, 1877-08-19

|
bill Of fare is very appetizing. How far it
will be patronized remains to be seem
| THE DOWNFALL OF THE REPUBLIC.
The question when the United States will
cease to exist is an alluring one to the his
torian and the philosopher. MAoAuLAT gave
US time only to fill up our cities and occupy
our public lands, when, he predicted, our
institutions would prove too weak to with
stand the pressure Of ignorant suffrage. He
| pictured New Zealander for Us as well as
for Great Britain. The heir Of all the future
! ages, who was to stand on London bridge
| and muse upon the ruins Of Westminster
lantic on rainbow and drop tear on the
Capitol at Washington before his destiny
could be fulfilled. Many other writer's
have been attracted to this fascinating
subject. There is certain sense of
power conveyed by the oct Of annihilating
d great nation with sweep. The author of
the pamphlet entitled u The Battle of Dor11-
ing must have enjoyed himself highly when
he was picturing SO wildly the destruction
of British institutions. He was writing in
jest and for satirical purpose if he could
have believed thoroughly in his predictions,
his delight might have risen almost to
frenzy.
It is for these reasons that we imagine the
happiness of an anonymous writer who some
months ago sent forth pamphlet entitled
s.lessons of Century" in which the down.
fall of the American Government was pre-
dicted with terrible minuteness Of detail
Tie pamphlet has been freshly SUBJ
who admired the prediction of the
financial panic by the Aozern Thinker,
referred to in TIE TRIBUNE Of Sundoy last.
Although the teacher Of these Lessons of q
Century" seems to be at heart patriotic
enough, he sacrifices his country to sup
posed necessity almost without pang, He
has discovered that the American Constitu-
ton is the fruit of a base spirit of compro-
mise; conceived, if not in iniquity, at least
in ignorance, and brought forth in travail
It is the result Of four-fold compromise.
Firstly, of unity with individual interests
of national sovereignty with the so-called
sovereignty of the States. Secondly, Of the
Republic with monarchy. Thirdly, of freed
ON with slavery. Fourthly, Of democra-
cy with nristocracy. "Only in re-
gard to one contradiction, says our
author, sshns clearness been gained.
The rebellion of the shareholders has opened
the eyes of even the most devoted admirers
of the Constitution to the fact that freedom
and slavery cannot exist together. A dis
tinguished American statesman strikingly
characterized this constitutional population
By the remark that The War Of the REBEL
ion was wnged in order to e1pound the
Constitution" The compromise between a
united State and a confederacy is stlgmatizcd
as the mcst pernicious of all, since it arises
from the accidental association of political
individuals, founded through no inner neces-
sity, but brought about by outward consid-
erations. A federal State is declared to be
q mistake in principle, and State rights in
practice, but n safeguard for individual
political rights. The compromise Of mon-
archy with the Republic is held by the au-
thor to be monstrous. Our institutions are
derived, be says, from the English, and re-
semble them in every respect, except in the
matter Of the kingshp, which is supplied by
our so-ca1led President. The power vested
in the President is said to be enormous, and
the penalty Of impeachment for wrong-doing
on his part inadequate. The representative
system is held to be wrong because it makes
the people apathetic as to their own interests,
and emboldens the representatives to engage
in schemes of plunder. The Supreme Court
is also condemned as involving an unneces-
sary abdication Of power.
The reformer, indeed, leaves comparative
~ little or nothing of our blessed American
Government. He thinks it ought all to be
torn down and built over again, and he kind
ly furnishes plan for the rebuilding. His
scheme would be to declare the Republic one
and indivisible; the States to be constituted
into provinces the Presidency and the SEN
ate to beabolished; the House to be- changed
into IN assembly Of deputies, who may be
instructed by their constituents, or replaced
at any time; an executive aud administra-
tive, removable at will, to be elected
from the House thus constituted all
more important laws to be voted upon by
the people directly; the House of Deputies to
maintain q continuous session, appointing
commission to discharge the functions of
Government during short and necessary W.
cations; the courts to be made subject to the
control Of the people, and the House OF
Deputies to be the last court Of appeal, above
the Supreme Court.
The scheme is comprehensive enough.
We do not know where any Government SO
simple and beautiful as this can be found.
There is m approach to it in Switzerland
There was one in France for short time,
but it Tas deluged in blood, and Bourbon
monarch mounted to a throne placed on its
ruins. There was pure democracy in
Athens, but it was subverted by DEM
agogues- Athens had the advantage,
too, Of small and compact people,
easily assembled and controlled either as