Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-07-21
George +. Curtis on the State Of tie
Country.

A fearless and able man is George
T. Curtis, of Boston. His Grafton de-
Tweed on the Fourth of July at tn
Academy of Music, before the City
Council and citizens of Boston, con
taius many wholesome truths. IT.
length precludes the possibility of oul
giving the speech entire, but we extrac,
some passages which we ask our read.
ers to carefully peruse
LOCAL. SELF GOVERNMENT NECESSARY
To Tie CONTINUANCE OF A REPUBLI-
CAN GOVERNMENT.
For | an persuaded that local self
consistent with national safety, is indis-
penslble to the long continued existence
OF Republican government on large
scale. n Repabilc, in a great nation,
demands those separate institutions,
which imply in different portions of the
nation some rights and powers with
which no other portion Of the nation
can interfere. Yon may give the name
OF a republic to great many modes Of
national existence but unless there are
local privileges. immunilies aud rights,
that are not subject to the control ri
tac national VIII, the government, al
though resting on purely Democratic
boss, viii be despotlsm towards all
tie mlnorities. A great nation, too,
that attempts Republican government
.thout snch local institutions and
rights, must soon lose even the Republl-
can form. Tw.ce within the memory
OF some who are We. living, have the
people OF France tried the experiment,
OF ealing themselves a Republic /; aud
France, be it remembered, has been,
ever siace her great Revolution, essen
TALLY Democratic country. But her
republics have never been anything but
huge democracies, acting with over
whelsnlng force sometimes through a
head called a Directory, sometimes
through First Consul, sometimes
through President, but ending speed
ly In an Emperor and Despotism. 1t
Is impracticablc tor great and power
1ul Democratic nation, whose power is
not broken and checked by local inst.
'utioos Of self government, to avoid
cohterr'ng on It's head and representa-
I'VE large part or the whole of it's
own unlimited force. II that head is
not clothed with such power, there will
oe anarchy. Louis Napoleon, by the
present theory Of French law. ia tho
representative of the whole antho,;,v
" '"e rreh;h naton-so constituted by
universal suffrage aud il his power
did not IN tact correspond to this THEORY
order could not be preserved 10 France
The most skept'cal person NAV be con
WINGED of this, who viii read the Con
stitulion of the French Empire. re-
memberng that it is tie work OF III,
Emperor himself.
farming now to our own country. le
us suppose that the States OF thi,
Union, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
were obIteraed to-day, and that III.
people ofth,s whole country were con
sol'dsted Democracy, tone and indivisi-
bIe." NO laws would then be made, &c
Justice administered, no order maintain
co. no 'nstltut'oos upheld, save in the
name 1,1.a and 6y authority Of the nation,
wnss sort pfa Republic, think, You,
would that be H. lit started with the
name and setnbiance, ho~ long would i
preseaxes The substance of Keap,ooblicau
institutions In order to act :, All =
ps discharge Of the vast duties devolv.