The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-10-05

discontinued as ever and its people are even more bitter
in their feelings towards the North than they three
years ago. and the Democrats are Just as determined
ever to carry the political contest To complcate
matters still more the President has taken
which makes very large majority OF the people regard
him as an enemy of the Union and friend of those
who desire to destroy it. The statesmen of to-day are
even more troubled about the political dangers that
surround them than the generals of three years ago were
perpxed by the marshaled armies that confronted them
This is all very sad and very perplexing 1t is sad
to think that after spilng much blood and spending
SO much treasure things should have advanced so little
and that party spite and sectional hatred should be as
bitter as ever. It would appear as if the present
unarmed state of warfare dangerous epoch
for the Republic than the time when the first cannon
doomed against Fort Sumter, when the first blood
stained the soil of Virginia When the armed partsans
of bad cause, after being totally vanqulshed IN the
field still continue to hate and conspre and when the
mere wreck of political party continues to make the
most determined fight against overwhelming odds-2ll
sides carrying on the contest with spite and bitter
ness more demorazng to the nation at large than any
war could ever be; when all this actually taking
place before eyes, must come to the conclusion
that the nation is menaced with dangers greater than
any through which she has yet passed. and to save her
from which holder actions than those of the past and
better statesmen than those Of the present, shall be
required.
A great many Americans seem to forget that their
country has not only passed through war, but is still
passing through revolution The scars left by mere
war soon heal two nations fight until is beaten and
there the matter mostly ends 1t is only few years
since France and Austria were fighting; they are now
on good terms and about forming alliance. But a
war that arises within country and the cause Of which
has been the political power possessed by section
the social degradation suffered by another leaves scars
so deep and bruises complicated to be durable only
by the most desperate and peculiar remedies
The French Revolution is the only great event in
modern history with which and the late American
striking parallels can be traced The French ReVolu-
ton took place simply because certain classes in France
possessed too many privileges and because certain other
classes possessed too few 1t was from beginning to end
struggle between repubicansm, on the one side, and
ogarchy or feudalism on the other. France had its
La Vendee whose people were conservatives like the
Southern Americans and although slavery, strictly
speaking did not exist in France before the REVOLUTION
state of serfdom existed whose principal features were
almost as hateful as those of slavery and whose effect
on the national character was hardly less degrading.
From the beginning to the end Of the French Revou-
tion the great issues fought for substantially the
same as those fought for in America, and were the
liberty of the citizen and the integrity of the Republic
Let it not be supposed that the analogy between the
French and American Revolutions does not hold good
because in one country the strife was inaugurated by
the oppressor and in the other by the oppressed or
because the French sought to destroy the Christian
side issues which in no wise affected the great principles
of the Revolution. Whenever two parties coexist in
the country one of which is vehement in its love