The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-25
THE NOVEMBER MAGAZINES.
"uARPER's."

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS was not JOnu Dun, anu
whose remarks, therefore, need not be carried
into the Alabama account-came TO this coun-
try travelled everywhere observing with great
care-fOr he was in training for public nte-and
at his departure he said:-"l had great conf
denCc in everything until | came to washington;
but when ! saw Congress and the rest of the
Government | began to doubt This was his
confirmation of De Tocqueyille's observation
thirty years before, that in the United States
the best men avoid politics, and are not to be
found in public life. But it was striking
that little while after the shrewd European
whose name was not John Bull made that re-
mark, John Bright said the first four hundred
men who passed any point in the Strand world
make as good a House of Commons as that
which was elected by the voters. There was a
fond tradition in this country, Or more truly,
there was a fashion of saying that the Senate of
the United States was the most dignifcd and i'm
posing body in the world. Yet when Webster
Clay, Calhoun, and other noted men were Sena-
tors, President jackson dCplOrcd its dcgrddu-
uon-the proof being that IL did not agree with
him. There are various reasons which explain
the shrewd foreigners feeling. llehad been pro-
toundly impressed, not only with the extent ana
resources of the country, but with tue character
of the people, whose conduct OF the war hai
kinded his Imagination. When ne came 10
Washington TO see Congress, which he knew 70
be the freely chosen representatives OF that peo-
pie he unconsciously expected TO see visible
Manifestation of the great qualities Wnlcl ne
had perceived and admired, Is it strange to
any one WHO is IdullillI VIII our hOulC caucus
system that he was rather ludicrously dlsap-
pointed?
Again. the abstract conception of a legislature
is that of body OF intelligent men seeking, by
amicabe debate, the best policy for the public
welfare. But actually hall of legislation is
likely 10 become an unedifying spectacle Mem
bers are reading newspapers, chatting, laughing
and walking about. They are busiy writing
rapping for pages, yawning. and sleeping. One
may be addressing the chair, and half a dozen
may be listening TO him. There is a general
listlessness and distraction, and the puzzled
spectator wonders how anything is ever accom-
plished This. too, is OF course a disappoint-
ment: and as the traveller who has been antici-
patng a half-imagnary scene behOlds the
reality, although he may have had experience
of legislatures in other countries, he finds that
he had expected in 4 new country and under a
different system more stately and satisfactory
assembly.
But ii such reasons should be considered
little fine and airy, the explanation may very
well be found in the fact that Congress is, in
great part the creation OF politicians not of the
people. 1t is in vain TO say that in this country
every man ought to he 4 politician, and that
therefore il is pity to make the word a re-
prOach. In this country, it is true, every citi-
zen ought to interest himself in politics. The
man who votes should have some in teligent idea
Oi the subject upon which his vote is cast, which
is merely u form of expressing his opinion. This
is universal duty. But the word politician has
come to describe those who carry this obligation
10 bAtCSS: WHO MOI Only tltCIQ 10 IItlE pOllJlCal
duties. hut to nothing else, and who insist upon
managing the. similar duties OF other people.
And not this only, but il describes those who,
instead of making politics duty, make them
trade; who look to them for pccmiary advantage,
or for the qualification Of a selfish ambition.
These classes make politics OnerOus and OdiOuS
and perilOus. They necessarily degrade the
standard of character for public life, and they
foster the most enormous corruption. Under
their manipulation a seat in Congress Is often
the fruit Of intrigue, of fraud, or OF outright
purchase. The result is, that rs rule, the
ablest and best men OF party are not those who
are elected to high Office.
1t would be unfair. however. not to recognize
that those who are elected are very profoundly
influenced by those who are not. II il bc true,
as De TocqUeville said, that the best Americans
are not seen in political life ittis no less true
that they are felt in it. The Congress which
disappointed the observer whose name was
not John Bull turns a very sensitive ear
TO those who gave him his lofty impression
of American character. Even the most
reckless party manager, who utterly
suits, dcfers to Il vague public of q purcr tone
so that the conduct Of bad men Is not wholly
bad. Meanwhile, however, the tendency is de-
piorable; and uncontrolled power and constant
success lead such men always more swiftly 10
total contempt of deccncy and honor rs able
and yirtuOus men are excluded from public life
ability and virtue will inevitably be less valued
Qualities that are not seen will not be believed
10 CAlSl. anu 5NC llCn Will Jt llOlC anu lilDlt
excluded the government OF the country
passes more and more into the hands of poll
ticians.
The perception Of this fact explains great
deal of the Toryism of political thought in this
country An intelligent American Tory. and he
may unquestonably be found says plainly
when this Government began it was an expert
ment. All the leaders knew il aud said il. 1t
would have been equally true if they had not.
The experiment of popular institutions was a
common phrase down to the late war. Does not
our respected friend the Easy Chair some
where say that Mr.. Bancroft the historian once
remarked that his history must necessarily
stop with the formation Of the ConstitU-
tiOn. because all that follows is experiment.;
Whether the Easy Chair reported it or
not, Mr. Bancroft certainly made the remark.
Now, then, what is the result OF the eXpCri-
ment? ! ask as Il philosopher as a man
of science, and l don't care 70 be referred TO the
literature of the Fourth Of July for an answer.
The result is, that the will of the people is no
more expressed here than IL has been in England
during the same time. There the government
has been controlled by the most intelligent class
of men in the kingdom: here it has fallen from
the control of the most intelligent almost TO that
of the least. Now then, prefer the rule of aa
educated, well-bred, honorable, and consciously
responsible class TO that OF the opposite class:
and therefore l think government of austo-
cratsis better than one of politicians Show me the
way to throw OFF. the yoke of the politicians and
10 restore Washington, Hamilton, and jefferson
every year to our politics, and ! am with You.
But not only do not see such a way, bat | think
see that ii constantly becomes more difficult to
discover. Wien the experiment began, and we
had the traditions of the old Government, the
best men in the country were its public repre-
sentatyes; but as the experiment has advanced,
and we have outgrOWn those traditions, / beg
leave to doubt whether the same fact can be
observed. Perhaps il is not in consequence OF
the new system; but it, as seems 10 be true, il is
nd nv gOnpi1pDpp ie pli