The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-26
CHARLEsT TON.

CHARLES T ON.
TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 26, 1857.
DEMOCRACY.
Some months ago we gave expression w 0'
ideas of Democracy, as now understooo' IL o. o.
ticle in these columns, entitled ssVox Popuh. a
recent discussion between two distinguished sc'lo-
ara in Edinburgh, on the merits OF Democia'S
IN oenaral and Democracy in America IN partlcu-
lar fof which We find review i'll Btack'oooa 1or
February. lust come to hand,) suggested sopie
topics in connection with the sub]ect' WHICH "o
have been tempted to jot down. In the nrs' pi"'o'
it is to be noted as very curious slen IN ths
of our Lord, 1867, in the city OF Edinburgh u see
two learned Professors mount the rostruIn anu
enter on an old fashioned dispute. 1t ls as thougn
the dial of the ages had turned back from three "
five centuries and once again pointed 10 'ne meo,
myal DAYS, when the eloquent ABELARD olsPu'0u
in Paris, when controversy ran hlgn oe'"een
Realists and Idealists, when the learned ERASMUS
was invited to every University in Europe anu
hurled his dia]ectic gauntlet at all comers when
the intrepid MARTIN LUTHER stood up for days de-
Tending his theses against DIR. Eek, the CHOSEN
cbanpion of the Church of Rome. In modem
times learned discussions are generally conducted
through the medium Of the press; the stump
being reserved by almost universal consent, Dotn
in this country and in Europe, for the seekers OF
Office. The opposite candidates in political cam
raieu. not unfrequently, by mutual consent resort
to this means for carrying conviction to the mhas
Of their hearers. We have also, on rare occasloas'
heard of religious controversies between the min
sters of two different denominations, conducted
in this manner. But, to our thinking, it is GUS
tom not to be encouraged az it mas tendency 20
give rise to bad blood We see this strikingly ex-
empified on the floor Of Congress, where 1t ls the
duty of the presiding officer to curb the lmpeeuos
ity of the eager combatants when they trench
upon the rules of Congressional decorum. Out
side of regularly constituted deliberative assem-
bly, where no umpire is clad with such supreme
authority, the tendency to un,uiness must OF
course be much greater, and cannot always De
kept in check.
In the next place it is highly interesting to ncte
the advance everywhere making at present toward
liberal institutions. At no previous period in ~
worlds history was there such universal stfly-
ing after liberty. The majority of tde great
American nation have just worksaf6nt their con!
cepton5 of the problem. IpsESgland the masses
are blatant for refo1pfn Ireland the. poor mis-
guided Femans baEe once again essayed the vain
task Of s|eGng off the foreign yoke In France the
powsf Of q NAPOLEON is unequal to repress tine
Lsteady growth OF liberal ie,as. Aconstant war ls ;
waging in Spain between 40 crown and the peo-
ple who insist on their constitutional rights. In
Belgium the new is crowding close on the old the
Liberals are daily gaining On the ultramontanes.
In Germany the struggle for liberty Tor the
moment is in abeyance, ,oyershadowed by the
greater desire for unity. Austria has at last been
forced to recede from her ancient hereditary
policy. and grant rights and privileges to the
Magyars, for which, eighteen years ago, the fiery
Huns fought and bled in vain. Italy rejoices in
constitutional monarchy. Crete, and the. Chris
tian Provinces Of Turkey, ore offering up their
ife's blood in the endeavor To shake off the mos
lem oppressor, and attain their autonomy. Rome
as vet is outside the fold, but there also the
lesyen is at work. Turkey even has her Par
lament, Russia, alone of all countries in Eu-
rope, still can lay claim to being true autocracy
undefiled by the modern heresy Of liberalism.
Another very curious circumstance, IN connec-
ton with this subject is the fact OF different per-
sons holding different political views. Many are
the causes assigned for this anomaly, but it will be
difficult to find sufficient reason to account tor
these yariances. Take the leaders of two opposite
narties, Tor Instance. They are both men OF posi-
tion, talent, education and large experience in
life. It may be that they are not dissimiar in
their mental constitutions That they both enjoy
good physical health that they were trained IN
the same ..eparatory schools and now they find
themselves, the one Chancellor Of the Exchequor,
and the other the protagonist OF tho opposition.
What is the cause2 Where exactly is the point Of
divergence? Opinions are inherited, 1t ls SAID.
This is doubles true, but still it is no adequte
answer to our question. Circumstances alter
cases" says venerable proverb, which, on being
closely examined, will be found to mean that
men act differently, because - they act'dltf-
erently.
We have case in point in the two Edinburgh
disputants. "They are both scholars" says
BLAcKwooD, "could both quote Greek, had both
written poetry, both studied history, were other
wise men Of mark, and possessed Of oratorical
powers. Yet one of them (BLAoKIE,) was to de-
fend the pessimist side of the subject, and ths
other, the optimist side. The combatants were
we'll matched. The Scotch Professor, (BIAoK1E,)
was 1.-the, timber, daring and aggressive; the
English Barrister, ERNEsT JoNEs,) was steady,
well-trained, cunning OF fence, and had not only
the advantage of the last word, but the stimulus
Of having suffered in the cause which he had at
heart, and the sense Of personal wrong to back
tho point OF his invectrve. Mr.. BIAoK1E had lived
at home unmolested in his opinions, while Mr
JONES had gone to prison for his, and been harsh-
ly treated by u government that was too aristo-
cratic to forgive his ultra-democracy when it had
taken the shape Of sedition."
As there was no umpire to decide which OF
the two was right-as the question at issue WIS
not even put to the vote Of those present to elicit
the opinions Of the majority-the discussion was
without result. "In IN ancient fitting match with
sword and SPEAR" continues our reviewer, 1.-THE
unhorsing and disablement Of champion decided
the question in dispute, whether it we're knights
honor or q lady's virtue, in manner that every
spectator could understand; bat in logomaoiiy,
when each preu1 clteualier is firmly seated on his
hobby, there is no unhorsing to be done, no spear
to be shivered, no wound to be inflicted, and no
palpable proof to be afforded to the bystanders
that one warrior is Of greater prowess than the
other. Professor BLAoKE, as We may very well
suppose, did not convince Mr.. JONES; and MIR.
JONES, we may be equally sure, did not prove to
tho satisfaction of Professor BLAcK1E that De-
mocracy was but another name for true liberty.
Each but explained his own views to the compare
lively limited audience gathered by the Working
mems Institute OF Edinburgh; leaving that audi