The daily Wabash express. (Terre-Haute, Ind.) 1857-1867, 1862-06-27
The Theoretical aud the Practical
IN Politics.

IN foitttc>s
Writers on the science OF .polities have
.neculated much on the relative power OF
.'pure IDEAS" aud of material interests In
determining the fundamental polity or the
temporary policy Of States. IL has been
common among certain class OF thinkers 10
represent forms Of government as the pro-
ducts of human intelligence, devised with
conscious foresight as means TO the attain
ment Of desired political ends. Another
school Of speculative philosophers can see IN
governments nothing more than the natural
and spontaneous development OF organic
laws. operating under the conditions and
| Limitations which result from the social state
of any people According to them. govern
ments ARE not made, but grow. and being
thus the natural out cropping of underlying
social habitades and modes OF thought, they
are not only necessary in their origin, but,
ike all other necessary things, the best pos
sible of arrangements at any giver period in
the history Of nation. Any form OF gov
eminent being, according 10 tbs theory. but
the inevitable consequent of antecedent
causes. IL follows that every people has. on
the whole, the government IL deserves. and
at the same time the government which ~
best for il. fince none other. however snpe-
rior in the abstract. would be so related TO
the concrete facts Of society as TO admit OF
the beuefcient results that flow from an in
ferior organization which IL racy OF the soil
whence il springs "a
Iii we'll said by Mr.. John Stuart Mill that
il il difficult TO decide which Of these two
conflicting doctrines would be the more alb
surd il We could suppose either OF them held
as exclusive Of the other. And. however
dogmatic the patrons of either theory may
be in stating the logical formule which result
from their respective doctrines, IL - to be
observed that, in practice, all craftsmanship
proceeds on the assumption that, within GER
tain bounds. both Of thesa theories are equ-
ally true and equally capable OF exhibition
in the figure OF society Pure ideas are 20.
tential elements in determining the form OF
government or the administrative policy ol
people at any epoch in their annals, and II
Is equally undeniable that there are fixed
conditions, whether resulting from social
habitudes or material interests. to which the
conduct Of the State must be adjusted ac
corling to what ia relatively rather than alb
soinfeiy t.~ss-
Al political agitation in The world oil
thought or discussion. as we'll as all political
striving In the way Of civil revolution, is
directly or indirectly. homage to the powei
Of IDEAS in determining the nature and char
acter OF political Institutions. But so true |.
Il that all political institutions. in order "a
possess vitality and pefmanrnce. must have q
historical and natural basis on which % rest
that any agitation or striving which ignore.
the great concrete facts OF society Is sure ia
the cnd TO come to nought. Castles in the
air may DO built according to abstract Law.
| Of architectural symmetry, but castles of q
moro substantial kind. aud of solid masonry
| A. ii A a.
con6guration OF the ground on which they
are reared.
Ii Il common To say ia times of high civil
commotion that the people would be qnies
cent Il Il were not Tor few "agitators
The remark assumes TOO much. by ascrlbnc
too much power 10 the supposed caprice Of
individuals. No agitation Gao be long lived
or fertile Of results unloss IL has anxlliarie.
in popular feelings of popular wants. and as
long as those feelings or those wants exisI
there will be no lack of"agitstons. II the
crop of 10 day we're cxtcfminated, , fresh
harvest would spring up and ripen 20 morrow
Political reposc. unbroken by the storms II
debate or controversy, could result only
from such adaptations Of government. alike
in theoretical polity AMI administrative de-
tails. a. should satisfy the abstract eoncep-
tons and practical wants every individual
Whether that halcyon state shall aver h.
reached. We leave 10 be discussed By those
who look with hope 10 the perfectability OF
the race. But until that state shall be
reached. u only remains for We 10 accept
with mingled faith and patience. The work
ings Of that capacity for progress which. as
the distinctive attribute Of man. raises rea
son over instinct. aud which - al once the
motive and explanation of the sntsgoni-ms
that must ever exist between the real and the
iiesl--tkn -. between the esnsrBsf,n> and
the re1ornsfers forces of society. Ia - The
part Of the trne statsamss 20 understand
his epoch. and. in the kisA If Canning. 70
foIios IN all his attempts At polit icsi anchor
alton The line OF wise change" Nv neither
rsshlg aiming 10 compass tho impracticsble
nor bliodly clnging % the obsolete. Ia l.
conmon Tor men 10 say that such and such
things ars perfectly right. req desirable
bat that. unfortunately. thes are not prscti-
cable II we're wiser % sss with the philo
sophie Edmund Burke that those things
which are not practicable N statesmansnip
are not desirable -NsfleBsl fafeiise<neer