New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-27

she has already given an impetus 10 liberty
everywhere. 1t seems only yesterday tnat we
finished our war, but more brilliant results
have already followed our victory than ten
years ago the most hopeful of us expected TO
witness in life time. The first effect OF the
destruction of the rebellion which threatened
our existence was the destruction OF the
French empire which threatened the national
ity of Mexico. The surrender OF Gen. Lee
involved the ignominious retirement OF
Napoleon from his military occupation OF
neighboring republic, and with his failure no
doubt ended the last attempt to establish
monarchy on the North American continent
In the domestic administration of France the
American victory has also had its results. 1t
was unquestionably in consequence of the I'M
pulse thus given to liberalism that the En-
peror found it polite to relax the severity OF
personal government, and introduce some few
reforms and it is evident enough that, in
spite of the success of the plebscitum trick, still
further concessions to the people will soon be
necessary. With Great Britain our relations
are more intimate than with any
other European country, and there the lnflu-
ence of our revolution has been enormous. IL
is hardly too much to say that in Great
Britain the moral effect of our triumph over
Slavery swept away in half dozen years the
accumulated abuses of centuries. The reform
of representation and extension of the suffrage,
the overthrow of a tyrannical church estab-
lishment the redress of the Irish land grew
ance,-Teat political achievements all of them
were fastened many years, perhaps many gen.
hyy tho currpu1pr of Gen. Lee at
Appomattox. England has not rested, however,
with these works. The whole kingdom is
astir with the spirit of reform The abolition
of religious tests, the extension of education,
the establishment of the ballot, the introduce
ton of complete system of self-gOvernment
in the colonies, are the tasks now pressing for
accomplishment, and the present generation
may see a complete change in the relative po-
litical conditions of the two classes of English
society. Finally we have shamed Brazil and
Spain into doing something toward abOlishing
Slavery in their possessions, so that
in a few years more the last rem
nants of the curse must be destroyed
This is a part of what we have done during
the decade just closed. Ten years ago we
were reproach to civilized nations to-day
we are lIlc IlDtIdl VI biO NViiN' ~
any American wants to go back to the old
state of things we shall not quarrel with him
for being a fool for ourselves we like the
new glory better than the ancient shame and
trouble.
Yet in the face of this brilliant history the
survivors of the old despOhc party which kept
us degraded so long, and came so near de-
stroying us forever in the rebellion, take adj
vantage of the approaching anniversary of IN
dependence to tell Ills that we have been dread
fully in the wrong ever since 1860, and beg us
to return once more to the protection of "men
accustomed to govern These are the men
who bounded Lincoln and Wadsworth to their
graves, who burned orphan asylums, and
hanged inOffensive negroes to the lamp-pOsts.
These are the men who brought upon us
four years of terrible civil war, quar-
relied with all our devices for putting an end
to it, and now blame us for fighting. In their
survey of the decade there is no such vision
of progress as we have tried to paint; they
profess to see nothing but the exercise of ar
"bitrary force" Inscriptions men elevated
"to place by the accident of war;" a" outrages
"upOn private rights" " invasiOns of personal
elderly" The old cry of Hands off the Con-
"stitutionn Gas if that instrument were de-
signed not TO protect our liberties but to bind
us helpless while our liberties are destroyed,
is raised by them to-day with as much
persistency and as little meaning as it was
all through the war. They are still denouncing
the great struggle as most unconstitutional
and unwarrantable proceeding, and still predict
ing as they have predicted ever since 1861, the
speedy extinction of free government on this
continent unless the reactiOnary Democracy are
restored to power. The results of few local
elections-and especially the complete control
they have now secured of the great vote fac
tory in New York-have given them hope
of resurrection, and they purpose to rejoice.
"There is a prospect of better things"
they exclaim: "let us, then, celebrate this
"year, the birthday of the United States, con-
" fident that there is at hand restoration in
" all its completeness of our good old Govern
"ment, under which the people and the States
4" may again enjoy their rights" The Demo
cratic party has been making false prophecies
now pretty steadily for ten years, and in
prophesying its own resurrection it has GER
tainly made another. The "good old Govern
"mentn is gone forever, and the men who
destroyed it by their own folly and tried to
destroy the whole country with it, we never
can trust with power again. They may as well
keep the Fourth at Tammany this year as they
kept it in 1S69-cursing at the soldiers, and de-
nouncing the United States as country not
fit to live in.
THE GIN nntfIVrn prpnpTg