The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-10-14
The Progress OF Liberty.

Il
1t is no dream of the enthusiast who
believes what he wishes-but the solid
conviction of the impartial observer OIL
events, that the world is making rapid
strides in the direction of liberty. On
the continent of Europe we may, remark
it, in the extraordinary political change
which, within little time, has rescued
italy from her stagnant depreciation, and
sent her on the way of an active and free
self-developmsnt, as one of the leading
powers of the earth. In Russia, which
we have all been taught to regard as des-
potism more compact and cold than her
own hills of ice the sinews OF her power
have relaxed, the heart of authority has
relented, in a manner so extraordinary
that the facts would be incredible if they
had not occurred before our eyes. Mil
lions of serfs, by adecree of the Emperor.
have been emancipated from century old
feudal restrictions; the judicial system
has been remodeed upon the pattern of
our AngloSsxon jurisprudence, with its
writs of rights and its juries, and to-day
we hear the supreme Executive meditates
a constitution for the empire which will
place the former autocracy among the
number Of limited and constitutional gov
ernments, with separate constitution
for Poland, which will grant the inhabit
ants of that dependency even more lib raj
institutions than have been asked for by
the European courts in their late diplo
matte notes
These are stupenduous changes, yet
there are others. in the more quiet fields
Of thought. Which strikes the eye less, but
are scarcely less Important. An assem-
| bly,. for instance, ha- l.tely been he'll at
| Mechin, or, a. the French call it Mslines.
composed Of r man Catholics, partly
priests an partly Iaity (itself an upusual
thing in which the discussions were as
free and open as those Of any New Eng
land convention coud well be A Pars
journal. indeed, the Opinone National,
observes with little indignant wit that
'shere has not been 81 much talk about
lherty since The Naiional Conventions
wishing 10 Intimate II this t TX mig hi
lead to similar deeds The object of the
meeting was to devse means for propaga-
ting Cstholic Influence, and 1t was agreed
that, in the present age OF the world.
nothing could be done without Liberty.
OF course some of the more conservative
ecclrsis-tics bjec,ed to this view. bu. the
I1aymcn. particularly the Count dc Mon
,alembert. and the Count de Broglie. both
of them lllustrious as writers and as Cath
oiics, pressed it all the more earnestly
Montalembert, in the couse Of bis elo-
quent address, made this sublime excla-
mation, which may well be applied uni
versaly: "Catholics listen to me. if you
wi liberty fer yourselves you must wish
it ID \pft3s; if you do not wish it for
yours A it will never be granted to you;
4 give iUwhere you are masters, in order
that IT may be given to you where you are
sla u" In anoGheE paragraph he ex-
planned what ba TODD by liberty.
When spell Democracy, mean
liheAl Democrat in opposition to the
Democracy which is purely that Of equal
: s.itN and to whatta French writer has SO
y baptized BY the name of Imperial
bocracy. When speak of liberty |
meao complete liberty-no, political lib
: erty without religious liberty, as in the
England Of forVer times and the Sweden
NO. day; not I'll liberty without polit-
led berty-a deNstable hypocracy which
cons |ates edSality under the yoke Of no
matteN what msster; not that unlimited
I liberty which-Toald result in universal
YAisorder finally, pot the old liberty, arts.
tocrat liberve very venerable, solid and
y robust, but AsSed upon privilege. Moth
ing of all that, but simply and 0blely mod
a4ern liberty, Vepocrltic liberty, founded
on common right and on equality, regula,
n he'd BY reason and justice.
. These words had an electric effect Oh
4 the assemblage, and produced rounds ii
applause.
They we're dsEDed, doubtless, as pro-
u tesyegainst ~ Imperial Capitalization in
lJance, and secure for the chrch a
wider sphe& - Nd6n Is NJ sew.
fral European nations, which, thoeet
Aomlnally Catholic, Lave imposed Aisl,
and severe restraints upon ecclesiastil ksm
But whatever their ultimate purpose, they
. are grand confession Of the necessity o
: liberty 10 the proper understanding and
the rational scce ptance Of every form Of
saith. They declare that truth in ever,
: sphere Of thought is best promoted, moi
! BY the arm Of power, but by the uafetter
u ed action Of the human mind. VIVA eve
e cannot endure the tests of that csuclbi.
: Is uuttted for the education of man, Will,
i that which passes through the trial mus
have something in it of permanence an.
4 worth.
. II would be impossible TO suppose ,ha
: While the older continent is going through
q this process vi revolution, and givin.
!. signs of otLer revolutions to come, tn.
9 new world, which has SO long been tn,
I home aud cradle Of liberty, should remain
I, stationary in its tracks. Our civil liberty
\ ;cordingly, though it seeks to recover
and maintaln the order that was, is
!, nevertheless, a struggle for liberty. 1t,
oil jet Is the rerpetua.ion Of the Union
y but it's main Incident and inevitable re-
9 suit will be the extension of freedom. Il
y has already declared us one Of the neces.
~ 10. mil IL