Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-22
Anipn and Ameritan.
SUNDAY, APRIL ~. 1859.
Letter from Hon. John Bell.
NASHVILLE. April 10. 1896.


yence. is often more cruel than man himself
in forcing its acceptance upon the world
The idea meant was, without doubt, that o.
liberty, which was then new 10 the mass o.
Frenchmen of that generation, they having
had no experience of anything in the govern
ment Of their country, but its oppressions
and the naughty insolence Of privileged
aristocracy. The States General, called in
1889, by the ablest men in France Of that
day, was intended for the reform Of the
abuses of the Monarchy; to limit the prerog-
alive Of the King, and to conform the Gov
eminent to the model Of the British Con-
stitution.
But it was America that first embraced
the idea Of liberty, practically, by recog-
missing in the Governments, both State and
Federal, established after her independence
was secured, the vital and fundamental doc
trine of all free Government that gov
ernments are instituted for the protection Of
the rights aud happiness of the people; that
the people have right 10 choose their form
Of government, and to change il whenever
found oppressive" From America, the idea
Of liberty, thus practically expounded, was
propagated to France. But the people Of
the United States had, at the commencement
Of their war Of independence, in their man
ifesto or announcement 20 the world of their
purpose &C. assert and maintain the above
vital doctrines prelaced it by the declara-
ton that all men were created equal and
the French people, with their usual prone
ness 30 exaggeration and excess in all that
they do, over which the Imagination has
any influence or control, decked out liberty
with the adjuncts of equality and "irater-
nity," though not syllable was incorpo-
rated into aay of the organic laws or Con-
sttutions of any Government, State or ma
tional in America, claiming those words as
legitimately belong 10 the definition of lib
erty. But the hatred borne the French no.
bility, the insolence and naughty superior
ity assumed by them, together with the ex-
emption allowed by the privileges of their
rank, from all State burdens and charges,
made the idea of liberty in its new dress all
powerful; liberty, equality and fraternity be-
came the watchwords of the revolution, and
at the same time were successful in bringing
about a social revolution, which soon made IL
impossible 30 stop at a reformation, or even
10 save any conservative feature of the old
Government; and as soon as the Convention
which succeeded the National Assembly was
organized, broke down and brought 10 the
guilotne all the defenders Of the monarchy,
"a wholly incompatible with the new ideas
of liberty that prevailed.
Though il be for the thousandth time, /,
too. must repeat what others have said, felt,
and expressed, Of the singular fact that his
tory is found repeating itself with such mar
velous sameness and in periods of great eK-
element and in all great revolutions. And
| will say that the condolences between what
we have seen and now see passing in our
own times in America, and what we are in
formed were the events with their attending
circumstances in the last years Of the eigh-
tecnth and the first half of the present CEN
turv on the other side Of the Atlantic are
most remarkable The French, in 1889, and
the four or five succeeding years, were ac-
lively and mercilessly employed in levcling
in the dust and sweeping away everything
before considered venerable, glorious or use
lul-the priesthood, the monarchy, the aris-
tocracv, and all else that was suspected of
being opposed 10 the free course of the idea
Of liberty in It's new and captivating French
dress. IL was the reign of the fanaticism Of
liberty, for liberty has her lanaticism as well
as religion. 10 was indeed, the celebration
of the saturnalia Of freedom, during which
the greatest license prevailed Of all sorts:
the christian religion itself soon fell into dis
rrputc, and was afterwards suppressed by n
decree of the Convention AZ am invention of
priestcraft, wholly unfit TO be tolerated in an
age of reason. So great was the license and
general decentralization that prevailed among
the people that it was possible and endura-
bic that the vilest wreiches in principle and
character, IL possessed of the requisite talents
and address to secure popular favor, 10 die
tate the policy of the revolution, either
through the press or from the Tribune of the
Iacobin Club, or from that of the National
Assembly, or of the Convention that sue
cceded and to prescribe aud bring 20 the
scahold all whom they suspected of being
opposed 10 the revolution, or whOmsoever
their malignant and blood-thirsty passions
prompted them 10 sacrifice. II was the same
class of men, equally depraved in morals
hut more distinguished for talents and cruel
~, that suggested the massacre, and called
for the execution of the thousands that
crowded all the prisons and fortresses in
Paris, and in every other large city and de-
partment of France, charged with being
suspected Of loyalty or attachment TO the
King, or Of sympathzing with the aristoc-
racy, or of holding reactiouary sentiments
or principles. One or the other Of these en-
inent demagogues or leaders of the revolu-
ton, was supreme, or held the chief sway in
the National Assembly, or in the Convention,
one after another As they rose in pub
lie favor, and in that position managed TO
direct every public measure of the Govern
ment, and every insurrectionary movement
among the people. Or the same class of
men, when Il suited their views dictated such
reports and DEGREES as they thought expe-
dent, in the Committees of public safety, or
in the revolutionary tribunals; or some ac-
cepted the position Of Deputies Of the Con-
vention, with power to control the military,
and other commissions, that carried terror
and death into every department of France.
by such means the voice of complaint was
everywhere silonced; remonstrance was
dumb; all France felt that there was no 9TH
er right left them under the reign of liberty,
but the right 20 choose between silent sub
mission to what the popular tyrants of the
day decreed, OF death.
At length all the organized and armed enc
mics ofthe Republic in the interior of France
surrendered 10 her power at discretion, and
after rivers Of blood had been shed, either
on the field of battle or on the scat
fold; and when human nature herselfap-
peared fatigued or frightened at the number
of the yictims-the whole hecatomhs of
human beings thus sacrificed To the new
Idol which the people, trensied by the new
idea of liberty, and inilamed to madness by
the threatened hostile Intervention of foreign
nations, had erected for their worship, cried
out for some rcspite--ior peace and amnesty,
Then came the attempts TO construct new
and capricious forms Of government; then
rapidly succeeded the strife of factions con-
tending for the division of the spoils that
had escaped the rayages Of intestine and
destructive civil war. Besides the public
officers, including the stats of the numerous
armies still in the field beyond the borders,
contractors, and the usual corps Of commisSa-
ries, quartcrmastcrs, etc, there remained
large national domain abandoned by the no.
bitity and other omigrants, seized and held
rs abandoned property, and which, though
pledged for the payment Of the public debt
10y the management of the Successive fac
tions that then ruled the country, a large
portion Of il fell into the hands Of that class
of men who had hattcned upon tho calami-
ties of the people; and who. having shirked
or adroitlv cyaded every call to arms, enrich
ed themselves hy traffic aud speculation, and
had collected into their Golfers all the gold
and silver 20 bc found in the country, and
thus laid the foundation Of large fortunes
by purchases from the Government ON their
own terms.
At last the people, weary Of the perpetual
strife; OF the alternate SWAY of factions, and
anarchy, yielded 90 the destinations of mill