Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-02-15
CT a R X S VII LIE
Friday, February Is, 1861.

ca Tine strike-at-once party who are so eager
to precipitate Tennessee INTERROGATION and to make
II a member Of the Southern Confederacy, might
profit by studying the character of the government
which that Confederacy may adopt The hints
thrown out by leading men, that free government
i failure and that monarchy is preferable to
the rckety institutions under which we have lived
and prosrcrcd for nearly eighty years, are worthy
Of serious consideration by the people Of Tonnes
see. We will give extract or two to show in
which quarter the wind blows. The Georgia Chron-
icle & Sentinel a conservative paper which opposed
immediate secession to the last moment, without di
rectly advocating monarchy, thus shadows forth
its views and at the time, illustrates the
with which the people of the South can be made to
pass from freedom under the yoke of political bond
age, aud this without question or complaint. Here
Is the extract--read il carefully:
I" The necessity for modification Of our political
.institutions Aas been fully demonstrated Call Il by
"what name you please, some stronger and more
"etiieient government must be adopted
even in this early stage of urindepeudent ex-
"istencc, we are Republic only in name. Consti-
"tutions set aside with little scruple when they
"sthnd in the way of the projects of our rulers or
"whcn the exigences OF the times demand. Gov
"ernors Of States without authority Of law, have
"exercised more power than any British King of
"modern times would have dared to have done-|
We find them welding the sword and the public
purse, at their discretion, organizing armies and
making war, in direct violation of the Constitu-
tion and without the concurrence of the co-ordi-
mate branches Of the government. We find con-
"ventions, called for certain specified objects as
Stunning powers beyond those expressly delegated
n mfr flno 4tt,,tto
"rogatiyes of the Legislature and without the con-
"sent Of the people, enacting laws-even such as
"extend 10 the deprivation of life liberty and pro-
"perty; and we have become in short time so ac-
"customed to such usurpation Of power that they
"scarcely excite comment--never reprobation-yet
ave are told we live in Republic, and have rights
guaranteed by Constitution
In the same number of the same paper, CORES
pendent makes the following pointed remarks on
the ssme subject and in the same vein;
"You are right about monarchy, if Dcmoc-
tracy cannot be made strong enough to protect
"person property, and itself. Memo has vet been
"made to answer these objects. For person and
property have been more insecure in this country
than any monarchy of which have any knowl-
"edge, and now it has proved unable to protect it.
itself Who after this will he guilty Of the fol-
ally of making another like it. 10 be knocked down
" like ehd's cob house2 Admitting that this
-should have been overthrown, does not admit that
"one which should stand should share the same fat
"and hope no one will wish to construct one the.
"should not stand Therefore, let Georgia beware
chow she commits herself to another like it. even
professionally; for Provisional Government may
"but pave the way for another rckety concern"
On one point we heartily concur with the
Chronicle Sentinel, viz; That our government
has proven a failure, but we can not admit that
there isno happy medium between the too much free
dom OF our Institutions and the too little freedom
that is likely to be enjoyed under monarchy OF
any form or name The reasons why our govern,
ment has failed are obvious LIST. Because the Fed
ernl Constitution failed to declare that nc foreigner
should ever he vested with the right of suffrage
I'd. Because it did not prescribe the qualifications
of voters-restricting the right of suffrage within
limits that would confne it to some material inter
est-to those who have stronger motive for keep
Ing the government puro than the mere prompting!
Of patriotism, and 3D.. Because the Constitution
did not declare the Judiciary should never be made
slective--none of rs members from Constable up t
Judge. This was not done, however, and the State
10 which these important trusts were con6ded pro
we'd unworthy of the trust and, in consequence, tn
rights aud interests Of property have been placed
the mercy of those who have no such interests; til
virtue and intelligence of the country have beef
rsadered inefficient by the vice and ignorance whic
pour in sitting volumes into the ballot-box and tn
Judiciary has been made corrupt by forcing it to en-
ter the political arena in which virtue cannot lon
survive, and Justice is paralyzed.
These are the fatal defects in the Federal Con
stituiion, and behold the signal failure of the Gov
srnmentl Let the sticklers for the largest libert
cay what they please but the result will ever show
whenever and wherever the experiment is tried
that the same defects win prove fatal first to tn
purity Of he Government and then to its permau
sney, The specous humbug, that all men are Dor
free aud equal, has produced iucalculablc evils>t
the body polite, and the no less dangerous erro
that the people are capable of sclfgoyernment ha
unfortunately, enabled demagoguCs to avail then
selves Of every defect in the Constitution for Ii
purpose OF promoting their own ambitious design
and ineulcatug the most dangerousradcalsms
permanent government and well regulated bert
cannot exist without wholesome restrictions-7uc
aswill secure TO virtue and intelligence FREEDOM
nant influence in the admins alton of public a
fairs; aud he who contends that the vicious loaier
the political equal OF the honest man of substanc
not only asserts that which is not true, in fact ,
theory; but strikes blow at every paramount il
terest conGded 10 the fostering care OF Governmen
All men are not equal, physically, uorully, or il
tellectually, and government instituted upon su,
an hypothesis is not only intrinscolly weak but a
tually fosters the licenciousness 10y which il is su
to be over,hrown. The question TO be determn,
in tho formation of government upon the free
model that is safe, is wheihervirtue aud iniolgen
shall control lis administration or whether the
shall be overruled by tho opposite qualities J
government, however perfect in theory can answ
the ends of its creation unless wisely administers
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