The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-03


Jefferson and America
Some Ave or six months ago. '"cie "Ii -
in the Sssfheym Literary Messenger Oh '"ls ei'9'
a ,st,.r addressed by the, late Baron MAcAU-
AVE- Mr. RANDALL, the biogrnpher OF Jkf-
vrrsox. in which the essayist and historian
e,pressed very unfavorabie views OF JEFFKR-
SONS statesma nship. and OF the stability OF
the American government. This letter was
very extensively copied by the press, with
comments varying with the varying views OF
the commentators. A large portion Of them
treated it as the Athenians would have
treated a response from the Pythia, or the
Romans an oracle Of the Sybil. II possessed,
however, one virtue which was was wanting
in the answers that came from DELPHI ana
CuMA1. TWAS exceedingly distinct In It's de-
nunciations of the wrath to come. seorning 10
play upon words, and leaving no loop whereon
TO hang a doubt With melancholy resigha-
ton. that por tion of the press TO which we
have inst alluded folded their arms and pro-
nounced /, useless TO struggle against the de-
crees Of fate, SO emphaueally announced
There is nothing wonderful in this. 1t is the
Creates; mistake in the world TO believe that
mankind, in general, love to do and TO think
what they please. On the contrary, the large
majority have no will of their own, and readily
surrender their minus " my Ohc !" nv wa
take the trou Bile 10 control them. MAcAULAY
had been SO long accustomed TO speak as one
who had authori,y-always stating his dogmas
with q downright positiveness implying
no douot of his own infaIiibility-that much
the larger portion OF the reading community
had become acc US toned to accept his authority
as indisputable. In the instance under con-
s,oeration, he says that he has but a poor
on n
SION had he ever used an expression from
which it could be inferred that the supreme
mower in a State ought TO be entrusted to
me majority, who were sure to be the poorest
and most ignorant citizens, lin plain terms,
he had never used any expression favorable 10
universal suffrage--for that is the amount OF
it, Institutions purely democratic must ne
thought, in the end, entirely destroy not only
liberty but civilization along with 1t. Such
institutions in Europe, where the popula-
non is dense would work out their natural
effects ms unanimously. In America the re-
sult is longer deferred, but must be the
same in the end; that Is, when New Eng
land shall have become rs populous as
old England. and hundreds and thousands
of artizans and mechanics shall have been
thrown out of work Then the institutions OF
America will be weighed in the balance and
found wanting, for then the poor will rob the
rich TO feed themselves, and there will no
longer be any security for property. Even
now such movements are common i'll England,
and they do not have the effect there that they
are destined to have here, only because the
suffering class is not the ruling class, and
therefore do nothing 10 prevent the return of
prosperity. In America, on the other hand
SuffarnU classes the rniiup classes
Some CESAR or NAPOLEON will arise, who
will tame the multitude or the multitude VIII
take power in their own hands, and infiict
an indelible wound upon liberty and ciyiliZa-
ton.
This letter has been extensively copied in
England, and its publication brings out two
distinct replies, which are very Significant
One of them is from gentleman who signs
himself WILLIAM PARKER SNOW, with whose
antecedents we are unacq TAINTED save in SO
far as he condescends TO enlighten us, but whe
from his own representation, was literary
friend of MACAULAY, and habitually presented
his productions to him for perusal and revisal,
before sending them TO the press Upon one
occasion, having submitted to his inspection
work upon the United States, inspired by
twelve months sojourn in this Patemos Of
shortcomings in the article of liberality to-
wards the transatlantic heather. well do
l remember says Mr.. SNOW, "almost his
very words in reference to the United States,
and the mighty future in store for that Re-
public. Even as strongly call to mind his
remarks when, on the day of the French Revo-
luton of le4s, on coming from the Council he
gave me the first tidings OF that event. In
III hos nod IN tn ha no ri oar
es, and most truly liberal views. He struck
me as being a sincere friend to the peo-
pie, and certainly not at all such as the
letter to Mr.. RANDALL would imply He
goes on to say that he must have altered his
views, which is very probable, or that the let
ter must have been written while he was re-
covering from a spell of illness which at
tackled him about that time, and this he infers
from the style Of the letter. which is partly
his and partly not. The second commentator
signs himself W. F. IL. ATWOOD. lie goes
boldly to work, and quotes MACAULAY
against himself. 1t seems that in his speech
upon the Reform bill delivered in the House
OF Commons, March I'd, 1881, MAcAULAY
expressed himself as follows: 81 beiiere there
are societies in ,rhich erery may safely be
aliolced to COTE 81 say, sir that there are conn-
tries in schich the condition of the iabosng
is such thar they may safely be entrusted 1cith
the right Of eecting members ofthe Legislature'
That this was spoken with a special reference
TO America, Mr.. ATWOOD thinks indispu table
from the following sentence, coming immedi-
ateiy after: "Untrersat suffrage sxtsts tn the
United States rithout producing any Uery fright
fit consequences" Mr.. ATWOOD then contras Is
The above sentences with the famous declara-
ton in the RANDALL letter II am certain
that never wrote a line, and that never. in
Parliament, In conversation, or even on the
Hastings, or uttered q word indi.
eating an opinion that the supreme au thority
IN a State ought to be entrusted to majority
OF the citizens told by the head.' Mr.. ATWOOD
infers either that MACAULAY had forgotten
what he said, or that the letter to Mr. RAN.
DALI is partially or entirely forgery. The
latter inference being altogether in;.dmissible,
the former, no doubt, represents the exact
truth.
II is hardly necessary to call attention to the
different situations in which the man who
uttered these differing sentiments was placed,
at the different periods in which they were
delivered, or to remark that nothin. could be
more natural than for BARON MACAULAy. en-.
titled to seat in the British House of Peers
with all the privileges appertaining to that
exalted position, should not entertain
the same views with Mr.. MAcAuLAY. an
ambitious young man seeking the popular
NY which was to open the way for his DO.
iiticai career. 1t is enough for us to know
that Nus sentiments were such as they are de-
scribed In the letter to Mr. RANDALL write,
liz the maturity of his judgment. when his
faculties were in full vgor, and his memorv
had. apparently, not been touched by the hand