New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-13

,..-rsa n. 40 mako his doctrines common prop
go, and whenever that happens the original
diacourse ia sure to be forgotten. Not that there
has been at any time or anywhere conscious
following of the Spirit Of the Laws On the
contrary. AZ M. Sorel observes: " Moderation was
the keynote O. bis advice to princes, and all the
governments OF Europe were on the verge OF de-
Lining through the abuse Of power In practice.
the drift of the time was to"aru enhghteheu
dosnotism, in doctrine. toward natural rights.
Tl,,r,,ors and politicians accepted In Montesqueu
10, sr,tea their turn. but his method escaped
49, Tbov NAV be seen invoking his authority
T., as,,ils willie dcspising his spirit; and putting
;rto practice reforms that he advocated. whllc
violating the rules he prescribed.
TIE rsod him. in short much as sectaries have
uscd the Scriptures. construing MS maAims 10 sun
their prrconceived ideas, ana snei.erihg ap"ses
under his name What would Mohtesduieu nave
Thought had he known that hoocspierre was 10
draw justification for the Terror from MS TEN,
nerate and. above oil, moderate ana mefciiui
philosophy? Yet SO it was. ana tne most inverse
systems sought and found support IN tne same
pages. Catherine Of Russia ueei'iou ,raO wo
= Sn,rit of the Laws" was her MAMMAL" Inc
,,.s;.r codo If 7p2 was based upon Monte auieu.
8, Blackstone studied him deeply. De
- the b,storian of the British Constitution,
,oIIowed him NJ. Sorel errs in attributing SO
.s,,o,, weight as he does to the writings OF his
oororo+riot in the framing of the American Con-
st,trtion but no doubt they were not without
;neron.e for they were in the air oil the period.
A. to France. he never thought OF III as either
q democracy or O republic. 1t was In the oid
French laws that he found the spirit Oh monarchy
t. ie nossible that the constitutional monarchy
favored by him might have possessed more sta-
hilitv than any OF the governments when nave
been tried and found wanting since his tme,
though no form Of government can. IN the eno' DE
80 cable than the spirit of the people that
adon,s a. and il is popular instability that In
France gives occasion for most uncashess
He did not see that the REFORMS he advocated
were impracticable If the conditions ne described
,oollv existed In effect he had proved that the
,atient ,,ns diving aud vet he prescribed RENE
dies To the France Of his time there could be
M future. Reconstruction was possible, but not
rehabilitation. The attempt, under Louis the
Sixteenth to follow his advice and apply his re-
forms-which demanded the resurrection Oh opso-
lete forms and methods-batlied Iurgot ana ms
supporters, and precipitated the Revolution DO
il may be said that while the influence OF Monies
quieu was great, il was not Mt all the kind OF III
auence he had desired or sought TO exercise; nor
was IL at all generally the KIM Oh ihnuenoe uel'
able from legitimate construction of his writings
NJ Sorel places him between Montaigne ana las
cal as the occupant OF scientific middle ground
in rceection and common sense lie says fur
Their: Moniesquieu left something better than
nrecepts-he les a method making IL possible TO
develop his thought. and 10 apply 1t to cases that
he never could have foreseen.' But this is not
altogether eulogy, for the development Of his
thought has often been coniectural filing out OF
too condensed observations and the amplihcation
in such cases frequently involves entire miscon-
structor. IL is true nevertheless. that he pro-
dueed n deep and lasting effect upon his own time,
and IL still full of instruction for ours and that
bis name is associated with many of the best
reforms that have been brought about within the
past century" Those who wish 10 study him.
his work, and his period, in a small compass, will
be repaid by reading NJ Soreps clever little
volume.