The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-02
AS OTHERS SEE US.

tOr nearly century the 1I1enQS OF 1rce lnStltu-
tions everywhere have been pointing with pride
to tho United States of America for splendid
realization of the great problem of q pure
democracy. We furnished Republicans all over tho
world with standing frst-cass illustration in
the science of government. And so complete had
been our success, that the mere statement of the
Fact carried conviction to every mind. Foreign
statesmen we're won't to make the tour of tho Uni
ted Statcs to for themselves the actual work
ing of our Utopian institutions. Won RAUa1ER, DE
TocUsv1LLE, and others, philosophical thinkers,
! and public Of distinction spent years here for
this purpose and went away gratlfed They have
;cfs record of their impressions, stating their
conviction, thnt ours was model government pro-
vided tho Constitution was properly respected, and
its provisions daily executed. They possessed suf6-
cent sagacity to that this could only be done,
ii the people retained that modcum of virtue they
we're thought to possess at the time the govern
.aeat -~As fran,ea Ivory public writer eroc
bias, made the same observation, viz: that upon
this dc ended the or failure OF the great
problem OF democracy.
So Soinyulnerable were we considered in our govern
ment that foreign authors who visited us from time
to time, and were nlanifestly prcjudiced against
us,-conteEtcd themselves with ridicuGng our
manners; decrying our literature; beittlinE our
great men; laughing at our hypelbolical eloquence
r.
taese sallies and SANDERS of HALL, MAnYArr,
DICKENS, Mrs. TnoLLopE, HARRIET NiARTcEAu,
ard the rest of them, could not injure us; and.
knowing them to be in great measure unjust
tho American people became more and more
indifferent to European criticism.
Ihe opponents OF popular institutions hail our
present political inbrogio with great delight
They now at Last see fulfl1nent Of their ve-lone
prophecies. The Constitution so much vaunted
IS being deliberately set aside. irresponsible pow
er rues the day, caring nothing for the rights Of
the minority. But nothing has awakened such
widespread interest, such universal dread we
may say, as the proposed impeachment Of the
President. And well may the world be aghast at
this gigantic political iniquity United States
bon .s and securities, C ive-twenties," ETC., are
largely held in Europe; and those old fnancers in
Frankfort, Paris, London and Vienna, know from
long experience that impeachment means reyolu-
ton, civil war, and universal bankruptcy. Hence
their anxiety. t
The causes that led to our war were also but lit
Tic understood by the generality of European
writer's; and This was doubtless due to general
belief that the great questions that agitated this
country, and divided political parties were Of g
purely locsl choraeter, r,-mere petty sauabbling:
and before they were aware of the existence of
any real grievance or difficulty, they heard the dis
tant cannons cchoing roar. The war, from begin
a1ng to end, was puzzle to them. There can
now be little doubt that France, and perhaps Eng
land, also, would have recognized the late Confed-
crate States, had they been cognizant Of the
true position OF affairs. The magnitude or the
struggle, however, excited universal attention, and
the events that have transpired since the war, as
wen as those now in progress are being watched
every Cast of rntlcn un:''rt'-Aa hv men Of
but there are others concerned and alarmed at
the 1uSnre before us, whose mott yes are OF 1esa
mercenary character. The lover Of liberty the
I1ehd OF mankind, cannot look on with inGifferance
A1 inc deliberate destruction Of the mapnif-
cent temple of American liberty. The london
Aa"aes, tor January 12, mas a very able article
on this subject, Of which the Hollowine- Is the co.
Guiding paragraph: =
Inc Senate and the House Of Representatives
arc no" united In opposition to the President. mt
tney represent different principles, which NAV
hoiea1ter come INTO collision. The Senate has
.,e .i'I'o Deeh the more powerful body both in
Itself and in popular estimation This waa ;nev;-
table so long the Central Goyernmant 80
itself weak, as the Senate is the Renrese,+o+izo
ana guardian of separate State rights. But the a.
sion OF the No1th into one community which -.
enocted IN the face Of common dangers. -
strengthening tho Government at Washington |
as q "hole has strengthened the House OF Renra
sentatlves to an especial degree. Its character ia
more distinctly national and it necessarily renre-
sents, with greater fidelity than the Senate tha ,,c
tuatons OF popular opinion. It is not dificnlt l.
foresee which way the victory must incline abonld
q struggle hereafter arise between the t,ro aac-
tlons Of Congress. It would seem that the |
natural consequence Of the change through which
LEO Union is passing is an increase Of the power
OF the moro popular body Of the Legislature until
u becomes supreme. This result may or NAV NOT
oe N Itself desirable, but it would be nistske IL
argue That 1t must be SO from the analogy Of onr
~ UW. consesution. The electoral machine Of the
mon cutters 50 much from our own that 4 ;s
scarcely po:slble the House Of Representatiyes can
ever III the place Of the House Of Cononons - 20
u Is PLAIN that the absence OF the Feder,, MI;
ters from tho House Of Representativas - :;
me cause OF radical difference between +a 1..e
we need not, however, dwell upon the fnt,,,s -"
is sufficient to note the phase through which ~
American Constitution appears to be paasino ~ ~
danger that the artificial balance OF powers ~
checks upon impnlsive Legislation, the indan.nd1
ence OF the Executive Government contemn,ata,
BY the founders Of the Republic win all bo svent
away. ''"'otp -