The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-08-20
MONARCHY IN RNGEAND.
The Drift Toward Republican Institutions
81 Views OF an Eminent English Il
800 r Liberal. $500 sz

Hon. John NJ. Francis, of the Troy
Times, now visiting England, sends to
his paper an elaborate article on the po-
htical situation in England, which was
written at his request by one of the
prominent Liberals and political econo-
mists of England, closely. allied with
John Stuart Mills, Mr.. Francis writes,
lnadVocaey of political reforms. The
views of this gentleman are very bold,
as viii be seen from the following, which
lis the conclusion of his article: -
Americans may ask what are the
chances that republican institutions viii
arise in England That is the question
to which the most sagacious and beSt-in-
formed political, student may hesitate to
give an answer. Without offering a
positive reply,sI shall set down one or
two considerations which present them
selves to the minds of thinking men,
: In the first place, as 4 have already
said, tits fraction of the people, only
the philosophical radicals, who mani
fest any ardent wish to subject the mon
archical institutions of the country TO a,
Revolutionary change, and the great
bulk of the people are staunch advocates
of the throne. On the other hand, so
were the people of France before they
pulled down their ancient monarchy
and set up a Republic. The causes that
brought about the French Revolution,
it is true, have no existence in England,
wehre 10 one dreams of anything like a
revolution. Such calamity is utterly
beyond the bounds OF probability. At
the same time, the institutions in which
the English monarchy is based are only
one by one crumbling away. The day
is not very far off when the House of
Lords shall become an elective chamber.
Tho CnnnPStI tinns UnnRratiOl1 w hIch once
formed the buttress of hereditary rank
is undergoing rapid decline. Thanks
to the American civil war, which taught
us that Republic might display almost
unexampled seif-sacrifce, and at one
bound attain a prodigions military pow
er. American institutions have ceased
TO inspire our people with contempt, if
not with dread ear by year, also, the
power OF the House &C CeInmons is
growing, and that of the Peers and the
Crown is declining+g With as much
centuries the English people have been
engaged sin eating up. the King Bit
by bit they have been niastieating him !;
he lost his head long ago, and all that
remains is a piece of the scepter, so
small that it can hardly be grasped, and
an ample display of Kingly robes, which
1T has not been thought worth while to
cut away. The question is, therefore,
whether an institution which has lost
all but fraction of its old power, and
which is rapidly losing it's old props,
can look forward to long lease of life
in days when every institution has,
sooner or later, to give reason for its
existence. Some thinkers cynically say
that memorable incident in your own
war fore-shadows the fate of the Eng
fish crown. Long before the fall of
Richmond, it was declared that the Con-
tederacy was like an egg, with Il hard
but bitter shell, and soft inside. Break
the shell, it was said, and the great slave
State will at once collapse. BY march
ing through Georgia, Sherman did chip
the shell; and the whole world knows
the result Now, it is possible that the
British monarchy is little more than a
shell, which, through combination of
circumstances that may easily come
about, may unexpectedly and suddenly
yield to a very slight pressure. If,
while n weak and pPofllgate Prince were
seated on the throne, powerful and
popular Minister swayed the House of
Commons as completely as Mr.. Glad
stone sways that assembly at the present
moment; if the country were agita ted
by some such question as the eXpedien-
cy of taking away legislative power
from the hereditary peerage; and if the
Court were to set itself against the coun-
try, the regal prerogative would not be
worth many years purchase. And none
of the contingencies which l specify is
improbable. Each may yet be translat-
ed into fact at the same time. But what
ever form the Government of England
may ultimately assume, one thing is
clear, that England is drifting away
from her old constitutional moorings,
drifting with rapidity which increases
every year, and drifting toward great
democratic future. - esg- r