New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-29
0RaANIsM.

have ventured to use it almost in the same
sense and with the same deep significance
that Humboldt endows it with when he
reveals the laws OF the universe in his i'm.
mortal Cosmos.
Comte the French philosopher, and j..
Stuart Mill, the English metaphysician and
statesman, have brought the word down
from its Unreasonable heights in the
heavens above and made it to play part
and have meaning in the affairs Of men
below.
The broadcast sweep and definition of the
word, according to the opinion and judg-
ment of the most eminent men now living,
embraces the entire universe of mind
and matter. In the same sense pre-
oisely, they hold, ia which the small
est germ disclosed by the most power
full microscope that has yet been
made, or that ever can be made, is consid.
cred to be an organism, the universe itself
with its innumerable worlds scattered
through Unreasonable space is also a
living germ developing from within and
obeyiug laws from without, And Herbert
Spencer in his law of evolution assumes
this definition to be true, and upon it has
built up philosophy and science Of life
and government, of ethics and of law, that
SO far as human foresight can discern will
stand the test of ages, and like the ''Sweep-
ing Niagara gradually wash away and
sweep ont of existence all underlying
strata of uRsubstantial dogmas and doc
trines. Growth and evolution are the laws
OF the smallest vegetable ard animal germ;
growth and evolution are the laws of the
universe. These ideas can not be reiterated
too often, for they embrace everything ex-
ternal to the being of God, if they do not
comprehend the very nature of God him
self 1t is not our purpose, nor would
this be the place to follow these foremost
men of the day into all the details of their
generalization. 1t is our purpose to refer
simply to the application of the idea of or
ganic growth to nations, constitutions,
states, and people as individuals. We hold
that by law of nature, i. e., a law of God,
as individuals grow so do states and
nations, and that all the devices of men
and of angels can not prevent them from
fulfilling the law of their development,
written or unwritten constitutions, hemmed
10 by by myriads Of bayonets and libraries
Of precedents to the contrary nOtwithstand-
ing and that whoever talks about perma-
nent constitutions in the same sense that
they talk of a pyramid or any other inor-
gsuic or lifeless structure simply talk of
what never has and never can exist. Vattel
built the whole system of the law of ma
tons upon the definition of state as
body polite. In using the word body Vat
tel knew not of its modern application.
Organism in his day had not taken wings
and covered the whole universe. The word
body with Yattel was simply a convenient
form Of expression, and doubtless if he had
been asked If states and nations
were bodies ia the same sense that
his corporal body was known as
one, would have repudiated and probably
ridiouled the idea. The nation is body,
men are the atoms that compose it, As in
the human organism millions Of other organ
isms exist in millions of forms, and live
and breathe in every vein Of the body and
every drop OF the blood, so men as larger
organisms and larger atoms live in the
higher organism of the state and the nation.
And as the soul in the human body reflects
It's culture and education through the nat.
ural face and natural eye, and reveals igno-
rance or knowledge, passion unbridled ana
unlicensed or disciplined and selErestrained;
chastened and pure affection, or all-devour-
ing lust; dignity and commanding power,
c.. e5S::as;nS a.d sIsgish humility. 80 the
constitution Of the nation-the soul Of the
nation speaking through the face Of the
nation-will reflect the average sense Of
justice and Of right that the mind of the
nation has reached through decades or cen
luries Of natural growth and development
or natural decay and intimate death.
Organisms fulfill the law Of their
growth, and work up toward the type
in the mind of the Supreme Artist and
Architect Of all things, and when the type
Is realized in all its perfection according to
the divine plan, another law sets in, and
while the processes of decay and death are
taking place the groundwork of another
form and another constitution is being laid
te appear in all the fullness OF its symmetry
and beauty when the last vestige Of the
cid body has returned to the elements from
which It originally came forth.
In the light Of these views ii seems TO us
that an absolutely true theors can be
reached in regard TO the structure Of states
and nations, and the duty Of the highest
judicial and legislative bodies within them.
Instead Of holding to the theory that there
j. NO universal, never-ceaslng change In
constitutions as In people, our supreme
judges should listen to ths voice Of science
demonstrating with all the accuracy Of II
that human wisdom and skiIl
can not thwzFt or change the growth
Of constitutions and governments any
more than they can thwArt without
destroying the growth Of physical
constitutions and governments. Man can
destroy an elephant as easily As
he can AZ insect, but 30 can uot create either.
Judges and afefe4nfen r4u aaafrn1 c,,.t