The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-04-17
THE sTRKNGrH OF REPuBLIcAN
UuarurUTIONA.

rhe.n.mi.. of r. Emu lican institut lions have
,o.n' and ,t,li are, yieiiant In the watch which
they keep upon our Government, ana they
never fail TO notice what they please to call
the cri.i. in our Affairs; and on the approach
of all such occasions they do not iai 70 pre-
diet that we shall 20 BY the board and break
I'D, They will tell US that our democratic form
Of government will do well enough In time OF
pesee, but that when . strong government 10
needed to breast the storm Of some popular
commotion, and to guide the ship OF State
through the turbulent seas OF civil strife, our
republican Institutions cannot stand the test,
but must go to pieces, being Inadequate to
meet the exigencies of the hour.
Once In the early days Of the Republic we
failed to elect the President on the popular
ticket, Several candidates being In the field,
there was no choice. The mode prescribed
by the Consultation, which devolves the duty
Of choosing the Chief Magistrate upon the
House OF Representatives when the people
fail to choose, and gives to each state one
vote, became thu ONLY ms.hna ,sf. ne 10 SOLICIT
the Executive for the ensuing four years.
Party feeling ran high, and then, as several
times since, our enemies said the ship Of State
would be stranded.
The hour came, and the states were called.
and quietly each state gave forth the name Of
on John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, and
he was accordingly installed President for
four years, and all things moved on harmo-
niously as before. So quietly, peacefully, and
orderly was this thing done, that European
traveller, who was an enemy Of republican gov.
ernment, not regarding 1t strong enough fol
such emergencies, and who viewed the scent
from the gallery, was induced to exelaim
"what peoplel what . country!"
So again, when our civil war broke out, we
In the Judgment Of the people, were gone VI
beyond peradvsnture. We could never stant
the shock Of q civil war and emerge therefron
without the complete overthrow Of the re
publican form Of government. The war, itwa
said, would eventuats In the utter downfall
and complete overthrow of democratic insti
tutions In the United States. The oomini
man who should henceforth and for time, q
least, control the destinies OF this land, woult
be "the man on horseback" We were doomed
to be governed by military Dictatorship til
such time as q hereditary monarchy could b,
established, this being the only safe and sur
form OF government which can last and hsv'
sufncicnt strength for any emergency. W.
have got over our civil strife, and all that
valuable In our Institutions still remains, an
the Imam on horseback" has not yet made hi
appearance.
An event occurred In this capital OF the nj
tion on Wednesday, which shows the respec
of our people for their institutions, and illui
trates their disposition to stand by the form
OF government as they are amid all emergen
cies, and under all circumstances. In the pres
enee of 20 900 people, who observed the utmos
decorum, the statue Of the martyred Presiden
was unveiled by the hand of Andrew John
son, President of the United States, thong
at this very hour, and while these imposin
ceremonies were progressing, that same Pres
dent WAS being tried by the Senate OF the I'm
ted States, charged with the commission
''high crimes and misdemeAnors" No 9TH
country on the globe could have pass
quietly through such scene. The solutie
of the problem Is, the people rule. This
their Government, and those In authority t.
day are only their servants, and servants, to-
whom they can dismiss, and have all their II
stitutions intact as before. This accounts fc
the order and quiet which prevails in all tim,
of excitement, and In every hour when OF
Institutions are being tested. Who 10 quail
fed In the light Of such facts As these to col
clude that a republican government is not
strong Government Is 1t not rather tho ver
strongest, because It 10 In the hearts Of II
people that Its strong tower restsl