Year: 1863

The administration mot the Govern.
27- ftflia ment. ssal a-at- a.


Archbishop HUGHEs delivered the following
eloquent and impressive address to the past grad.
uates of st. Johns College, New York, after the
orations had been delivered by the class:


After congratulating the class upon the excel
lence of their exercise and the soundness and ma
turity of their arguments, the Archbishop refer
red to the topics that had been chosen BY the
speakers, and continued as follows: The origin of
society and laws is topic that is almost boundIess
in its expansibility. You have treated your top
les canddly. and particularly with regard to that
sophism of Rosseau-that you have treated as il
deserves to be treated always. The idea of a So
cial compact is nonsense; and you will discover
by going back and tracing to the origin of the
human race that there has not been a, any time
a society without government and laws no mat
ter whether they we're written or not. Laws, no
matter how crude they may be, are universal.
They are among the tribes of the Indians; they
are among the tribes of the most uncivilized peo-
pie on the face of the earth, the negroes of Afri
ca; they are among the Caffres and Hottentots of
the peninsula of that country: tirey ate e~o-y
WHERE IN all lands | remember but one Instance
where law did not exist the reference to authority
OF which cannot now recte. Ii is the story of
two bows abandoned in a forest in China They
understood no language but they were more or
less, companions of each other; and on one
occasion there was only enough Of food sufficient
for one; so one thought il expedent to preserve
the feast and kill the other. and he did So Af-
terwards he taken and brought into civilized
life, and he found language enough to say that
the act was done without any consciousness of
evil. There there was no socety-no law.
Another point is, that no matter what NAV be the
form of Govern ment its chief authority is always
brought to unity. Here say it is the people
that govern Ii is not so. The people know
that they are too many to govern: that the a.i-
ministration of government among such a multi
tude, would be absurd, and none would submit
to the other. And they reduce their powers,
whatever they may be, to unity. In monarchica
and imperial Governments unity is hereditary ;
here it is not. Here il is the choice of the peo
pie. In Greece everybody voted in the Govern
ment and it was kind of popular Government
complete Here that is impossible; and the mul
titude send deputies to make their laws and one
deputy to administer them, according to the form
agreed upon by the nation. Thev have however
two privileges-both constitutional. A Govern
ment is one thing; that is a principle, and that
must ever be sustained. Now those who admin
ster Government are quite another thing.
have seen many Administrations of this Gov
ernment. One Of the Constitutional privileges
to which | refer-that the Constitution itself
makes provision for. for a safety valve for this



perfectly constitutional TO make revolution
ellmly, quietly-by the votes of the people.
That is one constitutional privilege. The other
Is inherent in the nature of the people and of the
Government-that is the right of grumbling.
daughter. If YOU elect man to administer
the Government, in less than eighteen months
you are very sorry for what you have done, and
you have right to grumble. and there will only
be three years more to wait when you make
a vh fhrovv acf1 fho caf
that have beer in power, and try and get better
act in their place the next time. That has been
the rule have seen great majority of our
Presidents elected, Inever knew an exception to
that rule - Therefore it is that there is no coun-
try in the world that can fairly be compared to
the American Republic under the American Con-
stitution. 1t is just FOR this reason. Not that
Englishmen don't claim the right of grumbling,
too, but they have not the remedy every four
years. They cannot change their rulers
Here is privilege and a constitutional right.
Even though you voted for the incumbent for the
highest office, you can grumble But further
than that you must wait until his time is
out, and then get another and better man in his
place. This is the remedy. As to republics, /
have to remark that this is not the first i'm the
history of the human race Italy abounded with
fourishing republcs-small. if you please, in ter
ritorial limits. When Venice up out of the
Adriatic. with her hair dripping, a beautiful city
surviving much longer than this country has done
yet. prosperous. commanding trade to the East
and to tie West to a great extent she was a Re
public, but unlike ours. There was no safety
valve. Not to overlook small things, there is
the little Republic of San Marino; and that fur
nishes the only instance in which supreme power
was brought to the unity OF one
head; for they so jealous of their
liberties that they have two Presidents-one
to watch the other. Laughter That little
Republic in the Appennes under the protection
of the Popes has existed for nearly three hundred
years, keeping the lamp of liberty bright. in or
der that nations desiring to initiate her example
may light their tapers at her light, and bring the
people to freedom, and TO the Jealousy and pro
lection of liberty. wherever that quality is essen
tial and the people suited for it. The whole ter
ritory is not verv large-nine miles long and fou
and half wide, still they won't trust one maj
alone in power. They are both farmers ant
both Presidents. We talk Of our standing ar
mies-they have their standing army, and Away
have had, numbering fifty six men. Laughter.
But, not to detain you and the audience who hav
been so delighted with your performance longer
will close my remarks by again congratulatinl
you and, from the evidence furnished here, wit
the same application, industry and talent, ther
is no doubt that in life you can espe tally sue
ceed, as guided by those honorable principles o
right and justice to which you have so eloquentl
alluded. (Great applause.l