Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-25

of this principle to lis domestic life.
This of itself would be fata to our hber-
ties. There has been no instance in
history, where in a nation of any con-
siderable territorial extent, or Of large
aggregate population, communal free
dom has been destroyed, that it was not
likewise destructive of its liberties, and
with few exceptions of its material pros
perity. Spain rose to her greatest
splendor, and developed her most memo
rable enterprises, when the States of
Aaragon and CASTLE enjoyed In their
seperate cortes that naughty freedom be
| fore which her stoutest monarch bowed.
When Charles Y. with his iron hand
crushed the franchises Of these distinct,
/ though united States, and blent all into
one integral whole, Spain began her long
descent from q proud eminenee, thatter-
minated only when she reached the
| lowest abasement.
But if there IS no indication that self
government will again revert to the
States, there is still less evidence that
the licentious career Of democratic forces
will be arrested, or that democracy in
America will fail in Its eccentric courses /
to reach that despOtism, which has been
in history inevitable. This predOmi-
nance Of the demos paulsites (the
name by which the eaustic Aristophanes
scourged this pest of all republics) will
BY virtue of Its own necessities, if no
other hindrance interposed, prevent the
restoration of self-government to the
States For such a consumation would
be its own death-warrant. Without the
reinstatement into our system of State
automny, the only solid foundation, on
which our fathers based their hopes of
either legal or stable liberty, has
disappeared from the structure of Amer
lean freedom. Therefore the fabric
must fall. In a Republic there must be
a practical check on the viii of mere
! numerical Dpaj0ritjeS. Written constitu-
tions are utterly inefficient for this end.
In our system State rights were in
tended to supply this practical restraint
on behalf of minOrities. This principle
ljlse,otse reSULted iR hGviAg expressed IN
| the Government the t0U Of the greatest
eumber. Thus in two directions it
operated Conservatory, and at the same
time preserved the largest amount of
popular liberty. This element has been
exscinded by force from our body polite,
and the Republic is now at the mercy Of
a caprieious majority, however small
No Republic ever long survived this
condition. Ours with a population, not
homogeneous, certainly cannot.
If, however. rational hope could be
entertained that democracy might be
repressed Snd the republican forces
acquire viSr and aseendancy in the
State, this breach in the wall might be
repaired. But can this hope be
cherished On what grounds can it be
expected, that we shall in this regard be
rescued from the'hard fortunes that have
overwhelmed all republics which have
preceded us? Certainly it would be a
most unphilosophical egotism to suppose
that there are in our people special
virtues, which will exempt them from this
historic fate, and that they in cOntradis-
tinction to all others in like situation can
redeem themselves from Ltcir Olrn fall
re-entering by their own merit their lost
political paradise. They failed to pre-
serve the vestal fires lighted on revolu-
tiOnary altars and allowed them to
expire in cold dead ashes Whence will
they recall a Promethean spark with
which again to renew the sacred fame
Is it probable that the prospective in
migrations from Europe, which must
pour in eeaseless thousands on our shores, |
will be better instructed in constitutional
liberty, than were those that preceded
them, or than our own native genera
tions? Hardly is it to be expected.
Already this democratic element has
promulgated the doctrine, that the |
Executive and Judicial departments
must be in accord with the legislative (
that whatever the legislative will may
be, of right ought to be the will Of the
Executive and the judgement of the
Court. This conformity is to be pro-
cured at all hazards, by means fair or
foul. This is on the boldly avowed /
ground, that the legislative department
is the people, alone authorized to speak
for them, and its determinations are to
be the sHprensd Je.r, which is to be de-
clared from time to time according to
the tone and temper of momentary
majorities. AT this rate how long will
it be, before we have an Athenian dikas-
terry to adjudicate the rights of property,
liberty and life The advance of this
radical force in its lcentious career will
be found by any reflective mind to have
been already fearfully rapid. Its pace
will continue to be accelerated, and it
requires no prophetic vision to see that
it will reach the destined goal more
promptly with US, than ever before in
the history Of the world, if we except
France. All the outward forms of the
Republic will doubtless be maintained
for a long time, just as the Consuls and
Senate survived in external pomp the
death of Roman liberty, and Aouted be-
fore the multitude in impotent splendor
beneath the rule Of Imperial Caesars,
those badges Of a power, that once gave
law to subject empires-the former
reduced to the grade of petty magis-
trate-the latter enjoying in fact only
titular dignity. Such will be the fate
Of our republican forms, long surviving
their departed vigor, and only used by
whatever despotism may be in the
ascendant as the veil of the phrophet of
Khorassen to conceal from the public
eye its horrid deformity, and reconcile
popular pride and restiyeness to what
ever usurpation may be deemed expedi-
ent. Already the PretOrian influence is
great in the commonwealth, and the
question is now asked with terrible fre-
auency, when discussing political con
tingencies, " how will the army 90 ?"
The whole Republic looks wonderfully
like a martial camp, and the Jannisary
bears about him the impress Of concious
power All the ruin here depicted will