Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-07-20

herent power. Propositions like this, dependent
Cor slucidaiion upon 80 many contine and qua
ifcations, well calculated to mislead, By their
speciousness those whose minds cannot eraspall the
collateral questions which grow out Of them, and
thus lead to practical results not contemplated by
the theory. As 1t regards our own government
none viii deny that the change from Colonial vas
sallage to national independence was an important
step towards that well restricted liberty which marks
the progress Of mankind in the science of selfgov
eminent; but the authors of our institutions had
the wisdom to and, partially, to guard against
the dangers attendant upon the unrestricted power
Of change, and hence the limitations to that power
so conspicuous in the Constitution. The theory en-
bodied in the proposition which heads this article
is based upon the assumption, that wisdom and vir-
tue will maintain IN uninterrupted ascendeacy over
folly and vice. and that enlightened patriotism will
ever be the ruling motive of the majority Of the
people and of those entrusted by them with the
reins Of government. Were this assumption, of
necessity true, then the theory would be equally
true, and limits should be assigned to the power
ofchangc because every change dictated by wisdom
virtue, and patriotism combined, must be change
for the better
But is t le assumption true2 Is there country
on earth-will ever be2-where wisdom, virtue and
patriotism predominant over their opposites2 If
not that assumption is fallacy, and every govern
ment based upon that idea must prove a failure be-
cause the superstructure cannot stand if the base be
too weak to support it. This fallacy has entered
too largely into the structure of this government
and the dangers which now threaten its very ex-
istcnce pervade every patriotic heart and suggest
fearful forebodings of its ultimate destiny. That
there is danger of the dissolution of the Union and
consequent civil war; is not the fault of the Consti
tuition alone, but grows directly out of the perver-
sion Gifts spirit and the violation of its provisions
results that could never have followed an admin
istraon of public affairs guided by wisdom, virtue,
and patriotism. The absence of these qualities
proves the fallacy of the theory upon which the
government is based, and demonstrates, beyond all
cavil, the pre-eminent ascendency ofignorance and
corruption; and whenever these largely preponder-
ate, liberty becomes licence and the government
whatever its theory-an anarchy, mobocracy
jefferson proclaimed that ''error ceases to be
dangerous when reason is left free to combat it,"
This seeming trueism is another dangerous fallacy
Were the contest simply between honest error and
unbiased reason such might be the result; but
when error springs from incurable ignorance,
strengthened by habitual vice, and reason stands
unsuStained by virtue and patriotism, the former is
dangerous and the latter, powerless to resist it.
The popular sentiment based upon these and SINH
lar theories and the practical workings ofthe system
pred ated thereon prove concusivey that glitterng
political maxms and specious distractions ore often
not only worthless, but absolutely dangerous to
public liberty when the attempt is made TO reduce
them to practice. The leading idea of our institu-
tons is that the majority shall rule; yet the ex-
perience of all ages and countries-our own not ex
cepted-teaches that the advocates of truth and
lovers of justice the minority whilst is the
normal condition of the multitude, Here we find
the theory and the practice at with each other
and shall SEEK in van to harmonic them until the
rule is reversed and the majority become the advo-
Gates Of truth and the uphoders of justice. The
man would be pronounced mad, who should deny
the abstract truth of the theory, that the majority
shall rule, yet no man, in his senses, will contend
that the majority, as constituted in this country,
and led on by selfish and designing demagogues is
of the minority are secure in such hands For years
this truth has been manitesting itself more and
more fully with the progress Of corruption, until
every good man stands aghast at the dangers inn
pending over the Union-dangers growing out OF
the long continued misrule of lcencious and UNI
enlightened majority headed by basely corrupt
politicians. lit be commended that the practice
confoms to the theory the must be that there
ia dangerous error in the latter aud for which, we
fear, there is remedy short of revolution and a
reorganization of the government.
But the fault is not altogether in the theory rs
understood by the trainers of the Constitution. AS
originally reduced to practice, there restrict
ions thrown around the ballot-box which maintain
ed its purity and afforded ample guarantees for the
rights of the minority well for the honor dig
nity and safety of thecRepublc. But the facilities
for change tempted the ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS
tointroduce Innovations ofhe most pernicous char
acter Their false cry of universal equality was fol-
r lowed by the demand for universal suffrage. The
pauper was made the political peer ofthe man Of
substance; the convict, of the of strict nteg-
riyi the grossly ignorant of the most enlightened
the struggling loafer the permanent citizen, and
the raw foreigner, of the native born. From being
the palladium ofcvl liberty and the security ofthe
rights of the minority the ballot-box has become
) the instrument Of oppression and corruption-the
source whence the political knaye derives his
authority for plundering the treasury, debasing
public morals, disgracng the government fomen-
ting sectional discord, and paving the way for a
dissolution Of the Union. These are the results
which have followed theories assumed to be correct
and whilst few dare deny their truth, none can be
blind to the fact that they have failed, as now re-
duced 10 practice and must ever fail until the ma
jorlty are imbued with that virtue and intelligence
designed rs the basis of our government.
With institutions conessedly the best ever de-
VS. d by man with power to change them when
ever defects are developed, and based upon the sup