The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-02-02
OLE Urlb1llle.
A REPURLEC FEAagE.

a REPUBLIC H EEAagE.
The following article from the James
vile Gazette is 50 clear and so fully cor
responding with our views, that we shall
have TO copy it entire for the benefit of
our readers:
Society is made up of parts hound to-
sether by ties Whssch have their founda
ton in the human constitution. The
hopes and fears OF men are represented,
as each pTepondeFate, not only IN con-
situations and statues, but in events, to
which human actions give direction and
character. The lowest forms Of organ
lied society are governed almost entirely
by appeals to the fears Of men. The
few who govern in such society, find it
necessary In order to fortify and perpet-
nate their power, to make Il great many
assumptions, hypocricy and the dishonesty
OF which, TO more intelligent men, are
apparent at glance. The medicine
man of the North American Indian is
fair type of this class Of men, and
among the ruling class, in every DEPART
ment of civilized society, in both church
and state. there can be found men who,
In their conduct. are more closely allied
to the medicine men that might be in
ferred from a knowledge Of the length of
time since our foretather's rShipped
at Stonehenge aud fought in tribes and
clans. Governments ofall kinds have a
tendency toward despotisin, because
man Individually Is more disposed to
govern without acknowledging any
authority higher thar himself or hold
ing himself amenable to any standard
of principles which will make his con
science and not his cupidity the arhiter
of his acts. When men are sufficiently
intelligent they cease all this shaun and
nonsense, and address the reason of men
in behalf Of such restraints as are nee
essary for the government Of society, and
powers granted with this view are ex
crcssed as an agent would exercise the
power granted hy his superior. The
hopes OF nsn are appealed to for organ
lied effort on principles which promise
mutual blessing. But when men as
sumo to exercise power as Of right, hu-
man or divine, then III order to sustain
such pretentlons, tricks and shams be
come necessary, and the successor to the
medicine man becomes paint lilly appar-
sRt.
The present extraordinary inncture Of
affairs IN France has enabled the repub-
hcan leaders TO infiict vast amount of
suffer - on the country because they
were not willing to submit the question
OF their newly acquired power 10 the
popular Judgement. Professcdy they
rule III the name and by the authority
OF the people, but III reality their pow
er IS not well authorised as was that
of Napoleon. Wien the empire passed
away the hope Of successful resistance
was gone also and II the new rulers had
possessed the courage TO at least have
made an effort to bring the people to
see the abaurdity of attempting with an
undisclpined army what disciilned
one had failed to accomplish, they would
have performed q service FIR their couil
try OF very great merit. Untol,. suffer
ing. Immense loss, and destruction of
property, which will require many years
of patient toll to replace might have been
avoided and France saved from that
great depth Of humiliation toward which
events are rapidly Fastening her Aud
all this IN the name of the republican
government while refusing to comply
with the palnest obligation of such an
assumption. The Importance of the
state Of the country and the Impending
fate OF her highest interests required
alter the tall of the imperial power that
the representatives Of the people should
have been assembled so that the re-
sponsibility for the administration of the
government. whether the war was con-
tinued or ended, should from that mo-
ment have been brought home to every
citizen and thus in the midst of great
events ;he people made to feel that the
government was theirs. The course,
however, which Gambetta, Favra and
their associates have pursued has not
only left no hope for the continuance, or
rather the establishment, of Il republican
government but has shaken the CONT
dence Of friends Of free government
everywhere in the ability of the leaders
OF this movement TO comprehend the
conditions necessary to the perpetuity
Of liberal political institutions. Still
worse is this infleity to free govern.
ment because the people are content
with It. The occasion which has been
suffered to pass, ought to have been
Improved by the republican leaders to
instruct them bettar. But it seems as
shosagh the habits Of personal and dee
potlc government are SO firmly estab-
ilshed IN the national character thar
there is little or no hope that when the
war closes anything better than the
empire was, will be possible.