The Nevada Democrat., 1860-06-06
MAcAULEY ON AMERICAN Politics.

4 mACACLEf ON AmEKICAN F'OAAHAOSs
The following letter of the great English his
torian. Macauley, to Henry s. Randall, author
Of the life Of Jefferson, was Published In 6 'a;s
number Of the Southern Literary Messenger:
HOLLY Lopez, KExsNGroN, LONDON,
May Esd, 1857.
| DEAR SIN :--You are surprised to learn that
have not high opinion Of Mr.. Jeierson--andI
am little surprised at your surprise. am
certain that l never wrote q line, and thatI new
er, in Parliament, In conversation, or even on
the hustings-a place where Il s fashion to
court the populace-uttersd word indicating
an opinion that the supreme authority in State
ought to be entrusted to the majority OF clti-
gems told by the head, in other words, to the
poorest and most Ignorant part OF society. l
bare long been convinced, that institutions
purely democratic, must, sooner or later, de-
stroy liberty, or civilization, or both.
/ In Europe, where the population Is dense, The
effect of such institutions would be almost in
Simultaneous What happened lately iu France
is an example. In 1S4S pure democracy was
established there. During short time there
was reason to expect general spoilation, q na-
ttonal bankruptcy, o new partition OF the son.
a maximum of prices, ruinous load OF taxa
tion laid on the rich for the porpose Of support
ing the poor In idleness. Such system would,
in twenty years, have made France as poor and
barbarous as the French Of the Carlovingians.
Happily the danger was averted and now there
Is O despotism, silent tribune, an enslaved
press. Liberty is gone; but civilization has
been saved. have not the smallest doubt that
| If we had purely democratic government here,
the effect would be the came. Either the poor
would plunder the rich and civilization would
perish or order and property would be saved
by strong military government, and liberty
would perish.
You may think that your country enjoys an
exemption from these evils. will frankly own
to yOu that am Of a different opinion. Your
fate believe to be certain, though II Is deferred
by physical cauee. As long rs you have
boundless extent Of fertile and unoccupied
land, your labOring population will be far more
at ease than the laboring population Of the old
world and while that is the case, tie Jefierso-
nlan polty may continue TO exist without any
fatal calamity. But the time will come when
New England will be as thickly peopled as Old
England. Wages will be low, and will huetu-
ate as much with you as with us. You will
have your Manchesters aud Birmnghams hun
dreds OF thousands Of artisans will assuredly be
sometimes out Of work Then your institutions
will be fairly brought tothe test. Distress ev-
erywhere makes the laborer mutinous and dis
contented, aud inclines him to listen with ca
gerness to agitators, who tell him that II Is
monstrous inquty that one man should have
m lliOn. while another cannot get full meal.
( In bad years there is plenty Of grumbling here,
and sometimes little rioting. But IL matters
little. For here the sufferers are not the rulers.
The supreme power Is In the hands Of class,
numerous indeed, but select, Of an educated
class, OF a class which is, and knows itself to be
deeply intel ested In the security Of property
and the mainter ance Of order. Accordingly,
the malcontents arc firmly yet gently restrain
ed. The bad time is got over without robblng
the wealthy to relieve the INDECENT. The springs
OF national prosperity are soon to How again
work is plentiful wages rise, and all is tran
guilty and cheerfuness. have seen England
pass three or four times through such critical
seasons ms have described. Through such sea-
sons the United States will have TO pass, In
the course of tho next century, II not OF this.
How will you pass through themi heartily
| wish you a good deliverance. But my reason
and my wishes are at war, aud | cannot help
foreboding the worst. II is quite plaia that
your Government will never be able to restrain
distressed and disconteDted majority. For
with you the majority Is the government, and
has the rich, who are always a minority, abs0-
lutely at its mercy. The day will come when,
in the State OF New York, multitude OF pe0-
pie, none of whom has had more than bali
breakfast, or expects TO have more than half q
dinner, will choose legislature. Ii II possible
TO doubt what sort of legislature will be chosent
On one side IL o statesman preaching patience,
respect for vested rights, strict Observance Of
public faith. On the other side is demagogue
ranting about the tyrany Of capitalists aud usu-
rers, and asking why anybody should be per-
miited to drink champagne and TO ride in q car
riage, while thousands Of honest folks are In
want of necessaries. Which of the two sandi-
dates are likely to be preferred by working
man who hears his childred cry for more breads
l seriously apprebend that you will, In some
such season of adversely as have described,
do things which will prevent prosperity from
returning; that you will act like people who
should, in year of scarcity, think OF absolute
famine. There will be, fear epoaton. The
spoilation will increase the distress. The dis
tress will produce fresh spolation. There is
nothing to stop you. Your Constitu tion Ia oil
sail and no anchor. As said before, when o
society has entered on this downward progress,
either civilization or liberty must perish. Eli
ther some Caesar or Napoleon will seize the
reins of government with q strong hand or
your republic will be as fearfuly plundered and
laid waste by barbarians in the twentieth cen-
tury as the Roman Empire was 10 the fifth with
this difference, that the Huns and Vandals, who
ravaged the Roman Empire, came from without
and that your Huns and Vandals will have been
engendered within your own country, by your
own institutions
Thinking thus, OF course, / cannot reckon
Jefferson among the benefactors Of mankind.
! readily admit that his intentions were good
and his abilities considerable Odious stories
have been circulated about his private life but
do not know on what evidence those stories
rest and think II probable that they are false
or monstrously exaggerated. have no doubt
that shall derive both pleasure and inforna-
tion from your account OF bin.
/ have the honor to be, dear sir,
Your faithful servant,