Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-09-14
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| y -o7on5 yla orERMssai 900 sr ,2ie1a.
DAILY pc. year .s...... ,!..... ..... ID. 20 90
a1- weekly, per pefsear.ss...s....... 90
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[From the London Times Of Aug. 90.
The Trial OF American Dem ocra n.
| SEf-- Tit3 institutions. o. ,.y- ..E.
Ithas been said that a strong eoyernine en-
means nothing else than weak people. I
this maxim be true, the democratic institution,
OF the United States are nov being subjected 1,
severe strain. War has called forth q deere,
OF public spirit and Of attaehment 10 the USior
nighly creditable 70 repubIican loyalty, but 4
mas made serious inroads on the integrity Of th,
republican form OF government. Ever sine,
the boundaries of the Constitution were traced
BY its early founders, the weakness of the Ex
ecudve has been guarded as the palladium Do
Amerioan liberty. Except a vast patronage
few OF the prerogatives by which ruonarchl
make their personal influence felt were vested
Ia the chief magistrate. He was, indeed, to be
the most powerful Of citizens, but his strength
Ike that of q captive giant, was to be exerted
under the direction Of the sovereign people. =
Short as was bis tenure of office, and striDgen
as were the securities exacted for his good be-
havior, his every act was watched with more
tnan venetian Jealousy. European obseryers
struck with the helplessness and insigpifoanct
OF the President In time of peace, were tempted
70 predict that he would become mere cipher
IN time OF sedition or war, and the yacillatiot
OF Mr.. Buchanan, when the accession crisis oc.
CURED, went far 10 confirm that impression.
The last four months have revealed to us, and
perhaps TO the Americans themselves, the faIla.
cy Of such anticipations. The stability of the
Federal Constitution has been severely tried,
and IL has not come unscathed out of the trial
but the damage sustained has not been on the
side OF authority, but on that Of liberty. The
| Northerners would not borrow our experience
put they have already bought their own, and
less than half year of civil war has Wrupp
from them concessions of principle that would
have satisfied Lord North and George Ill
Ihey have taken up arms for political idea
but who that has watched the pace at which or
ganic changes have been hurried through Con
gress in months session, would undertake "a
say that this idea will long retain its identity
or that the government which makes peace will
be essentially the same as that which declared
warl -, :
| II is proof of President Lncoln's knowledge
| OF American character that he foresaw and "dis
counted," 60 to speak, this reaction at the earli
est moment. The suspension Of the habeal
corpus act, which has so often jeopardized tn,
existence OF English Cabinets, has been ratified
without any formidable opposition. The SELF
ure OF all the private kilograms at the North
ern stations has been hailed as an unexcep
tionable. piece Of "smartness." One act afte
another has been passed, almost by acclama ton
to strengthen the hands Of the central govern
ment. The extraordinary confidence repose,
In Geleral Mcclellan, and thesummary power
OF military discipline, extending even to th
| appointment OF Provost Marshal In Washing
ton, with which be has been armed, testify TO
new sense OF the value Of subordination. Bu
still more striking, and even comical illustra
ton OF the same prevailing sentiment, is to b,
| found In the language held by one of our New
York cotemporaries. This journal, with q
"morbld craving for dishonor" never parslleIet
by the French press in its most seryile days, In
vokes the suppression by authority Of discour
4 aging intelligence from the seat Of war. Il
4 speaks In vein Of sublime penitence of III,
! ,'unbridled license of our Northern press, fire.
from the wholesome censorship which keep.
that at the South In due subordination to au
thority." We trust this confession will not fal
Into the hands of Count Persigny, or he viii
strengthen bib apology for a alicensiug systeu
i Win more modern authority than the acts o
our Hanoverian kings.
| eANW aonB VIII tuAo Nv VI bOl-E66tlulut lUdb -
Will the Unionists of the North submit Awhile
at the outset Of the war, to Mr.. Lincoln, rs th,
Athenians submitted to Pericles, only to relaps,
into their old impatience of alAindividual as
cendency2 Or shall we suppose that deer
and permanent change has come over the spiril
OF American democracy, as. observed by d.
| Iocquevilles and that the terrible advance oi
universal equality, sin the midst of the RUM
which It has made1 has at length met with q
oheck2 Are veto recognize In the present cri
sis one OF those grand climacterios In the histo
~ Of nations during which the current of lift
sometimes seems 10 shift its channel and q
fow more squitably for the futare2 Or, again
discarding all metaphors and arguments from
analogy, shall We yield to the suspicion that th,
time predicted BY Lord McCauley, when eth,
Jefersonian polioyr should break down unde
the pressure Of distress and discontent, has al
ready oyertaken Americs, and marred the grea
experiment. which she was condncting befor
the yorld2 For our own part, we are not dis
posed % adopt too hastily any Of these hypoth
eses.. The course of events In America ha
hitherto disconnected, not vague. coujecsur,
only, but sober calculation. No one though
that the North was In earnest about going. b
war, but they soon pledged themselves too deep
~ 10 retract, and the servile insurrectlon, whie
Wasto break out upon the first invasion of Oh
southern soil, has never yet taken place. Th
party disaensious Of the North seemed incura
BILE, and probably no man In Amerioa believe,
that Democrats and Republicans would ran
round MI, Lineolnbto revenge the insults !,
| Federal property. syAa for vast armaments an,
regular varlike estimates, ,it was against al
probability that practical and commercial na
4 ton would ever endure them. Every one
these eupposiuons, end even tho reasonable pre-
tenmption that reverse would wound Ameri
can vanity to the quick, and raise clamor 70
4 vengeance throughout the North, have proved
to be unfounded. Warned by this lesson ",
are not rash enough 10 frame any hypothesi
concernipg The, errstic orbit Of Tfsnsatlanti
revolution. The last returns Of the imports 0
New York show deplorable state Of commerce
but We oannot pretend TO say that this will hay
any effect N staying the progress of the war. :
\ We bear Of waste and peculation In the militia
~ estahllshments 90 great that each soldier cost
the United States twice 90 much 40 our own
and each volunteer Q great deal more; of
total enditnreof one million dollars per diem
i OF frequent desertions, and Of much ill-feeln
between the two branches Of the army. Br
the advocate Of peace can scarcely get hearing
and, judging Of the future by the present, IL VII
not surprise rs II We live 10 hear our cousin
boastipg that their Budgets are the most exoI
bitant and their National Debt the biggest an
the most rapid Of growth In creation.
l6iLft s-----------ss e. 4
ImpOrtant lCorrespendence betwe Gel
ld Rrince Gortschakeff and Barom ID
= Stoeclki. lct, 3th4 isaganl yl1s31
| The Russian Minister. M. De s.oeokl, had
audience OF the Pfealdent on Saturday, an
read 70 him the following dispatch, :, ! :, ~
4 FRINGE eoRrscHAKorF 10 BARON DE srofcxL.