The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-11

THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. IL. 1875
The European Democrat.


There are almost all kinds of people in the
United States except native democrats.
There are thousands of them in imperial
Germany, thousands of them in despotic
Russia. and tens of thousands of them in
monarchic England and anomalous France;
but in republican America there are enly
few hundreds, imported from abroad ana
looked upon with general distrust and aver
sion. This IS not a foolish paradox, Dut a
curious yet not inexplicabe fact, II the term
de nocrat be limited to those who favor
government of the people, for the people, by
the people, consciously, as matter OF re-
Election and reason, and not as mere ira
ditional idea which they accept, with other
inherited property, material and intellectual
without giving it special thought or ex-
periencing with respect to it any partic-
ular excitement of the feelings. The gen.
uine democrat holds his principles not
passively, but actively. He is an eager
propagandist, laboring with fiery zeal to
make selfgovernment universal and re-
garding the imposition of illegitimate re-
straint upon mankind as crime against
Heaven and earth, calling for the severest
reprobation and unremitting resistance. This
kind of democracy is exclusively European
product. We doubt if there is on the conti-
nent of America man who is able, except
perhaps alter deliberate and protracted inves'
tgation with view to literary composition,
to present the aims Of democracy, analyze its
principles and discuss its philosophic basis
and its present progress in all parts OF the
world, eloquently, spontaneously, fervently,
as the great Spaniard, Emilio CASTELAR,, is now
doing in a series Of articles contributed to a
leading American periodical. Indeed, our
own republican institutions waited for their
first exhaustive Interpretation till the for
eigner De TocquevilIe studied and explained
them.
The Yankee democrat is very different
sort of person. He gives his assent, as mat
ter of course, to the doctrines OF human
equality as they were understood hundred
years ago and crystallized in the Declaration
of Independence and the American Consti-
tuition. To further progress in the same gen.
eral direction he does not give much thought,
but is inclined, as far as he gives the matter
any attention, to regard our appr roximation
to Democratic government and society as
finaliry. It is general principle that demo-
cratic enthusiasm is in inverse ratio to the lib
eralty fthe government. Even those congress
ses of red hot European radicals which assem-
BILE annually to establish the "Uni.ed States of
Europe in which there is an
intensity of feeling and comprehensiveness
of purpose in regard to republican propa-
gandism that were, perhaps never developed
in an assembly of native Americans-have
their extremists who startle and appall their
listeners by the widness of their theories.
The immediate adoption of communism is
among the most conservative of their dog
mas. These ultraists, who fright Garibaldi,
Victor Hugo and the Partisan sansculottes
from their propriety, come from the steppes
of Russia! Serfdom and the knout have be-
gotten the dread ''Muscovite idea' which,
adopted in this land of civil and political
equality, would subject its advocate to social
prescription if not to legal restraint.
Our democracy is practical and naturally
lacks the magnificent breadth of that which,
from necessity, is yet merely speculative.
''Action narrows, thought expands" is an ak
iom which goes great way toward explaining
American Conservatism Besides men whose
theories OF morals or politics have from long
exercise, hardened into habits which are ad-
hered to without conscious effort, do not
need to 60 constantly back and review the
grounds of their belief and excite their en-.
thusiasm by reflections on the truth, beauty
and justice of their creeds. We Americans,
having our ultimate conclusions comfortably
formulated in our constitutions and car
ried into effect moderately well in our govern
ment, rest cold and impassive where we are,
while tine thoughtful subjects of kings, czars
and emperors are all on fire with their zeal
for ideal equality, perfect liberty and univer-
sal fraternity. Bradlaugh, coming among us
with such moderate radicalism as springs up
under mild constitutional monarchy, is re-
garded with kind OF lazy, sympathetic won
der His discourse would be received in the
American Senate and the British House Of
Lords with about equal favor. If we have
on this side of the Atlantic now and then a
man who espouses one or more of the ex-
treme notions that are common in
European liberal circles, he is oftener
than otherwise found to be q demagogue
who, having in vain exhausted other political
articles, thinks to captivate the people with
his advanced ideas.''
The European masses are widely imbued
with extreme democratic theories. When
the explosion comes and royalty with all its
cost, injustice and oppression has disappeared,
so that society there.can freely, without fear
of royalist reaction, reorganize itself as suits
ITSELF we shall undoubtedly see governments
| and social arrangements in comparison with
which ours are aristocratic and exclusive.
And as the interruption to democratic pro-
gress here will possibly amount in the end to
retrogression, the time may come when
America, finding herself left behind, will re-
turn to the old world to rekindle the smolder.
ing torch of liberty.
FROM time to time governments reflect
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