The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-11-23
NOTHING NEW.

its own liberties. But it has been Justly
observed that there is nothing new ia
the moral world under the sun, because
the changing theatre of human events
exhibits, in different ages, under every diff
ferent combination of human affairs, the
certain operation Of the same PASSIONS
desires and vices The North is ind'i-
ferently acquainted with the history OF
its own Puritan forefathers in England,
or it has studied that history to little
purpose. if il does not discover that 1T
has only been treading over again the
old and beaten path by which Liberty
ends in Despotism.
When the English nation, in 1912,
raised the standard of revolt against
Charles l., their brains ran mad with
visions of republican freedom. They as
little anticipated the actual result as did
the North in 1861. They did not expect
that taxation was to be quadrupled, per-
sonal freedom destroyed, government
carried on solely by the major generals
of Cromwell, and themselves made the
victims of the most crushing military
oppression. When they took up arms
in order to wrest the command of the
militia from Charles, they did not dream
that within fifteen years they would have
in nfvtl,
tons and taxes, than had been raised in
England in all the centuries put together
since the Norman conquest If the North
wishes to know all that is in store for it,
as the fruits of its own politico-religious
enthusiasm of 1861, it has only to con-
suit Hume Z, 241: "To raise the new
imposition called the defamation, the
Protector instituted twelve major gene
rails, and divided the whole of England
into so many military Jurisdictions
These men, assisted by commissioners,
had power to subject whom they pleased
to defamation, to levy all the taxes i'm
posed by the Protector and his council,
and to imprison any person who should |
be exposed to their jealousy or suspicion;
nor was there any appeal from them but |
to the Protector himself and his council |
Under color of these powers, which were
sufficiently exorbtant, the major generals
exercised power still more exorbitant,
and acted as if absolute masters of the !
property and persons of every subject. |
All reasonable men now concluded that |
the very mask of liberty was at length |
thrown aside, and that the nation Was
forever subject to military and despetic
commandments not in the legal
iitHtfrrvr VI ruruPcdH nations, but aooora
ing to the maxims of Eastern .,ran.o,.
Before Lincoln's second term has expired,
the North will ascertain that in this, as
in other chapters of its experiences, there
is nothing new under the sun.
When France, in 1889, flung forth the
banner of democratic freedom, how little
did it anticipate that the only results of
their passionate political enthusiasm was
to be the extinguishment of every vestige
of freedom under the colossal throne of
a military despot They expected the
enfranchisement of the human race, and
they only proved that the depravity of
the human heart is made more manifest,
deplorable and ruinous of government
by increasing the number and destroying
the responsibility of those who govern
country.
And this is the universal testimony of
all ancient and modern history. de
mocracy," said Plus VI, sis not con-
trary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; only
it requires those sublime virtues which
are alone to be found in the Gospel" y
The United States is running the career,
and approaching the end, of all similar
governments, and for the same reason
THE necessity" says Coleridge, "for
external government to man is in the 81.
verse ratio of the vigor of his self.go-, ern-
ment, Where the last is most or mnlete
the first is least wanted, 1ience the 1
more virtue, the more liberty" What
virtue is left among the N orthern masses |
What virtue in map. anywhere, except |
that which proceeds from the reeenera.
ting influence of Christianity Hence |
the universal failure of such governments
as that of the United States. M. de |
iocqueville, in his impartial and philoso-
phical survey Of American equality, long.
ago portrayed seeds in the undisguised |
tyranny of the majority" of the |
eventual destruction of civil liberty.
There is nothing new under the sun.
The forms of free government alone re-
main in the United States but it is sub
stantially a military despotism. 1t has
gone the way of all like experiments of
the "cor popuh cor del" But it might
have finished with dignity, instead of Sc
lecting as its first master man whom
Cromwell or Napoleon would only have
employed as sutler.
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