The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-18
governmental Theory and Practice.


,,,,.,, =. &C has been ever the case In
countries where Repubsicahism nas 80.
tried, Republican principles nave u s,,a
.'r;s,aa and distorted to suit the ends snu
nurnoses Of personal ambition. ana p'a ~
.nr.nnv and corruption. Injustice anu VI
r;rnssson have assumed the apparel OF hs
nuhlicanisn,, and the grossese wrongs Aa.e
Neon nernetrated in its name. ouo., .us
,re,art nf /" preserving the RepuDhc anu
q saving the life Of the naIion' VA. IS ss
,,on has been trodden in the aus.' anu Inc
uhor,ies il declared TO belong 10 tne stases
ond rho neople withheld or suppressed.
Tsa yerv conservative checks and bal
.,nos which our forefathers inserted In the
zane of government they left us have been
nsryerted to the destruction of the rights
i, was believed they would guard. LOOK
at the Senate of the United States. That
being the representative OF States -Massa'
cbusetts having there the same represents
tive mower that New York has-the SIX New
England States. Inferior in population and
wealth to New York, having six times the
nower in the Senate that New York hast
,vas sunnosed that it would go far to guard
ond nrotect the States from injustice ana
;n;urv But we now find all those small
states the leading advocates OF the oroad
csutrslizing policy which SO nearly destroys
State authority that the States are httie or
M more 10 the United States than county
is 10 State.
The Supreme Court, another snelo' IL
was supposed, against unconstituCioiia,
laws of Congress, we have seen reauceo
to mere register Of the will OF congress
Tx the revolution of that court, through us
increase In numbers and the appointment
Of mere partisans to ill the places oil the
distinguished and virtuous men who con-
stituted it in the days before the sectionai
hate and the rancors OF war prompteo 'le
acts Of the Government.
The disappointment OF the nope OF pi0-
lection from these sources follower quion
nnon the failure of the alleged right OF
secession, thus leaving the States compos-
inc the Republic without protection from
the central power, save in the VIII OF the
majority of the people of the Union, anu
that puts to flight all the theories OF pro-
lection for the minorities, and leaves 1ne
States subjected to the will of the voice OF
numbers-another name for force.
r, the Inconsistencies that have appeared
in the history of the country 1t IS curious
tn observe how many of the States nave
changed positions. When we read the pro-
tests with which some Of the States ratineo
the Constitution-the purport OF Wh'ch
protests were SO much like IN assertion OF
the right to resist unjust laws OF the ma
iioral Government, and to secede from the
Union-and then see where those states
now are, we must be struck with the
change that has come over them. Massa-
chusetts and the New England States were
strongly inclined to notification. indeed,
Massachusetts practiced it. She refused 10
FIGHT in the second war with Great Britain.
She furnished no men. and yet demanded
pav from the Federal Treasury for very
shabby show of defence she made OF her
own little fishing towns! SO late as the
Mexican war she voted herself out OF the
Union. and refused to do anything to help
the Government in that war. Nothing was
ever zone WIN hdSSlSliu'Ses' IVA A~>
tulnacy; but she has taken the LEAD IN III
measures to reduce other States to subms-
sion to the will Of the Government.
Another singular fact is that some OF the
southern States, Virginia amongst them.
have brought to bear the alleged Republic.
can right of instruction upon the united
States Senate, thus suhjecting it to popular
changes and diminishing its efficiency rs Il
conservative body restraining the storms OF
popular passion.
One day we find the great leaders OF the
public councils pronouncing measures De-
neticcnt and constitutional which the next
they inveighed against as both oppressive
and unconstitutional, and Uice rersd. states
have supported measures which they a'ter-
wards opposed with violence Of passion
that shook the Union.
What is the lesson to he derived from
these facts? That no matter what sort q
a government nation lives under, there Is
no protection from the caprice and folly OF
the people, and the pride, ambition, cor
ruptiou, and tyranny, of men in power.
PoPE's maxim is, after all, the true one:
"For forms Of govern ment let fools contest
That which is best administered is best"
And yet all these remarkable things In
our political history ale not cause for de-
Spair or dependency. Conditions OF the
country which We're constantly presenting
themselves in new forms in its infancy
were calculated to produce these strange
Inconsistencies. Peculiar views Of locali-
ties in religion, morals, and social life,
generally accounted for many eccentricl-
ties which have disturbed the national har-
grew out Of them.
But the war is over. The attempt to di-
vide the country failed. The immense
power and resources of the land are grad
ual!y overriding local pccuiiarities and as
sinilating the States. Whether the growth
and power and the undeniable supremacy
of the Federal Government is natural and
indispensable concomitant Of this immense
national strength it is needless to discuss
II is a fact. Certainly there will be great
consolation to all sections il under the per-
vadiug and irresistible power of the Gov
ernment there shall he social and poltl-
cal harmony that shall remove, or even de
minish, the disposition to and danger Of
sectional collisions.
The nation once settled down and the
States placed upon just equality-the
passions of war and sectional prejudices
of the country assuaged or modified by
time-we cannot see why there should not
be great deal OF contentnent along with