The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-02-01
VIII the Predictions OF NIacauIay
be Realizeda

Harper'S Monthly for February con-
tains number of letters from the late
Lord t. B. Macaulay. He did not be-
lieve in Jefferson or the Jeffersonlan
policy and so expressed himself very
freely TO Mr.. Randall. We quote a
few extracts from letter dated May
30, 1857:
You are surprised to learn that have
not a high opinion of Mr.. Jefferson.
and / am surprised at your surprise.
am certain that | never wrote line,
and that never, in Parliament, in con-
versation, or even on the hustings-a
place where 1t is the fashion to court
the populace-uttered q word indica-
ting an opinion that the supreme au-
thority in State ought to be intrusted
to the majority of citizens told by tho
head; in other words, to the poorest
and most ignorant part of society.
have long been convinced that institu-
tions purely democratic must, sooner
or later, destroy liberty or civilization,
or both. In Europe, where the popu-
latlon is dense, the effect OF such insti-
tutions would be almost instantaneous.
You may think that your
country enjoys an exemption from
these evils. l will frankly own to you
that l have very different opinion.
Your fate 1 believe to be certain,
though it is deferred by q physical
cause. AS long as you have q bound
less extent of fertile and unoccupied
land your laboring population viii be
far more at ease than the laboring popu-
lation of the Old World, and, while
that is the case, the Jefferson politics
may continue to exist without causing
any fatal calamity. But the time will
come when New England will be as
thickly peopled as old England. Wages
will be as low, and will fuctuate as
much with you as with US. You will
have your Manchesters and Birming-
hams, and in those Manchesters and
Birmlnghams hundreds of thousands of
artisans will assuredly be out Of work.
Then your institutions will be fairly
brought to the test. II Is
quite plain that your government will
never be able to restrain O distressed
and discontented majority. For with
you the majority is the government,
and has the rich, who are always a
minority, absolutely at its mercy. The
day will come when in the State OF New
York multitude of people, none OF
whom has had moro than half break
fast, or expects to have more than half
dinner, will choose legislature. Is
it possible to doubt what sort of a
legislature will be chosen7 On ona
side is statesman preaching patience,
respect for vested rights, strict obser-
vance Of public faith. On the other Is
dcmagogue ranting about the tyranny
of capitalists and usurers, and asking
why anybody should be permitted TO
while thousands of honest folks are in
want of necessaries. Which Of the
two candidates is likely to be preferred
by workingman who hears his chill
dren cry for more.oread7 / seriously
apprehend that you will, in some such
season Of adversely as have described,
do things which will prevent pros
perity from returning; that you will
act like people who should In a year Of
scarcity devour all the seed corn, and
thus make the next year not CT scar
SiNyf DAb VI hObOiubC luthiuCs ucIt
will be, l fear, spoliation. The spolia-
tion will increase the distress. The
distress will produce fresh spoliation.
There IS nothing TO stop you. Your
constitution is all sail and no anchor.
AS said before. when & society has
entered on this downward progress
either civilization or liberty must
perish. Either some Caesar or Napo-
leon will seize the reins of government
with q strong hand or your Republic
will be as iearfully plundered aud laid
waste by barbarians in the twentieth
century as the Roman Empire was in
in the fifth, with this difference, that
the Huns and Vandals who ravaged
the Roman Empire came from without.
and that your Huns and Vandals VIII
have been eDgendered within your own /.
country by your own institutions.
Is this not prediction Of Cesarism1