Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-12

and the law from Mount Sinai,
they were perpetually given to idol
atry--a thing which has not been known
among them since God ceased his direct
communications with them-and were vastly
moreloos in their lives. Is the Gdsene
aware that the present census will probably
show that the greatest progress in the United
States during the last decade, has been in the
Southwestern Slave States; and of the nat
ural deduction from this that slavery is the
cause Of the highest progress Thus all
sorts OF principles, most shocking TO the
Gazette, may be deduced from its favorite
science. Suppose we look at individual cases.
We all know the operation of motives on
ourselves. What is the chief inducement for
emigration, TO a crowded population where
land is monopolized by the wealthy few
Cheap land, the hope Of ofhaving farm of bis
own to leave to his children. America offers
this TO the people of the old world. The Gazette
counts the immigration as great feature
in our progress, but says it is not cheap land
that brings it here, but institutions. Do
we not treat this extraordinary affection for
our institutions with ingratitude when we
shut it out from participation in them for
five years, because the immigrants do not un-
derstand them? One great feature of our
progress is our Irish immigration. tits well
enough known why that comes to the United
States in preference to Canada. The Irish
are hostile to British Government. II is a
preference for our nationality, not for our in
stitutions, unless they dislike popular control
of government, for the people have much
more direct control of their Government in
Canada than in the United States the right
ofsuffrage is about as general, and a majority
Of the Parliamentcan change the Administra-
ton any day; while we can not change ours
short of four-year intervals, and the power Of
our President enables him to set himself en-
tirely above the control of Congress.
To be sure, every boy in Canada can not
expect to be President Docs that make the
difference in progress2 How is it, then, that
we are continually preaching that office-seek-
ing is the curse of the nation General
Cass says that, in his advice to young men,
and he ought to know. The British Govern
ment is far more popular in its nature than
ours, as far as the control over the executive,
legislative and judicial departments Of gov
ernment is concerned. The House of Com
MONS elected by the people, molds the
Government including the Constitution, at
its will. But suffrage is not universal. Does
that account for our own superior progress2
Is it because here every body participates in
the Government If suffrage is the cause of
our prosperity, why do we exclude immi-
grants for FIVE years2 Why colored people 2
Why slaves2 Why women2 What vast
materials of national prosperity we have
lying unused in these elements.
Our national brag about our institutions
ARISES from total misrepresentation of
them. We talk of ours as an experiment in
popular government, as if it was now for the
first time being worked out; and we point to
our immigration, our steamboats,, our rail-
roads built of money borrowed and robbed
of confding European capitalists, our smash
ups and our scattering over the continent, as
proof that the experiment is brilliant sue
cess; while the great features of our Govern
inent, and those which we habitually exalt
most, are farthest from popular control We
exalt our written Constitutions thing
in its nature an iron rule Most of
the thrones in Europe could be over
thrown by the people easier than we
could ,-raou1 Or change our ConsrtuJIon.
Is that an experiment of Government
founded on the popular wisdom? What
feature of our Government has had so much
Democratic laudation as the veto power?
"Look to the Senate" was the ancient Wing
cry; with the Senate the country is safe
"The veto is the only salvation of Demo-
cratic Government" was the Democratic
cry. Now the Democratic principle is, leave
every thing to the Supreme Court. Polit-
ical questions are only safe when they are in
the power Of men removed from the popular
control by the life tenure of Office.
Yet our Fourth-of-July orators and Presi-
dents messages, and our national gasconade,
constantly vaunt this as the great, original
and only successful experiment of Govern
ment subject entirely to the control of the
people. If our experiment is triumphant
Yindication of the wisdom of the people, and
of their capacity for government, why do we
exalt institutions above the popular wisdom
and why do we regard the capacity of the
people as best demonstrated by those features
Of our institutions which. are farthest from
popular control2