The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-06-11

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Nor does the similitude end here; fol
his rings, like those of the planets, are
held in position by satellites, How this
utterly unrepublican Cesarism has mas.
tered the Republican party, and dictated
the Presidential will, extending into the
Senate Chamber itself, while vipdict.
i've spirit visits good Republicans who
can not submit; how the President him.
self, unconscious that the President has
no right to quarrel with anybody, in.
sists upon quarreling, until he has be,
come the great Presidential duarreler
with more quarrels than all other Pres.
idents together, and all began and con,
tinued by himself; how his personal fol.
lowers back him in quarrels, insult those
he insults, and then, not departing from
his spirit, cry out, with Shakespeare
ave will have rings and things and fine
array" And finally, how the chosen
head of the Republic is known chiefly
for his Presidential pretensions, utterly
indefensible in character, deregatory to
the country, and full of evil influence
making personal objects a primary pur.
suit, so that, instead of benifcent pres
ence, he is a. bad example through
whom Republican institutions suffer and
the people learn wrong.
Would that these things could be for
gotten! But since, through officious
friends, the President insists upon 8
second term, they must be considered
and nobody will vindicate them. 1t is
easy to see that Caesar is, even in Eu
rope, at discount; that personal Gov,
eminent has been beaten in that ancient
field, and that Caesar with a Senate al
his heels is not fit model for our Re
public. King George III. of England
so peculiar for obstinacy and madness
had retainers in Parliament, who went
under the name Of ''the Kings friends.
Nothing can be allowed here to justify
the inquiry: ''Have we King George
among uSY - ,... .,t -,
On that other question, have we &
party in the Senate of Kings, and per
sonal government is autocratic and 1t
direct conflict with republican govern
ment. A government of law, and moi
of men, is the object of republican gov
ernment. Nay, more, it is the destruc'
tive essence, without which it becomes
tyranny. Therefore. personal govern
ment in all its forms, and especially
when it seeks to sway the action of any
other branch, or overturn its constitu
tional negative, is hostile to the first
principles of republican institutions, ,and
an unquestionable outrage. That oul
President has offended in this way is
unhappily too apparent. s#
The President is civilian. To com
prehend the personal Government thai
has been installed over us, we must
know its author. His picture is nee
essary frontispiece. Not as soldier. lei
it be borne in mind, but as civilian
To appreciate his peculiar character as
civilian, it is important TO know his
triumphs as q soldier, for one is the
natural complement of the other. The
successful soldier is rarely changed to
the successful civilian. There seems an
incompatihility between the two, modi.
fed by the extent to which one has been
allowed to exclude the 3ther. One al.
ways a soldier can not late in life be
come statesmen. One always "a civ
ilian can not late in life become sol
dier. In modern Europe few soldiers
have been more conspicuous than Gus.
tavus Adolphus, and Frederick, some.
times called The Great. But we learn
that both failed ANONYMOUSLY in their
domestic policy, and showed themselves
as short sighted in the arts of peace as
they were sagacious in the arts of war
The judgment of Marlborough is pain.
ted, and while portraying him as the
greatest conquerer of the age-the hero
of hundred fights,victor of Blen helm
and Romulus-the same philosophical wri.
ter describes him as q man not only
Of most idle and frivolous pursuits, but
so miserablv ignorant that his defcien-
cies made him the ridieule of his con.
temporaries, while his novelties were
compounded Of selfshness and treach-
cry. Now was Wellington an excep.
ton. Though shining in the field with
out a rival, and remarkable for integri.
ty of purpose, unfinching honesty and
high moral feeling, the conqueror OF
Waterloo is described as nevertheless
utterly unequal to the complicated exi,
gencies of political life. Such are ex.
amples of history, each with its warn
ing. rs
1t would be hard to end anything in
the native endowments or in the train
ing of our Chieftain to make him an il
lustrious exception. At least nothing
of this kind is recorded Was nature
more generous with him than with Mari,
borough, or Gustavus, called Great ? OF
was his experience of life better prep
aration than theirs! And yet they fail.
ed, except in war. 1t is not known that
our Chieftain had any experience as a
civilian until he became President; nor
does any partisan attribute to him that
double culture which in antiquity made
the same man soldier and statesman
1t has been often said that he took nc
note of public affairs, never voting but
once in his life, and then for James Blu.
chanan. After leaving West Point be
became Captain in the army, but soon
abandoned the service to reappear al
later day as successful General
There is no reason to believe that he
employed the intermediate period in any
way calculated to improve him as 9
statesman. He was earning few hun
dred dollars year by tanning hides iu
Galena. By war he passed to be Pres,
ident, and such was his preparation 10
govern great republic, making it an
example to mankind
Something also must be attributed to
individual character, and here express
no opinion of my own. I shall allow
another to speak in solemn words, ECHOED
from the tomb On reaching Washing.
ton, at the opening Of Congress in De
cember, 1869, | was panied to hear tha,
Stanton, lately Secretary of War. was in
failing health Full of gratitude for his
unsnrnassed services. and with Senti.