Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-29
SHALL We HAVE AN EMPIRE f!
Feeling the Way.
From the New York Round Table.

From the New York Refund Table.
Is there any real danger that an
empire will be established among
us. 1t is a significant fact of the
times that the question is now very
often asked. This may mean much
or little, but people are not apt to
ask each other if there will be a
storm unless they see clouds in the
sky; and he who has not thought of
the matter before instantly looks
upward when the question is put to
him. 1t is probably true that most
Americans, when Intercepted on
this Imperial theme" still answer
with an incredulous smile. Yet it
is certainly true that in the climbs,
and in private society, in the
streets, in saloons, in churches, and
in theatres, the topic has of late
been discussed with as much ankle
ty as mirth, and that there are
some who have begun to persuade
themselves that no possible evils of
an empire could be greater than
those under which the country now
labors. What is there, ask such
malcontents, that an empire could
| work to our prejudice which cannot
nay, is not-effected under the
republic? Would an empire bring
heavy taxation? We pay already
| more than the people of imperial
France, and are worse off in this
than the French, that we see little
or nothing in the way Of improve.
ments for our money. Would an
empire bring corruption, misappro-
priation of national funds, sacrifice
of public for private interests 2
II is inconceivable that a single
ruler either could or would harm
us more in this wise than the do our
present despotic legislative assemb-
| lies. Would the administration of
| Justice be less secure, would a
greater number of murderers and
thieves escape punishment, would
there be less oppression from legal
delays and impediments than at
present, under an empire than un-
der a republic p? Experience does
not Justify an affirmative. There
| are more evils of these sorts in the
| United States to-day than in
| France. An elective judiciary and
a defective code are almost as effec-
tual in producing them as the worst
conceivable system under an auto
crat. Are our streets cleaner, oui
personal rights better guarded, oul
average happiness better secured
under a thoroughly selfish, igno
, rant, and INSCRIPTIONS oligarchy
{ flor, putting euphemisms aside, i
, | is Just such a government that W.
, living under-than under the be
/ nignant sway Of possible Angus
? tus z "..- ....
Such are some of the views AM
arguments of the imperialists; and
t waiving for a time the weight!
{ considerations 10 be brought agains
them, and which we have SO ia
f left untouched, let US glance a.
e | some ofthe circumstances that hav
a | arisen to inspire distrust of demo
8 | cratic institutions, and to promp
: discussion in behalf Of institution
n so opposite. In the first place,
e we divest ourselves of nations
= prejudice, we shall have no grea
:, difficulty in believing that, give
a the opportunity, offshoOts froI
J. either Of the other great Europea
j. nations would have no create
N trouble to-day in setting up An
is carrying out the principles
IT 1868 than our English forefatheI
" had. Geographical position. lin
/ tied numbers, abundant lands, FREE
D. dom from traditional bonds an
Y, limitations, and little stipulatin
IN tyranny from the mother countr
e, were admirably adapted to brin
IN about the result they did, and wit
lie Germans, French, Irish, or SPANS
It. today, other things being equa
k the result would doubtless be Il
tn same. But the foreign element
[r. not so far advanced as what