, 1877-08-03
RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.
The Duty OF Citfx~nA.
Jp fht Editor OF The 1HhHnt.

cottatna nm cslItorfaf commenting upnn md
cr,tlctslng an article on a novel ANNEXATION pro-
tect which lately appeared IL a morning con-
temporary DY LUIS nc" 0epartafe Ill our
lorcign policy 1t Ia proposed to reverse what
many Americans suppose to he The ultimate fate
of thu urtrl,torIn- dominion nj f.n,,m1a and tn
su.s g.. r...,,,.s. -. .,...s,, -. IL 49,. .,,..
s"o" 'as @a"a"'"i's ~ eo'o'u w. VIZ ate .''ue
70 get s'o, al one oioW anu Witaont ahy Violent
disturbance, Of our irresponsible system al MI
rrrmhl,con evs,rrn If rnvllat rcsnone,hle pnv.
i...'a.s. ~ .>,...s. 49,. .s.'s'..i.' ~ ~
c'uuaon1* " sou.ss lue ea''!c4a!lon part "i e''o
grano sails u; tts real object Is 10 compare tho
two countries with regari to tic fundamental
s,a+.ots, ~ t,otr ansor,,,vont. mi ~ ,,sas..
ehafacIsr ol .he.r governments anu 70 oFaw
Tho question involved In Tic article, and in
many others whlc,, havs appeared for some
time hack In tho public press, IL one Of yita l,-
,,ortancc m and wcil worthy tho .criou. thonyl,t,
OF oil true patriots. It's bcing agtatcd and dis
cusscl Is healthy sign that higher
grounds and iotter aims nre hcing taken In our
sna. sa' @ as's ps. 1 .n aa "nspou, s,
"ao ona5 c.'ch a.ia "o.AA io' .hu sPo"o' WIZ
gradually lose hEa hold; and that progressive
principles will be implied TO Institutions now
S.J"s, :. sh"v,, T., ~, .,., =, .,,zr 49,. .na,,,,
- nAo"4u W 'Ao a'na ~ s'si "ue A"'.teat'f
whether nativo Or forctgn-barn, to make this
country In reality n democratic Republic. which
average american citizen Is very prone to look
upon the Constitution ns the very Incarnation
OF perfection III government, aud to worship II
~ an iloater does lis woolc;n itnnge. merely on
authority uDd without qucstfuD. The United
States, blu claims, from mere handful OF dis
aatfstled British subjects, has grown to be ono
Of thu glratest natlons; II has stuud tue terrible
strain Of esgnn.ic internal war without lasting
n t{tr
whose @,Iign proylaiona tue oppressed from all
arguing thus, liz oyer!ooks that tho bouniltcss
viii tic spirit of enterprise and pluck 81 its in.
habitants, are tho maIu eauscs Of its rap!d
| tnnteriat growth.
The fraincrs Of tho Constitution bad no model
to 20 hY, and were not Inuuh giren 10 thcorIztnE
OIL n.uttcre Of government. They lad TO- build
upon the substructuto left by the British.
alil adapt tho new systcm to existing
eirea,nst"nses. Besides. the constitntion @ as
between FcdcralEsta a.,d nut! .Federallsls whore
conflicting views had 10 be raconci'c1.
henee slavery, which Is certainly % republican
tion ii tic Declaration of independence that a'l
men arc created equal. Uur Constitution SUBJ
stltutcd electric Executive for tue hereditary
monarch q ENGLAND, but Il stIll clothed him
King. It n,akoa lin Co.nluandcr.in-Ch'cf Of
lotll army aud navy whcn III nrliyo service, nj
luws him to select hta Ministers aill dismiss
them Rt hls plcasurc, puts al appointments
Into ILLS hands, Krults min t;,c vcto-power, ctc.
1lc Es not removable except by q two-thirds
majority OF the Senate, alter trial by impeacn-
ulent. =.
Tylcrkm and Johusoitstn llavo taught US to
what extent President can misgOgcrn tie
country aud rpsuail within the limits OF tho
Constitution, and tl,cro arc nu real safeguards
against recurrence Of ssnElar conduit, The
people, who ought to be tho real sovereign ac-
| E1tf tn rnru1,1lfrnn rFlnr1rfRa nnrtfLnl1v
process called an election. Thu President
is q fixture, and, u oil Tho country. weru
at,alnst htn,, It would be powcrlcss To give tts
want Of conide1,cs any practical expression.
All tills Is not RepublIcai1ism; II Is not even
Constitutonnltan, lor In d constitutional mon
arrhy tho Ministry bows to tho popular will.
mud ste[,s out after IN expression 1T want Of
cuntldcncu by the Legislature.
Tic |lea that an in,moyahlc executive head
is esscntial to the stability Vt q Goylrununt Ia
not, IL reaii:y, t.lnaelf select now Ministry in
accordance with tho ruling majority Of tarlta-
mcnt; a1s.l thu selection w1llld bs 1nadu just ~
wuli, aud Of the sa1au material II there Yesc
Io pcr1,tuucnt sovereign at all. TIN ltspubltc Of
Switzerland lsls no Pres:rut In tbs scnho OF tho
American Constitution, and yet It's Government
Is perfectly stable. 70 say that this system
may uslswer III small country, With
NO clasng interests like our own, will
not uisproyn It's MaptabilIty In suncrai
t!.eru IL III mich diversity of language and
manner nf thought In tho little Gnuntry ~ II,
tho largo one, ind many muuh nlorp difficult
problems have 10 bc suIYcl In tho former, suel
III ecclesiastical questions, pauperisrn, etc. In
switzerland therG IL no Violent upheayal o! the
ssapry oYs5y fur ys,ss to 1it sot rresaSni
,nacltincry; there IL no plotting f6r REFLECTION
I'M Interference by 0frc.l1s,l.era created b
the rrvsiuent aud bnuntl up with his own tntcf-
t.sts, Thcro is, on tlu contrary, tho cupBtaut
drslrc to nuke tbs people more nul more t!lt
real sovereign, and bring republican tjcus
perfcctlul.
The yhole subject Is not an outgruwtt Of tht
hnrn n,ituItH ftr y,,,rs hv the ftujsnenlcn
radical German press Of tlis country. untl other
not bllrcA In partylst. It ought to ht thorough,
| discussed by PRESS and people, fts l!tculttta
o,ui