New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-17

,,o sccond French Revolution multiplies hrs
,ao,.G and be " wishes old Lafayette and echoes
:. Of him ont of the way" And this was a
scboIar who knew ancient Athens rs if he Ind
FEN one Of its citizens, and who could have re-
constructed Rome, house for house, and street
Cor street. lust as it stood. at any given period
frcm the DAYS Of Romuus to the days OF Con-
stantine.
But the Hon. Grantley Berkeley is not Fro
css.or Nebuhr BY any manner Of means. lie
comedies. however, with that learned man IN
regard TO ''the barbarism prevailing IN the
:. United States" though he does not, we pre-
,rme. coincide with him respecting the barbar-
ism prevailing in Great Britain. Grantley Berke-
lev begins by crushing Mr.. Golden, who knows
nothing of America, and by belaboring Mr..
Bright. who il utterly in error 1.-The United
States" he declares that he found Sin the
&" greatest state of political confusion and tyranny
:. that had ever come before him." Mr.. Berke-
lev seems here, and in saying this, to have been
mentally muddled. "Confusion" may follow
tyranny" and Tyranny" may result in soon
fusion" but that both are found together We
take the liberty of denying. The conduct OF our
Lowest class struck the Hon. Grontley as
something "frightful;" and, considering that his
grandfather was q small butcher, we are not
astonished at his delicacy. The conduct OF our
"upper classes, or aristocracy, who hold them
selves aoof in dgnifed silence during elections"
meets with the Hon. Mr.. BIS entire approval.
For our own part, We may be permitted to say
that these nicely noble aristOcrats VINO hod
themselves aloof during our elections, though
often and mpressively talked about, are rarely
seem and are exceedingly mythical personages.
When rich man land rich men are our only
aristocrats) thinks that the Federal Union is
getting little shaky, does he shun the ballot
box? Certainly not. On the other hand, he
instantly organizes Fl pretty little party, PUSHES
in front Of it to the polls and saves the country.
This is what Mr.. Josh. Henry, Mr.. Jcbial Read,
and other noble msl, have just been doing; for
which we are oil nexpressiby obliged to them.
The London HeraH. which, ~ we have said,
has taken Mr. Berkeley under its protection,
has one net bugbenr, and that is the ballot. "On
" the ballot, Mr.. Berkeley" says that journal,
" does not go into any details to show how it is
." = curse in America. We wish he had done
." So" We have no doubt of it. That he would
have done so, if he had only thought Of it, We
can readily believe. The ballot, if we may credit
The London Htrald, is corruption. The ballot is
coercion The ballot is intimidation " to an ex-
/" tent perfectly unknown in England" Now
upon this point we prefer the universal testi-
mony of English art of English history, and OF
English comedy. Hogarth in a series of match
ess prints, has shown us the corruption the
" intimidation, and the coercion" of an English
election. Other things being equal we should
suppose that small constituencies could be
more readily and economically purchased than
large ones. Throw OPEN" says The London
Hcraid, " the suffrage to mere numbers, rs in
" America, and you must have a very increased
- amount Of compatibility" But the truth Is
that this corruption and coercion" are com
paratiyely unknown here. Ont of every million of
votes cast the other day for President it is safe to
say that nine hundred Thousand were honest ones
that they were not bargained for nor paid for,
but that they were the Spontaneous expression of
popular opinion, right or wrong. In estimating our
system of suffrage, English writers either will
not or cannot understand that we rely for safety
uTOn people universally intelligent, well-edu-
Gated and conscientious-upOn communities in
which The average of comfort is uncommOny
great. and. to no small extent, upon that self
lerpect which republican institutions engender
and cherish