New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-12


making bay while the sun shines, for hay can
be made lust as we'll in the midst of north
easterlv storm. 1t is all very we'll, we dare
say, for the farmers but pray what are the
poets to dof a..
" personal POWER" IN GOVERNMENT
The force and extent of the remarks attrib-
uted TO NJ. Theirs, that personal power Is at
AN endH-that ats day is past, not only IN
"France. but in all Europe will be pest
ornrociated if we remember for how many
aces almost all political power has been
(" norsonal.n For it makes but small variation
IF tbe fact to cite instances in which the royal
MIGHT has been restrained by an aristocracy,
sjrco such restraint brought no permanent
ameioration of popular suffering Pqt Ea!heT
increased it. In the restiveness of turbulent
nobility there was neither peace, safety nor
banniness for the oppressed masses. Indeed,
instances are by no means wanting In history
of peoples who have found relief from the
exactions Of the nobility in the protecuon Oh
the crown, Just as sometimes the crown mas
been restrained in it's turn by the feudai lorus'
But in either case the personality" whethef
conferred in the throne or distributed among
tbo mobiles, afforded to the lower and non
noble classes only precarious defense In
either case and even when the Government
was technically styled Republican" the poor
and the ignorant and often submissive CROWDS
srhmitted to the worst forms of oppression
with hardly murmur. and were regarded Dy
the Government very much as 1t regarded the
beasts that perish There was sometimes nerce
and unreasoning protest-wronged human
poture sometimes rose in desperate and nope
less rebellion; but the majority of MANKIND
submitted 10 wrong and outrage with scarcely
the instinct of resistance.
The first step toward the emancipation OIL
Europe was in tho full establishment OIL 'ho
feudal polity. The people found freedom anu
safety, when otherwise they would have Deeh
slaves of monarchy, in the bravery OF Ihe
feudal lords, and in their fierce resistance 10
the Capitalization of power. The obligations
of the lord and his tenant were reciprocal.
" Tn the reciprocal services says Hallam' OF
"lord and yassal, there was ample scope Tor
" every magnanimous and disinterested energy
| The evil of the system was that 1t stu, WIN
| all its benefits, was based upon the idea Oh
seryitude The great lord might be the tyrant
Of his vassals even while protecting them from
| the Crown, or from the cruelties OF neighDor-
ing mobiles. In some countries, the power OF
the mobiles was gradually divided with the
monarchy, unti of course, the general ten
dency of public affairs was toward an
absolute despotism, under which the
people were left without their ancient guardians,
and exposed to every enormity OF cruelty
From this the commissions and storms of the
first French Revolution came TO deliver the
masses; and since that time, in spite of violent
reactionary periods, the progress OF Europe
toward an abandonment of the personal
system Of government has been unmistakable
The influence of the American Republic upon
the world has been vast and irresistible; the
general education of the masses has borne its
| legitimate fruit; and tho roSult must uhques-
tionably be q general adoption of the legisla'
tive system by a majority of civilized nations
This presumes popular advancement In IN
telligence, which popular education cannot fail
10 secure, while the diffusion OF liberal Chris
| tiauity, increasing the general sensltlVeness 70
moral obligations, will be felt even by those
nations which are abandoned to skepticism
InGdel Germany, infdel France. Protestantized
| Spain. will alike acknowledge the equality and
brotherhood OF man. This may be mere mo-
rality, but it is a morality which the grooming
globe has very much needed. and for the past
absence OF which the Church is heavily re-
sponsible
1t is consOlatory reflection that, in this great
! era of progress our own Republic is no lag
gard. The effects of our abolition of Slavery
upon the future history of the world cannot
fail to be great and beneficial, for Slayehold-
ing, with all its pretension to patriarcbal benih-
cence was one of the worst abuses of "per-
"sonal pOwerp which the world has ever
witnessed. So, too, the abolition of serfdom in
Russia may result in an immediate increase of
the Imperial authority; but this must in time
be mitigated by the enlarged intelligence of
the emancipated. The Inconvenience which
often follow m act of political justice cannot
be denied. They must be encountered and
overcome ...
How far a mild and benefcent system Of
monarchy may be considered with popular hap
| piness, we need not here inquire. 1t must be
admitted that the whole historical experience
Of the world Is against it. In America we
have enjoyed democracy without anarchy. and
we have proved that popular institutions are not
only beneficent, but strong But it Is safe to
say that IL monarchs continue to occupy their
thrones they must do so under proper legisla-
tive restraints. The worlds political happiness
must hereafter depend upon the establishment
and preservation of representative system
governed by popular enlightenment and mo-
raty. Monarchs, by yielding the Substance of
power, may continue to keep the shadow of
royalty-thc external pomp which they love so
we'll. This they may do; but the old abuses,
the shameful misuse of personal power the