The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-11
DEMOCRACY RUN WILD.

Gail men are born free and equal, Is
the keynote to every social and political re-
volution of the past century. The French
revolution of bloody memory carried the
principle ad absurxl,tm,, and in the reaction
consequent upon it, retarded the real and
rational progress of liberty in Europe near
ly halfa century. In 1s4s we entered upon
new revolutionary cycle, which is still
in progress, and in its course has swept its
surges also to these western shores. Eng
land was exempt much longer than any OF
her neighbors. The British Constitution,
with its many well-considered checks and
balances, has hold more or less strong
upon all the subjects of Her Majesty; the
feeling ofloyalty is innate and potent in
the heart of every Briton. He is, as rule,
quiet, peaceable and law-abiding man
through all the spheres of society. Revo-
luton, therefore, in England is the result
only Of great and long continued provoca-
ton Reform progresses more slowly in
that eminently conservative land than in
any other we know of among the countries
infected with "modern ideas"
But, Notwithstanding all this caution and
the great balance wheel of that same old
Constitution, her time appears to have
come. Agitation has been the order of
the day, with scarcely a weeks interval
during the past two or three years; and
this is not confined to the proletariat, as
many of US have long affected to believe.
The most respectable journals of the realm
now speak of the Queen in tone which
would have outraged the United Kingdom
ten years ago. The House of Peers is
sneered at, and called an assembly ofimbe-
Giles by newspapers like the Times. What
wonder, therefore, that the rabble should
become more lax every day in veneration
and in loyalty.
We are the friends of liberty, religious,
civil and political; liberty of conscience,
liberty of the press and of speech; of pro-
gress, material, mental and moral; but we
are panied to see the turn affairs are taking
in the mother country. We have so long
been accustomed to look upon England as
the worlds great examplar of constitu-
tional government, great and strong for
every national purpose, combined with the
largest amount of individual liberty, uniting
ali that is best in the monarchy and the
republic, that We are 10th to surrender our
ideal. But the facts are against us. The
masses in the three kingdoms are moving
in steady downward course; and there
appears to be no pilot at the helm strong
enough to steer the ship safely through the
storm.
The church is agitated about ritualism,
and is being rapidly brought to vital
struggle for the very existence Of the Irish
The nation is battling with
she Reform League and Trades Unions, and
;hus far very unsuccessfully. The Red
Republican doctrine of equality appears to
have dethroned sound craftsmanship; SEN
;iment and philanthropy have taken the
place Of q healthy political philosophy. The
of society, and the very being of
he State are threatened in the deafening
ind ever increasing clamor for the rights of
he individual. The working man is at
asst recognized power in the realm, and,
not satisfied with this concession, he aspires
o supreme power. What he cannot effect
" petition, he endeayors to accomplish by
menace, and mobs and riots have not been Of
lnfrequent occurrence of late. The victims
# intolerance, as they are pleased to be
,alled, are yet the most intolerant Of men.
This might surprise us, did we not know
hat man is consistent only in inconsisten-
y. The Puritan Pilgrims will ever serve
8 notable instances of this fact. We might
ven find later examples Of this doctrine in
American history, were it possible to speak
Iispassionately of cotemporary events. The
oppressed usually seem to find no difficulty
n making the transition, and becoming the
ppressors in their turn. What painful
attire was that recently in Birmingham,
there terrible and bloody riot was delibe-
atelyy provoked,by Protestant fanatic de-
laiming against the Roman Catholic
church, one of the chief counts in the in
ictment being her intolerance and perse-
ding Spirit. Would that it were in opr
bwer 70 say, such riot.eould not occur N
hiseoHf@y. With our peace, missionary,
hurch extension, benevolent and humane
ocieties, and all our various and complicate
of education and civilization, we
ear we still are not beyond the possibility
f political or religious riots. The fact is
umiliating. With all its boasted progress,
he world goes backward.
One of the most recent illustrations of
his intolerance was exhibited at st. James
Iall, June II. The Working Mems Con-
ervative Association had meeting Oh that
vening, "to express their attachment to
he Monarchical and Parliamentary Consti-
ution of the country, to protest against re-
olutionary agitation, and to yiudicate the
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