The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-11
COR RytFTtON.
Ehc talsf ot the DOwn1aII of Republics
Ancient ANA Modern.
f1oulaviIIo Gnnrior journal. !

I there arc many things which cause us
grave diSauict and apprehension. we
| know that every nation which has played
any prominent part in the world s his
! tory has baud It's periods Of corruption.
sometimes rightng themselves and en-
| tcring on - high plane OF political moral
| ity. sometimes unable to slough off
their political vices, which, growing in
| intensity and malignancy when once on
the down grade, accelerate their deca-
donce, and finally prccipitate their fall:
Thus it was with all the early Oriental
nations. Assyria, Babylonia and Persia
fell less by the assaults OF enemies than
onervatcd by luxury and weakened
! through corruption. The little nation
aliticS that SpranG up on the western
shores Of Asia Minor and in the PENN
sula Of Greece promised, and for q time
realized, u more vigorous and healthier
| life, but they in turn fell under the Ope-
ration Of similar causes. The llerce ana
turbulent democracies of Greece assailed
each the other on the charge OF be-
traying their common country to the
common enemy. Persian gold forced
its way where Persian arms, unalded by
this stealthy ally, failed to effect lodg-
ment; and, later on, when more
formidable enemy appeared, before
whom both Greece and Persia were
destined TO fall, Demosthenes Numbered
In the Athcnian agora against The man
| OF MacedOn and hs corrupt Hellenic
accomplicHs, whom his gold had Scdncod
from their allegiance. Greeks whom
brides had rendered subscrvient to
Macedonian policy, prepared the way
for ChuronWa and tho long series Of
disasters which followed the breakup
Of tho empire Or Alexander. Persian
and Macedonian gold wrecked the for
tunes and destroyed the liberties OF
| Greece.
So long rs the Roman Republic was
poor and its limits circumscrihed, public
morals were high. The contentment Of
Ciucinnatus and the self sacrificing
devotion OF Deciua Mus may be legend
airy, but they fairly represent the
patriotism Of u people who laid the
foundation Of Roman greatness, and
made tho existence Of Rome still posi-
bio after the overwhelming defeats Of
Thrasymene and Gamma. AS soon, how
over, as Rome stepped beyond the limits
Of tho peninsula, and entered upon
the seeds Of dissolution were
sown in her vitals The wealth Of
The conquered provinces was poured
into her lap and with their wealth the
vices Of the conquered peoples. The
consulship, the prrtership, the pontil-
cate, and the Tdileship became the pur-
chase Of the most inscriptions and the
most wealthy Of aspirants, The admin
istration of provinces was bought and
sold and the provincials plundercd to
reimburse the purchaser. KOme, paral-
wed by her vices. would have fallen u
prey two centuries earlier had the leu
tonic races been ready to precipitate
themselves upon the fallen empire
We know very well that we can not
properly compare the American repub-
| lie with those of antiquity for this best
OF all reasons, that they differ essen
tally in every element which goes to
make up the lifo Of o nation. They diff
fer in blood in religion, in traditions
and in political organization. The last
point of difference is an essential one.
| The republics Of antiquity as well as
those Of medieval times, were Democ-
racies pure and simple, in which every
citizen governed directly without the
Intervention Of representative machin-
cry. Questions OF peace and war were de-
cided by assemblies Of the people voting
in prOpTid PERSONA Those in the imme-
date neighborhood Of tho capital par
ticipated in these, and in all delibera-
tons pertaining to the interest OF the
commonwealth; whlo those at dis
lance unable to attend, though nomi-
nally citizens, wore practically disfran-
chiSed. The mob Of the capital deter
mined all great questions, and when
these became accessible to corruption
the provinces were practically powerlcss
either to dry up the stream or turn it
into other channels. Representation is
the peculiar feature Of modern conStitll-
(tiOnalsm and is the outgrowth and in
,heritanco Of the Anglo-Saxon stock.
And we are not without hope that
in this distinguishing feature will be
found the self-rectifying power Of An
glo-Saxon communities. England, to
whom we arc most nearly akin and who
furnishes us with both precedent and
analogy, has gone through q similar
crisis to that which now causes us SO
much shame. Her vitality, her sturdy
sense Of justice and Reproduction Of in
ljustice, her uncompromising adherence
to parliamentary government through q
system Of representation, which is prac-
tically ours, have enabled her to
slough off her corruption and shelve her
corruptionists. No American bushes
more for his country's shame TO-
day than English patriots blushed in
Bacon's time, in Charles Seconds time.
when tho monarch himself was in the
pay Of Louis XIV, in the time of
William Of Orange, when the Speaker
Of the House Of Commons was forced
| to put q motion Tor ms own expulsion
and when Gl0,0OO were traced to the
! King himself, in Walpolc's time, and
even within the present century, when
His Royal Highncs5 Frederick, Duke Of
York, was forced to resign the command
Of the British army in order to hush UP
hunilitating investigation.
| Still we are aware that there are
causes operative in the United States
peculiar to ourselves. The mischievous
doctrine and its application, that ''to the
victor belong the spoils," has wrought
us infinite mischief, and is the source of
many Of the evils which affect us to-day.
The patronage in the gift Of the exccu-
tive is enormous. Thousands of office
seekers, whose hiefrecommendation is
their extreme partisanship and their
importunate pertinacty, find it neces-
sary to pay their way to office, are
mulcted Of large part Of their incomes
to assist in demOralizing constitu-
encies where elections are held,
and retain Office with the convic-
ton ever uppermost that they are
mere tenants at will, liable to
ejectment Of the caprice of the cxecu-
tive, or when q larger consideration is
offered to some middle man, some dis
reputable go-between, than they are
able to pay. How can patriotic admin
istrators OF the public interests be
looked for from among such as these.
Their sole care is to reimburse them
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