The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-02-09
The Prospect.


prehension pervades the public mind in our
future has in store for us. Some of our
citizens fear that events will eliminate in
another revolution Of a bloody character;
others think that the tide Of misfortune will
carry us no farther than confiscation- Of
property and political Acknowledgement; ).
while many believe that at least the agri-
cultural success of the South is gone forever
with the controlsof that kind of labor which
formerly gave it such eminence. In fact,
the theory of anything like speedy return
of prosperity has but few supporters.
1t is to be remarked, however, that popu-
lar opinion, is a kind of fashion-an intel
lectual fashion, it is true, but STILL like other
fashions, partaking somewhat of the nature
0fmania. Everybody wore green spectacles
some years ago, and now everybody says
we are ruined. Mental influenzas are con-
tagioIs.
One Characteristic of these popular ini-r
pulses is that they tend to extremes. But
lately the current now-bearing rs to
dependency strongly ehereehef
way, and the public thought itself on the
high road to immediate wealth, while all
the elements Of disaster were as discernible
IA they are now The natural reaction from
that excessive stimulus il visible in tho
present prostration. Capital is timid and
its sensitiveness affords the hest barometer
of the social atmosphere. Two years
since, confidence extreme and
capital sought investment through every
conceivable avenuc; now, dependency
rules the hour and the purse strings of
capital are drawn tight.
| Let us reflect for moment, however, if
! our approximations may not De unreasonably
e1agge Grated.
In the first place, there can be no doubt
that our situation is very grave, if not in
deed critical. Our future is q problem both
political and economical. The strife of
parties and the thirst for power endangel
] our liberties, while the sudden destruction
of our whole system of labor reduces
Southern agriculture again to the footing of
an experiment; the failure of which would
be depopulation.
But because there-is danger there need
not be despair. Politically, day seems to
|
4 legislative halle of the nation ara filed
with men the great majority of whom seem
to desire our utter ruin, and strive to COM
pass it with all the wiles of human cunning
backed by the immense power which they
exercise partly by right and partly by
usurpation. But the Almighty has inter@
:. - - -i-a+a"ia which thoy
did not foresee, and raised us up friend
where we least expected one The presi-
{ dent has exhibited a prudence, a wisdom. a
moral courage which have few parallels in
history Why may we not expect him to
+ triumph as fully hs has heretofore fon0bt
successfully Moreover, the people renre-
sented by these congressman show s;pns of
restiveness, and have already taken the first
steps in revolution which viii hardly 10
back ward
1t liz urged by some that republicanisn
cannot be the basis OF u stable government.
and the history of Mexico is cited as an or,
4 ample of the anarchy to which we ar.S
dOOmed.z-- --t
History does not show that excellepce "a
the peculiarly of any particular form of
government, but rather that all legitimate
governments are divinely commissioned by
the Almighty to represent Him in the peiit-
icai affairs of men. Each form of goyern-
ment is better than others wherein it is bet-
ter adapted to the genius of the peop,a ,;v-
ing under it. Thus among the most sue
cessful and illustrious nations we find. in
ancient history; the Jewish Theocracy. the
Persian Empire, the Grecian Republic. and
the Roman Oligarchy. The present time
gives us the French Empire, the English
Limited Monarchy, and the American Re-
public. Each of these as=been an eminent
success, because eminently adapted to the