Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-06-12
GOVERNMENT rom IKE rEepLE

. Z ~ Z T.
eoyERyMENT FOR rIrE PEOPLE
1.-THE bestgovern ment for the people,
says the Lagrange tGao Reporter,
Is that which secures the greatest
amount of happiness and content
nient, aud that form Of government
:; which Is best adapted to the genius
and spiritlof the people Is the most
stable, whether 1t be monarchial on
republican. 70 an enlightened and
Christian people, the extreme of mon
nrchy will not secure the ends desired.
Where intelligence Is universal and
patriotism is the ruling spirit, the
largest liberty may. he allowed. a
population like this country, with a
large class OF the people ignorant and
mncquainted with the genius of any
kindof government, there is middle
ground of republicanism which may
better conduce to general happiness
and contentment. Ignorance Of re.
publican principles and a democratic
form OF government. They reliable
to construe them into lieentious free
dom, and thus become the subjects of
the spirit of mobocracy. Therefore,
is requires the highest standard OF in
teiligence for a people to be capable
OF self-government, and that must be
tempered bya conservative patriot
ism, resolved into the following prop
csitions. 4-l 'i t5.I
" I. Love of country and equitable
. preferring these to self
interests and personal aggrandise-
ments. ,f.Hif Hs. H-""E
2. The greatest amount of good to
the greatest number of people. aH
i'1 3. The franchise to be exercised
solely with the view of promoting the
public good instead of partisan inter-
ests. .....r... ...t
/ 4. Opposition to sectional or class
legislation.
These are four propositions which
must be adhered to If republican
form of government Is to proye sue
cessful. The people must understand
them, or they are unfit for self gov
ernment. They cannot understand
them unless there is patriotism
enough among the moulders of and
leaders i'm public opinion to teach
them these simple doctrines. These
underst bod there Is no doubt Of the
success Of republican government.
The great difficulty in republican
government IL, tleast in this country,
the selfishness of the leaders of pub
lie opinion, and the ignorance of the
great mass Of people i'm regard even
to the first principles of government.
Tho former of these have not scrupled
to take advantage of this ignorance
to advance themselves to power and
to appropriate the spoils of office TO
their own pccuniary aggrandise-
ments. The latter have allowed
themselves to be content to leave the
affairs OF the government solely i'm
the hands of personal and partisan
friends, and being thus arrayed i'm
party lines, they have been trained to
regard party a. shaving superior claims
upon tlIeir allegiance, while country
and good government is unintention-
Ally ignored if not entirely forgotten
In the strife for partisan power and
supremacy. Indeed, so slavish have
the people become in their adherence
to partisan demands, that few have
the moral courage to break from the
lines even when their eyes are opened
70 the basest corruptions.
These evils cannot be remedied as
long ms the frequency of popular cleo
lions remain. A qualified suffrage
and longer intervals in the exercise
of the elective franchise, would have
the tendency to check partisan cx-
ecsses and give the people more time
to canvass the various policies ofgov-
eminent submitted to the decision of
their votes. The period for calm re-
Election should be lcngthened, and the
people should he trained thoroughly
in the school Of true republican gov
eminent and learned TO think for
themselves and not for party. In
stead of following blindly the dictates
OF ambition and selfish party-leaders.
they should learn to follow the teach
ings Of n conscientious regard for the
good of the whole people. Instead of
buying Justice they should demandit
from those who are their official
agents and servants.
The people thus educated and
trained, republican form of govern
inept, with certain wholesome llmi-
tation TO the elective franchise, to be
exercised at longer intervals. is GER {
tainly the best form of government
for this country. Without such re-
'orm, IL Is impossible TO have good
ana peaceful government. Without I
I the spirit Of sectional preludices
Will always have n strong influence
n the destiny Of the government S
With less frequent elections this in- |
luence may he made les potent, be-
anse sectional preludices would be
ess frequently appealed 10. N