily we are in no such condition, and not
by anv means prepared say that the coming Reform
bill will reduce us TO such state IL does not propose
TO give the power Of government as in the case suppos
ed by Lord MIcauy to numerical majority OF the citi-
zens told by the head but think that ne author
i-ed 10 sdV that Il gssS the supreme authority IA his
country IN poor and ignorant hoagh not the poorest
and most ignorant class Lord hacaulay could say in
1857 that in England the Supreme power was in the
hands of class indeed but seect-Of an ed
ucated class of class which said knows itself TO be
deeply interested in the security of property and the main
teuance of order Shall be able to say much after
the franchise has been lowered to sc rental in the bor
Oughs That is the moment0us question Ot those who an
swer in the Affirmative would inquire whether they
are quite sure that the process which has brought
much higher franchise down to universal suffrage in
| America NAV not be found eicaciOus in England
for the same endy Of those who answer this question
| in the negative would inquire how they purpose to
govern the country when the supreme power has been
placed in the hands Of body which they admit they do
trust They will probably tell us that their confidence is
in those means of indirect influence by which the advance
of Democracy has hitherto been retarded; in other
words that the safety of the country will depend upon
far wider and indscrmnate of the arts OF in-
timdaton and corruption that the dominant class will
never learn the OF its absolute power, or,
having learnt that secret will feel disposition to use
that power.
| VIRGINIA ITEMS.
The Valley Sentinel thinks "the wheat crop of Bote-
tourt will be better than has been expected-the late
r,s having very much mproyed the appearance of the