The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-05


According to the writings of the most pro- |
found thinkers, there is no Immortality in ma
ions. Governments are made strong, or per- |
sh, according to the nature of the subjects
thereof. This idea is elaborated by Edmund
Burke, who, although the subject of king,
wrote more Independently and more profound
ly OF government than any other person in
the 18Th century. Had he been an inspired
prophet he could not have more accurately set
out the destiny of the French nation than
when, himself upon an English standpoint, he
surveyed the uphesval of the clements during
the period between the assembling Of the
States General of France, May 8, 1889, and
the fall Of Robespierre, July, 1894. Ths
strong monarchial feelings of Burke do not
seem to have influenced his conclusions, be-
cause he all along declared, in his Thoughts
on the French Revolution that nation,
governed by irreligious men, cannot endure,
whether its form be monarchial or republican.
He had no faith in republics, and believed
that even monarchies, like England, could
not endure, unless the substructure thereof
was laid in the moral convictions, OF the gov
erped He taught that nationa. life consisted
in the subjects of the gOvernment-not in the
framework of government itself; that if there
were no right religious conviction there could
be DO permanent government, and that the
way from anarchy led into despotism.
There was no want of patriotism in the
leaders of the French Revolution for the
fame always blazed high and brightly upon
their affairs. There was no deficiency in zeal
for it was at white heat through all the stages
of the Revolution. There was no lack of
faith that a repoblic, upon Grecian Or Re-
man model, would rise on the ruins of the
monarchy; for the high priest of the Revo-
Observation-Disclosures Robesperre--was con-
stantly assuring the daughter of Duplay that
the national troubles would soon pass off, and
their loves be cousumated in marriage. There
was no restitution of even sanguinary hostili-
ty to the old order of affairs for Jacobin fe-
rocity bereft Of their heads all who etood in
the way Of republic. There was no def
cheney OF incubation of republican ideas for
the debates in the National Assembly and the
declarations 10 the clubs and Affiliated socie-
ties throughout the realm, were of republican
freedom and republican equality. There was
no lack Of intrepid energy; for at every cry
that the nation was in danger an hundred
thousand pixies and two hundred thousand
strong arms rushed to its defense, from Paris
alone while all the clubs of the empire, NOV
ing at the instigation of the parent society,
swore as one man to perish, if need be to
save the Republic.
There was no restitution of victims for the
sacr6cial altar ; for when the leaders of the
Revolution had exhausted the supply furnish
ed in the person of the king and his nearest
friends, with uncounted thousands of other
monarchists, they resorted to their own num-
ber until the Republic, like Saturn, ate her
own children when Napoleon arose, and i'm
perial government soon afterward.
1t is an oft-toId tale, but cannot be too
often repeated, that if there is to be perma-
neuce in this Republic, it is to be sought in
the right religious convctions-the stern
moral integrity-of the people. Let them be-
come as demoralized as the mobs which we're
near obtaining control of New York and Bos-
ton, and the Republic would 20 down in
blood.-C0ncord Statesman