The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-28
History being Repeated.

t1lSIOT DSlAS 1scESeSSN>'
LEcsEY, the great political philosopher, III
his book on European Morals" gives Us
some interesting chapters on the homan em'
pire, which speak to US by example ID rear
nl manner. They relate to the effects OF
slavery and the manner of its abolition. In
Rome the slaves belonged to men OF the
same race with the slaves themselves, which
wonderfully mitigated the consequences OF
the manner of abolition in Rome compared
with the effects of the mode Of abolition III
this country, where the slaves were OF ais
tinct race from that to which the slaYehold'
ers belonged.
In Rome there were, first of oil, the bad
effects OF slavery-its degradation of labor
and its Punishment of free labor-its incul-
Gallon of idleness and apathy amongst the
children Of slayeholders-an its bad moral
effects through the idea that the slaves must
minister to the pleasures Of the class OF mas
tcrs. Then came the terrible effects OF
abolition. The fanatic and the dema-
gogue were there as they are here,
and along with abolition came general
suffrage, the "New Jerusalem OF
the dcmagogue, the exaltation OF the slave,
tee Frcedmen'S Bureau (sor corn was dis
tributed at public expense amongst the en-
franchisedb and great many consequences
so closely resembling those we have seen
and so disastrou>ly felt in this country that
in reading LEcKEY's account we forget our
selves. and are almost ready to charge him
with the gift of prophecy and with painting
our own horrible situation. "
Finally, he shows that all this opened the
way to arbitrary power. The general equal
iy broke down all conservatism in the Gov.
crnment and left no shield, no protection
for liberty between the ruler and the people
in their general and numerical relation. 1t
was, indeed, the end Of liberty III Rome. All
fell down and Casarism 1ourished oyer
them.
Our own case is aggravated tenfold be-
You'd that OF the condition of Rome. There
the slaves were of the same race with the
masters, and were easily absorbed and lost
in the general population. But here the
slave is so distinct from the Shareholder that
he never can be absorbed or his former rela.
ton be obiterated by time. His skin cannot
De changed any more than his mental ca!ible
and disposition. lie must be ever the De-
gro. Sothat We must submit TO all the con-
sequences that flow from the manner Of his
liberation and from his immediate eDdoW-
lnent with all the rights of citizenship, and
We must be veXed and the public Interests
impaired by the inSuperable obstacle to fra
tcrnity which exists between him and tue
class 10 which the slave0wner belonged. 1t
is al the world to nothing in the compari.
son.
AS in Rome, the process Of abolition here
has destroyed the conservative principle OF
the Government, and we are brought iace
to face with the same consequences that ap-
peared in the government of that once
greatest Republic in the world, whatever
may be said of this "model Republic" Of
ours "to the contrary notwithstanding"
We have contem poraneously with this his
tory Of abolition the humiliation of the con.
seryatiye checks, the obstruction of the shield
which was designed by the trainers of the
Constitution to protect the people from
usurpation. We mean the power and dig
nifty of the States, and we are, like Rome in
similar stage of her history, deDuded of al
conservatism, all guardianship from the in
roads OF an aggressive, powerful, and cen
ralized.government.
Then, too, we have, like Rome. an i'm
mense territory, varied temperatures, variet
interests, and discordant populations to gov
crn-eyery element Of disintegration, ever!
requirement for powerful and arbitrary rul,
which existed in Rome. The circumstance
of the times are more favorable to power
than they were then. Every invention o
art facilitating the movements and knoHl
edge of communities but tends to strengthen
power and discourage resistance.
Now, then, we are exactly in the coudi
ton to invite arbitrary authority. We hav
it, indeed, ard we are to have more of it
Look at the third term. Common rumo
accuses the President OF aspiring to 1t. Th'
President denies it not. The leading STAT,
in the Union treats it with loyal reticence.
History but repeats itself. Power is here
and it must be greater. We say that under
the auspices Of power we are likely to dea
more successfully with the dreadful socia
problem which nsw agitates the land, and il
I'LL, 4 a has {<
fear from it as the North. Indeed, we art
already used to it.
Let people say what they may-let " old
time" philosophers philosopher. WE tell
them we are repeating history. 1t it useless
to deplore it and reason against tit is here.
We wonder how MORTON Is upon the
third.term. Heis with CoNKLING In regiying
4, >tsk t.