The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-10-18
For BE is an American.

AMERICAN SUPREMACY AND THE INCoMrAH-
ABLE BENEFITS OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
| Hon. Channcey NJ. Depew, who recently re-
turned from visit to Europe, was given a re-
ception by the Union League Club of New
York, and in his response to the address of
welcome he said:
! If an American who has been observant re-
turns and is asked what is the most di>tin-
gushing characteristic of the difference be-
| tween the institutions of his own country and
those OF Europe his answer would be, 'the
stability of American institutions" Applause. |
With the close of 1850 we round out Il century
of constitutional government in this republic.
1t has demonstrated that. for all the purposes
for which governments are created-for the
observation Of law and order, for the conser-
vation OF life and property, for equal political
rights to all. for the opportunity for the hum
best to rise and occupy the highest station,
for the minimum of sentiment or activity
against the institutions of the country that
government is best which is by the people and
for the people. Applause.
In this century our Government has been
| imperilled by one, and that one the most
practical opposite Of all revolutions against
power. Wherever liberty is oppressed dyna-
mite Is ready to explode at any moment and
break the crust of caste, involving all In COM
mon ruin. But our revolution was from the
top. The men who controlled the revolution.
which was hostile to every principle of tht.
Declaration of Independence. of the Constitu-
ton OF the United States. and the sentiments
upon which the Government was founded and
was to live, made struggle to overthrow it,
and to perpetuate that sentiment which was
hostile to liberty. When they failed, tina, one
possibility OF perpetuity was eliminated. Prn-
ciple and practice were unified, and the Amcri-
can institution OF government of the people for
the people was declared perpetual and forever.
[Applause.l
1t has been often asserted that the Govern
ment surest to live in its institutions is the
Government of Great Britain, and vet. when
you are there and meet with those who know,
you find everywhere apprehension expressed.
| The House of Lords is in danger. The agta-
ton reaches the very foot OF the throne. The
recently enfranchiseu electorate, ignorant ard
suffering dire privation, surges with its de
mtnd> agan>: the walls of Westminster Hall.
They have no veto power in the sovereign; 10
resistance to the upper House. no written con-
sttntion to guide them, and no Supreme Court
to regulate them. The passions Of night in
the House of Commons might overthrow in
Great Britain the institutions upon which are
based its business. its prosperity. and its hopes
One OF the most eminent of English statesmen
said to me: Il would have between Us and
what might possibly happen to the state the
majesty of your Supreme Courts" and M emil
fewest words the element which has preserved
your institutions, | should say it is the doctrine
Of ultra wires. the power Of the Supreme Court
to show to the Legislature precisely what the
law is, and to instantly interpret it as the fun
damen'al law of the land AppauSe.l
This obscrNant American having thus salts
fed himself that this government Vi ti: ,,cv-
pie is stable. because the people are satisfied
with what they do for themselves, would neXt
formulate for himself iu what this citizenship
in this country differs from citizenship in
other countries and his answer would be- be-
at iya l. bo,, ,;t,,,
for the larger returns Of liberty. the more fire.
quent possession of individual homes. the gen.
eral intelligence Of the people, the more uni
versal exercise OF educated intelligence in the
right OF suffrage. in the respect for law and
order. so that the citizen gets more out nf life
in this country than lie does in any part of the
earth [Applalise.
Mr.. Gladstone said to me. commenting in his
broad and philosophical way upon the dcvcl-
opment Of American institutions and the
growth of the republic: There is one great
gap of history which must be filled. and that is
the story Of the development OF the American
republic from the close of DE 1ocqucyil!c',
volume, sixty years ago, down to this day: and
that most important work to mankind must be
written by a foreigner. devoid of prejudice
phi'osophicai and impartial" ! said to Mr.
Gladstone: ''Sir, for the thirty-Seven years
from the close Of De Torquevile'> volume
down to the close of the American civil war
the United States had no history and no prinri-
pie of development which De TccIucvii:s.'S
work has not fully described. Rut the twenty
three years since the wareNpleSsc> the material
development more than all that preceded it
from the formation of the Governments Ap-
plau>e. If Mr.. Gladstone'> philosophical his
torian should land here and free his mind from
the theories of the books. from tile principles
of the political economists, and stand facn"
the ordinary conditions which are found here
and the magnificent progress of this great peo-
pie and their wonderful country, he would in
community in its politics. its h.lnanites. itS re-
ligion. its materialitieS. which would last for
all time. He would find that in those twenty
three years we have mate the most eNtraorli-
nary progress known in the history Of the
world from recorded time.