Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-30
The Change of a few Years.

we notlccd recently IN contemporary
statement that some soldiers riding along the
of neighboring city heedlessly rode overs
child and that it would probably be cripple for fe
The reading of this circumstance brought to our
recollection the observations made by an intelli
gent French gentleman upon the character of our
political institutions after careful personal re-
view of their workings in all sections of the then
United States, some years ago. After returning
to France, i'm able and candid review of our Re-
publican form OF government, he gave expires
sion to the following sentiments and experience:
He had travelled from one extreme to the other
of the United States. but had never in single
instance, the government; and he gave it
his judgment that in the United States all the
rights of persons and property were more fully
and completely protected than in any other gov
ernment of the world. There, said be, the gov
eminent is felt in its benefcent influences, but so
lightly does it set on the shoulders of the people
that its weight is no burden. The contrast. he
continued, between the government of America
and the governments of Europe, is, in this partic-
ular, most striking and remarkable. In Europe,
the sc~igh of the government is everywhere felt
as grievOus burden. 1t is everywhere seen in
the brstIrng bayonet. in the strutting and self
important official, Who treats the humble and
abashed civilian with as little consideration as if
he were a brute instead of man.
Ii is felt in the weight 'of its taxation, which
demands of hard handed industry almost its last
farthing. The civilian is regarded as of little
consequence except to labor and give of the pro-
ceeds of his labor to naughty power. which domi-
neers without conjunction and tyrannizes with
out remOrse.
In the United States, on the contrary contin-
ues the same authority, the people. the farmers,
the mechanics and laborers, who do the voting
and constitute the majority, are everything,
far as government is concerned. The admins
traitors of the law regarded as the servants of
the people, and any Office holder who abuses his
trust is certain to be hurled from power at the
next election. The official in America, unlike
the official in Europe, treats the people with con-
siderntiOn and respect. because, in the former
country, the person in Office derives his station
and his importance from the people In America,
the people are the ruling power; in Europe, the
people are simply ruled, without being consulted;
they of no value except TO make soldiers and
paw taxes to those who rule them, as they claim.
by the grace of God.
How different would be the reflection of that
same Frenchman if he should make the tour of
the United States at the present timel Now
he would see our Government at every
turn, and he could not but observe that the people
have realizing sense of both its presence and its
burdens Here it exhibits itself glittering or be
dizzened with the eternal evidences of authority;
there it presents itself with fixed bayonet, frown-
ing with all the pomp and circumstance of war.
Here it comes as an excisemaD; there it demands
pitiful stamp duty in order to legitimate note
Of hand or deed of conveyance. Not only the
demoralizing influences of the war in which we
are engaged are being exhibited developed on
every side, but the burdens and injustice which it
Men are becoming inse1sible to the value of
life. and even incidents occur, like the one we
noticed in the commencement of this article,
where innocent children are trampled upon with
trodden upon with indifference. AS people we
are rapidly degenerat:ng and apparently assimi
lating the serviiity Of the masses of European
despotism. Such are some Of the fruits of war,
and such some Of the legitimate results Of the
principles and policy avowed in the Chicago
platform and the domination OF ABRAHAM's
government"