Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-12

within itself, and, consequently, free to |
regulate its own domestic administration.
"Gen. Grant is not a Radical, but it is
difficult to foresee what policy he will
pursue. His election proves only one thing
that a majority Of the Americans are
opposed to the sovereignty Of the States.
AS to the rest, we must await his acts.
As he is not animated against the South
with the implacable hate Of the Radicals,
one may hope that he will use the means
which the constitution gives him to pro-
tect the oppressed and reconstruct the
Union. A difficult work, which every
day becomes more difficult The Re-
publican scheme can only end in estab-
fishing in America Poland or an Ireland
"a hundred times more miserable than
the Ireland under the yoke Of England
a hundred times more oppressed than the
Poland under the knout of Russia. The
most unfortunate people Of the earth are
the people Of the Southern States. The
worst of all despotisms is that exercised
in the name of liberty
This is a strong characterization
of the centralising tendencies Of
the Radical Republicans, as dis
played in their course toward the
South, and yet the honest historian
will be compelled to acknowledge
its justice. The New York Coar-
rier deS EtatS Unis, in its reply to
the New York Suns prediction Of
the speedy supplanting of the
French empire by republic, points
to this feature in the policy of tho
Radical Republicans, and especially
to the corruptions which have crept
into the various departments of thu
government. 1t quotes from al
article in the New York Times, en-
titled "Gen. Grant and the reforms
needed in the civil service" thl
following passage:
1.-THE manner in which the grea
branches of our public service are direct.
ed is dishonor to our civilization. Iii
well known that in the collection Of on
internal revenue, millions upon million!
are lost every year, by the dishonest,
and stupidity OF agents while in Grea
Britain and the other great countries o.
the continent Of Europe the losses,
this way, are exceedingly small"
= Upon this confession of the Ney
York Times, the French organ c
that city comments as follows:
sit is useless 10 multiply citation
l. which we might gather from the paper
p, Of each day and every party. 1t is fac
, known, proved, admitted, that Will
there may be as much corruption in som
countries, more there cannot be any
where. Is this then the type Of publ
!. virtue which all agree is needed for tn
e preServa ion of republic Now loo
from another point Of view. It's certai
that by rapid and frequent modification
= the government of the United State
: is running into political centralizs
ton, incompatible with free inst
l tutions. The invasion Of the rights
d the States, especially in the matte
Of suffrage, is an immense stride in thu
. direction, as the Republican journal
: themselves, confess. The Times speal
r. Of the government as likely to becom
more consolidated in executive powe
and ip essential relations more nearly II
= sembling the imperial iormof democra
ic government than many persons thin
! wise or prudent" 1t is, if you look ;
- it, just as easy, as we have said, to pre-
j dict the ruin of the American Republ
= as that Of the French Empire. One 70
lows as surely as the other, from th
premises assumed. 1t need not be sal
!, that both will go down on the same da.
o. That we cannot say. But it will be
, curious sight, perhaps, some day, to Sc
! the American Republic fall into Imperia
t ism, and French Imperialism rise into
. | Republic"