Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-05
TFrom he n. I. Journal of Commercial
THE PROBLEM OF GOVERNMENT.


II is impossible in this world, in the present
state of the human mind, to realize those dreams
of complete and independent selt-goVerhment
which some men cherish. When every man WIN
govern himself wisely and well, without error ana
without passion then it is probable that all danger
of collision between man and man will be at an end'
But that time will not occur in our day. Ana SO
long as men cannot or will not restrain or govern
themselves individually, just so long the lhstitu-
tiopS Of human government Will be requlreu'-
These institutions are designed to protect men
from their fellOw-men. Perfect liberty cannot eN-
ist so long as governments exist. The very exist
ence of government implies the imposition OF re
straints The approximation to liberty Is obtained
nv a good government which effectively suOdues
the evil and prevents one from encroaching on the
riobts of another. 1t is not Impossible that des-
motto government may more eiectually than any
other restrain men from injuring each other. But
them the government itself becomes oppressive, and
therefore the interests of liberty require that the
ment should also be prevented from injuring
| the citizen wrongfully.
Here- then. is the problem of human government:
REQUIRED, form of government which Is restrained
from wrongful and oppressive acts on the people,
and which ehectually reStrains the people from
| wrongful and injurious acts toward each other
| Obviously there is no restraint on the autocrat,
therefore the despotic form does not reach the re-
ouirement 1t is equally obvious that simple
democracy where the majority vote at once and
finally decide all questions does not reach the re-
ouiremeut for maOrities need restraints as much as
autocrats Between these tive forms there are va
TionS other folms which have been tried with var-
ons degrees Of success. The British Constitution
mythical as il is has nevertheless great power in
restraining the government, and the experience of
many centuries has migrated on that body of law
provision after provision tending to restrain govern
/ ment and secure private rights. But, at the same
time many ancient restraints on the subject exist
still which are inconsistent with that approximation
i 10 liberty which is the object OF good government.
L The American system bears close examination and
comparison with all others which have been tried
and proves its superiority thus far in noteworthy
/ degree. IL is 20 be measured by the standard we
/ have laid down, namely, the perfection OF its re-
/ straints on individuals and on government. We
PISS over the period Of the war, when everything
has been subjected to the doctrine Of military ne
cessity and recall the perfect operation OF the syS-
i tenn in former times. We may also congratulate
ourselves on the calmness with which the people
are now preparing to go on in the old ways again.
/ A return 10 the peaceful aud beneicent working of
the American system, after the trials and suspen-
SionS resulting from this terrible state Of war; will
be itself noble proof Of the enduring value Of our
constitutions and the form Of government which
Il We have adopted. President Johnson has faith in
the system; and if, under his wise guidance, the
smooth and perfect working Of the machinery shall
i be restored without injury, or even without the
loss Of any one of the grand principles and parts
1 which compose il, ne will have achieved work
/ worthy the honor OF MS Fellow men ana the men,
i ory Of poSterity.
/ We sincerely rejoice THAI the President so dis
tipctv announces his adherence to the fundamental
doctrines which distinguishes our system from all
others-the distribution of powers, the dependence
of the whole on the parts and of the parts on the
whole This L. the Invention Of the American
| fathers. This is the method which they devised
for preventing the formation OF a central deSpotSm,
and for preventing as well the tyranny of local
maiorities. The nearer you can approach q sys-
| tenn which allows a man 10 do absolutely as he
peases. the nearer you attain to liberty; but, I'M
fortunately such liberty would be awlessness, vio-
lencs, and anarchy, and therefore the safety OF
each and an forbids that each and all should be alb
solutely free from restraint. Undoubtedly the
American system approximates more nearly than
| any other to the possible perfection Of seGgov-
eminent, and this proceeds from the distribution
| of powers, and the corresponding distribution OF
checks on those powers.