The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-27
THE TWO GREAT POWERS OF THE
FUTURE.

THE TWO GREAT POWERS OF THE
FUTURE
This is the title of two carefully written
leaders, recently published in the Round 7adlc'
The two great powers are, of course, Russia
and the United States. The writer draws
picture of the future greatness Of Russia, over
shadowing, if not incorporating, all the other
powers of the East; such as ALEXANDER of
Macedon, in his widest dreams of universal
empire, never aspired to. This may or may
not come to pass; either event q matter OF min
or Importance to us. But it is otherwise in re-
gard to the speculations of the writer consern-
ing the future of this Continent These affect
us very nearly, and we therefore propose to
present the substance of them for the beneht
of our readers. The prophecy opens with the
following preface: In the observations we
purpose to offer on the future of America, we
desire it to be understood that we are rather
predicting what we believe to be inevitable
than defending what we still as thoroughly be-
lieve to be, on every principle of justice and
beneyolence, defensble and even laudable.
What we are about to say will be at variance
with much of the constitutional bunkum of ten
years ago; it will give shape and utterance to
the uniformed ideas of the popular mind to-day;
a few wears hence it will have been developed
from conviction into practical resolve; and men
are pow born who will live to see the greater
portion of it an accomplished fact"
He next proceeds to break ground by prov
ing the worthlessness of paper constitutions,
not that he thinks so himself, but such the
issue of our late war has proved it.
"Ten years ago." he says, "men talked about
the constitution of this country in strain
which seemed to make it of considerably great
er efficacy than Gods constitution Of the world.
Before it human passions were to sink into the
calm of peace and moderation. Foreign pow
ers, abashed before its wisdom, were gradually
to copy its provisions and rejoice-with envy,
it is true but still with great joy-in the light
of it's instructions. We ourselves were to 60
on and grow no doubt, but always in the same
way; adding from time to time new territory
to our area, but always cutting up our terrific
res into States and giving them an equal share
in the affairs of government. The Constitu-
tion recognized no other method Of growth
To us alone among nations conquest was I'M
possible; for in the Constitution there was no
provision for maintaining government in con
ouered countries, and if territories were at any
time annexed, their denizens became at once
not subjects but citizens of the United States.
In all our national affairs it was assumed as an
axiom that neither individual States nor the
Federal Government either could or would do
ANYTHING for which the Constitution does not
make express provision. Thus the Constltu-
ton was regarded as second Janus, looking
two ways at time; by its express provisions
limiting, commanding, or forbidding; and by
its mere silence checking States and Federal
Government alike whenever, in some new con-
dtion of affairs, some action or some policy not
contemplated by the Constitution should be-
come cxpcdent. The war has taught us many
things; but the most pregnant lesson 1t has
taught us is the absolute worthlessness of pa
per constitutions in restraining the wild bursts
of human passion, and that they are but as
straw before the wind when they contend
against inevitable destiny. Tho Constitution
gave no power to States to separate from the
confederation, and we laughed at the idea of
secession. Yet eleven States seeded. The
Constitution gave no right to Congress to coerce
q State while in the Union, and as little right
to conquer it if out. Yet we did coerce and
CONQUER the Confederate States. The Consti-
tuition did expressly forbid Imprisonment with
out a speedy jury trial. Yet at the tinkle of
telegraphic bell in Mr.. SEwARD's office prisons
were filled up with multitudes of prisoners
charged with no offence-some of them merely
suspects d'ehe suspectt,--snd this without a
shadow or pretence of legal constitutional re-
gularity. We yield to none in reverence for the
Constitution Of our country. We deprecate the
ill-regulatcd self-conceit that would tamper
with its sacredness by grating upon it some
crude fancy in the shape of an amendment.
But experience has taught us that constitu-
ton framed for quiet days Of peace cannot re-
strain mems passions nor their actions at a time
of revolution or of civil war. AS little can it
stand against the nations appointed destiny.
And, happily, our Constitution, although it
does not contemplate nor make provision for
...- r,,t,, ,nIn
no express provision which need hinder us
when such necessities arise. 1t was not in
tended to 10 that 1t was intended to define
the functions of the government of republic.
1t was not intended to restrain the action of
the people when the commonwealth should, in
the order of Providence, be called to sway on
EMPIRE This contingency is near at hand.
We need no change in the Constitution to en-
able us to meet it with becoming energy and
dignity. But we must remember that the
silence of the Constitution on matter which
its trainers could not have foreseen, and for
which they had no right to legislate, is not to
he considered as q bar to our free action. 1t is
our aHdlr. ouTS Is tHe uu'J. 1ho ieSPoh9i-
biity is ours, and the silence of the dead is no
law for the conscience of the living" y
1.-The foreign immigration, added to the natu-
ral increase of our population, will in 1900
have increased our population to 100000, ,0OO."
lie next proceeds to show the inevitable ne
cessity of the annexation of Canada to the
United States, from which no difficulty is ap-
pretended. 1t is mere question. Homo
geneous in race, in language, in manners and
customs, of equal intelligence, and long trained
moreover in the practice of self-gove"' -,
there is no reason whatever to apprehend any
serious disturbance Of the federative system
from such an accession.
1t is otherwise, when the Spanish American
countries came IN for consideration Theqe