The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-14
M~ACAULAY'S
The Historians Prediction as TO the
Downfall Of Republican Government.

The following letter was written by the
late Lord Macaulay, the English historian,
to Mr.. Henry s.. Randall. of New York,
while the latter was engaged in writing a
biography Of jefferson:
HOLLY LODGE. KENSINGTON, LON
Dear Sir . You are surprised 10
learn that 1 have not a high opinion OF Mr..
jefferson, and ] am a little surprised at
your surprise. i am certain that i never
wrote a line, and that L never. in Parlia-
ment, in conversation, or even on the hust-
ings-a place where il Is the fashion 10
court the populace-- uttered a word indicat-
ing an opinion that the supreme authority
in a state ought TO be intrusted 10 the ma
jority OF citizens told by the head; in other
words, TO the poorest and most ignorant
part OF society. L have long been convinced
that institutions purely democratic must
sooner or later destroy liberty. or civiliza-
ton. or both.
I'm Europe. where the population is
dense. the effect of such institutions would
be almost instantaneous. What happened
lately in France is an example. In 1915 a
pure democracy was established there. Dur
ing a short time there was reason 10 eN-
pect a general spoliation, a national bank
ruptcy, a new partition OF the SOIL a max
imum of prices, a ruinous load or taxation
laid on the rich for the purpose Of support
ing the poor i'm idleness. such a system
would. I'm twenty years. have made France
as poor and barbarous as the France or
the carlovingians. Happily. the, danger was
averted, and now there * a despotism, a
silent tribune. an enslaved press Liberty
is gone; but civilization has been saved. |
have not the smallest doubt that. il we
had a purely democratic government here.
the effect would be the same. Either the
poor would plumber the rich and civiliza-
ton would perish, or order and property
would be saved by a strong military gov
eminent and liberty would perish.
You may think that your country en-
joys an exemption from these evils. l Will
frankly own 10 you that / am OF a very
different opinion: Your fate | believe 70 be-
certain, though IL is deferred by a physical
cause. As long as you have a bOundless
extent of fertile and unoccupied land your
laboring population will be far more at ease
than the laboring. population of the old
world, and while that IS the case the JEFF
fersonian polity may continue 10 exist with
out 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 iuctuate as much
with you as with us. You will have your
Manchester and BfrminghamS; and, IN
those Manchesters and Birminghams. hum
dreds OF thousands of artisans Will as
suredly be sometimes out OF work. Then
your i~nSsi.uCcns will be fail V brought 10
the test. Distress everywhere makes the
laborer mutinous and discontinued. and in
clines him to listen with eagerness 10 agi-
tators WHIP tell him that IL Is a monstrous
iniquity that one man should have a mil
lion while another cannot get a fun meal.
In bad years there Is plenty OF grumbling
here. and sometimes a little riot
ing: but it matters little. for here the
sufferers are not the rulers. The supreme
indeed. but select. of an educated class. OF
a class which is. and knows Itself TO be.
deeply interested in the security OF prop
ertv and the maintenance OF order. Ac-
cordingly the indictments are nrmly, Yet
gently restrained: The bad time Is got
lieve the INDECENT. The springs Of national
prosperity soon begin 10 flow again; work
is Plentiful; wages rise, and all is tran
guilty ard cheerfuIness. 1 have seen Eng
land pass three or four times through
such critical seasons as / have described.
Through such seasons the United states
next century. IL not OF this. How will you
pass through them2 | heartily wish you
a good deliverance. But my reason and my
wishes are at war. and | cannot help fore
Your government will never be able TO
restrain a distressed and disconnected ma
government, and has the rich. who are
always a minority, absolutely at IT'S fner-
cv. The dey will come when In the state
of whom has had more than half a break
fast or expects 10 have more than half
IL possible 10 doubt what sort Of Legis-
lature will be chosen? on one side IS a
statesman preaching ching 5sts E respect II 5ub 5Gr
faith. on the other Is a demagogue rant
ing about the tyranny OF capitalists ana
be permitted TO drink champagne and TO
ride In a carriage while thousands OF hon
est folks are In want OF neceSsarles. Mhicn
of the two candidates is likely 10 be pre-
ferred by a Worktngman VINO hearS MS
children cry Tor more bredu- Il StIlOuSiN
apprehend that you will. in some such sea-
son OF adv ersity as / have described. do
things. which VIII prevent prosperlty from
returning: that you will act like people
who should. In a year OF scarcity. de-
YOUR all the seed corn. and thus make the
next year q year not OF scarcity but OF
absolute famine. There Will be, 1 fear,
spoliation, The spoliation will increase the
distress The distress VIII produce fresh
spolia ton. There H. nothing 20 stop you.
Your Constitution IL all sail and no anchor.
AS 7 sid before. when a society has en-
tered on this downward progress either
civilization or liberty must perish. Either
some Ceesa- or NAPOLEON Will seize the
reins os government with a strong hand
or your republic will be as fearfully plum
dered end laid waste by barbarians In the
twentieth century as the Roman empire
was in the fifth. with this difference wat
the Huns and Nandals who ravaged the
Roman emalre came from without. while
your Huns and Nandais viii have been
engendered within your own country by
your " institutions