St. Mary's gazette., 1863-12-10
PRESIDENT LINCOLN THE AMER
lCAN ESUP.


Some enc has defined the French mop
archy to k:ve been despotism tempered
10y episraia>. |, is uufortun.,. that ~
much carnut be said tor the arbitrary
power whlrL arrays itself ccinplacenily in
the r''Jes vt rep1tiicani>m upon the oiher
side al the P"tonac. Occasionally. il IS
trne. c''sert sarcasm or a serious diatrihe
Is in'iu!gri III i'y opposition journals: bu,
The :sstifs lacks The rac,iiess ouy 10 be
drawn iron an atmosphere untaintHd ty
the dreau "f puui>aneut. and the inyee-
tive generally sa.acks uf that passion which
la bora Of personal disappointment. The
sharp edge OF nocking ridicule, and the
point OF scoratal wit. and the eloquence of
intellectual indignation. are wan,ing.-!
The country is not yet sufficiently habit
Ga;ed tn willing slavery to have acquired
that stoical philosophy peculiar to absolute
governments. in which prudent submission
is blended with dexterous railcry and the
sting OF oppression mitigatcd by the pallia-
tive Of The suppressed yet visible con,en, rt
which belongs to light philosophy"
Had not tho sense Of the ridiculous
yielded in that people to the inpcrious
voice ut seli-lnterest, or been stihed by the
fear OF their rulers. We cannot imagine that
they would gravely chronicle the result Of
the recent c!ec,ious in Maryland. aud in
tone the s"ng Of triumph upon that
Union" victory. Cicero said he never
coaId understand how two soo.hsayers
could look upon each other without laugh
ing. L. it possible to understand bow Lin
coin, Seward. Bradford and their allies can
congratulate each other ON tine victory in
Muryi.nd wiihou, n auie. grin? There
must certainly be u rogu,sh twinkle of the
eye. an expression of that placid happiness
with which Fagin witnessed the skillful
per formance of the Artful badger, aud
hailed the improvement Of Oliver in the
noble art Of picking pockets
The election ia heraided th0roughout the
laad as a triumph of the glorious canse of
the tui"n, Not smile is observcd upon
the face of the press. aud superficial OBJ
server is puzzled. He thinks. perhaps,
the people hive 40 appreciation Of joke.
This is ALI entire mistake. They possess
1T the most grotesque ideas with rodoubt-
ed gravity "f countrnahce Even now they
chuckie at the astonsbrnent Of the uu.er
world while observing the great change of
sentiment in Maryland. ,r else they scres,a
with private laughter when the old fogics CT
Eurepe. taking it seriously. de.cant upon
'ne tyranny which forces an expression Of
. puiar will.
The Yankees may esiny this .riump ph nt
the rxprp.. Of Europe, bat they need not
flat'cr themselves that the people Of the
South are I" be hood wink.d in that way.
We can appreciate a joke even il we do no,
a1H'ire tho spirit that gives IL birth. Prac-
iical jesss. according 10 Macaulcy. are in
,:icaiirns uf bad heart. We are inclined
ro that opinion; and even If We laugh q. the
absurdiiy of . mock election i; Is herause
VIC ar. di.gus'cd at The tyranny which re-
aaires it. The absuriisy of an election IN
4 State whore the whole Legislature was
imprisoned oa tho snspisi.u that il was GO
tng to cpgose the government, strikes forei-
Gly on the a.teDiion
The exquisite huncr Of proclaim;ng uni
versal suffrage and guaranteeing Freedom
vt opinion hv the use Ut the hall..r, and at
the saue tins imposins preliminary test
oath nf loyaity. is thoruughy appreciated.
yet We think Of those who are unfortunate
ly doomed to leok upon the reverse Of the
medal. and we csunot fully yield ourselves
tu daughter. shaking both his sides -
1dnct,ln. the American Esop. might sure
Is concoct story. with moral to it. on
this peculiar exhibition of American liber.
ty. For the present. however, political
reasons will restrict its circulation 10 few
chosen friends. The ~orld 10 general must
wait for his psssLauous m@u,oirs 10 order
10 enjoy in.