The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-10

Democracy and OIigarchy.
The National Democratic Convention held 10
this city and which has just concluded ito
sitting, and the National Republican Conven-
ton recently held in Chicago, have revived
a question which is little likely ever to become
old in the ordinary sense of that term and
which has small chance of ever becoming I'M
interesting.
Republics have been divided by phIlosc.
phical writer's into two classes-democracy
and oligarchy. In the latter category it has
been the habit to include the extinct republics
of Sparta, Venice, Genoa; and the United
States of America il generally spoken Of a.
one of the most notable specimens OF this form
Of government. Among oligarchical republics
may be mentioned Rome, Carthage, Florence
and most of the medieval republics of North
ern Italy. In modern times Great Britain
though nominally q monsrchical is virtually
an oligarchical republic of the purest type
It is not to be denied, however, that though
the democratic element has been stronger and
more emphatically pronounced in some repub
lies than in others, a republic conducted on
purely democratic principles has been but
rarely seen in this world, and when seen, seen
but for brief period. II we go back to
Sparta, by many regarded as the democratic
model, we find that under democratic form
the republic was governed by favored and
privileged few. The Spartans of Dorian stock,
who alone were eligible to public Offices, were
after all but small minority when compared
or serfs that made up the population Of the
State. 1t was the same in Rome, as every
reader of history knows. To be Roman
citizen was unquestionably to occupy an hon
orable and privileged position; but Roman
citizen, unless he belonged to the Senatorial
order, exercised but little influence in the
affairs of State. Ultimately, it is true,
the Senatorial order was broken down; but
the fall of that order, as all the world knows,
did not increase the liberty and power of the
people. The Senate ruled the republic; the
army ruled the empire. It would not be diff
cult to show how, in all the republics we have
mentioned, an oligarchy, sometimes open and
avowed, sometimes secret and disguised has
always welded the controlling power The
Commonwealth of England, under the Protec-
torate of Cromwell, is by many considered Q
fair specimen Of q republic. It is notorious,
however, that the people Of England under
Cromwell were In every respect as powerless
as they had been under the monarchs that
ID hon
continued to be under the monarchs that fol.
lowed The French republic, of later date,
offers similar illustrations. The democratic
republic can scarcely be said ever to have
existed during all those eventful years that
interviewed between the death of the king and
the advent of Bonaparte. A secret oligarchy
ruled the convention, ruled the assemblies;
ruled the directory, and in the end gave
supreme power to Napoleon.
AS it has been in the past so it is in the
present, and so it is likely to remain. The
Chicago Convention and the New York Con
vention have afforded proof sufficient that the
great republic of the West-the greatest, the
freest, the most democratic republic which
the world has yet seems as much under the
influence of secret and disguised oligarchy
as any of the republics which have gone before
it. It would be unjust not to make distinc-
ton between the oligarchy which ruled al
Chicago and the oligarchy which has ruled at
New York. The one was composed of leading
men who came up from their respective States
with distinct and definite purpose-men who
believed they knew what the nation wanted;
and who acted with promptness and decision
which did themselves and the nation credit:
The other was composed of men who were
governed not by broad national considerations,
but by party and personal interests In the
one Convention and in the other, however, .
secret oligarchy ruled. And thus 1t is that the
destinies Of the republic are controlled.