THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION' OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1310, 28 January 1868, Page 4

THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION' OF NEW ZEALAND.

To the Editor of tho fl at.d. ~ lß __\Vi;i you permit. met.' full your ntfonfK.il to 1111 e'.tr.vt from t!i<> lir:iiitf--r.i C'onrh-r (( of li.fi 12' li Oct .her. ISO". rhu.-ed in such ciose pr-'X-mity to tho United .-ta>» of .America, tho op poriunities of tho writ-r to jtidjre of the progress of ovontft in thnr onuntry must obviously very grout, and tin) truthfulness of the fact- and tho elearnei-H ol the deductions would easily he disproved wore they not correct, in fact would not go long uncontiadicted. " Tho affairs of our neighbors aro at present in it most unpleasant state. It is no unusunl thing for utilities to run high in tho United Status, for excitement seems to bo almost a necessary element for the very °ftho Americans. At every general election so high does tho spirit of partyiem rise, and so outspoken and furious aro tho contending electors that :t stranger, totally unacquainted with the proejodin!?a of these Republicans, would imagine that thev wore 011 the border of n revolution. Excepting, howerer, tho fearful whirlwind which preceded "the great rohellion, and which was to tho discerning a suro indication of the approaching tornado, thoro has been nothing in American hist pry of 80 startling a character and so furious a description in party antagonism as the present controversy between the President and tho Congress. Becauso the President has used his veto power against tlio recikless legislation of tho ultra .Radicals who now have the governing power in their hands ; bscauso ho dares to atom tlio torront of persecution which deprive the Southern States of their constitutional ri"hU, tlio Republicans seem determined to impeach him, and in the meantime, whilst his trial is pending, to remove him from office. " The President and his friends, 011 tho other hand, threaten to resist the violent proceedings of Congress by military force ; and for this purpose, it is believed, General Grant has been appointed War Secretary.

" Tho flippant manner in which members of their Senate nnd Coiu;ro3B epenk of another rebellion or civil war eocms to us positively shocking. By somo a frosh appeal to nrms seems to bo nlmcst desired. An instance of tins sanguinary disposition und craving ie found in tho following remarks of « Senator numod LT.o w »rd, who is reported us expreesiiio; himsolf thus : ilf rebels and lvbel sympathizers have not had enough of strife and blood they can, in my poor opinion, become easily satiatod by stirring up Johnson to aseau'.t Congress by military violence; and indeed I am not sure that in the long- run such a mad attuuipt -would :iot, us leading t.> a final and conclusive suppression of the rebellion by tin. eoiuiiirn punishment «f iboir fomenters, bn a decided beiietit to tho Government and tho nation.'

" And Senator Thftjer remarks : —' T declare upon my responsibility as a Senator of the United Stated, that to-iliy Andrew Johnson meditates unJ designs forcible to tho .minority of CongresH. 1 miilie this statement dcliberntdy, Jiavinir received it from unquestioned and unqui'siii.'nabb authority. 1 emnot point out the oecision on which ho may attempt to use military force.'

" Of course ths most intense excitement prevails on both side?. QeiuTu! Grant lum immense puwer i.ow in his bunds, dhouid the Pre.-ident detmit necessary

to iirof.!'.-t himself fro-ii tht; uiieoiiMtitutiiinal violence of iJimjie.l9. and shnuld Grant sr<! fit to obey him, thero ii-'o doubt that, a portion of the army would follow their General, and thus a civ 1 war would be of a magnitude and description tr,<. feei-hil to c-ontn.ni.late/ In fact, it woud stiuin that in that e.ira tho menus vviuld b« at bin disposal to "ii'ike himself a mi!it-;ry diet tor, whose wii'l wouiil be, for n long timo at l'Mst. tho law of thn land. J!o\v Grunt may sen fit to act ia a question no one can satisfactorily "answer. !n respnet to thin, Mijor General.John F. Karms.Torth, racmUi-r of f'on-Kre-s for Illinois, in a rocer.t c-p-jech, said : —' ITo sai i that Andrew Jchnson—fo'il, l-nnvo, and silly druiitard as ho was, and otho-r little affairs he would not raontion —would he fonl i;tv>o:-'i to start a co"p (Vital. And he thouahttlu-re were hr.iiiieuround him lloutinar about, pevh-ips, to prevent ouch an act as that. '1 ho moment that Andrew Johns .n would isjni! the orilor lo urivo out Oonaress, General lin«it would ignore it, a c;nt:ary ord'r, and lay his mailed hand upon the shouldor of Andrew Johnson. General Grant vtm not tht: man to bo subdued by ono traitor after having crushed out millions of them.'

"But this is a point on which the Uadirals lire neither unanimous nor easy. TYftndell I'hillip*, in tho iiiiti-slavery Stuiidanl, thus falls foul of Grant:— • Grant-, at. last, has apoken and—blundered. How ho stalked into the SSccreturv ship, hie fri«n<l» boasting his power to prevent. miseHief! What mi.-i----nhief has he prevented ? .None. The only power he claimed against the i'residjnt, a Taomeiit's thought obliges him to renouuce. * * * '1 hu great popular lo.fier sinks to bo only tho Provident'a Secretary, ieMiin<* orders ho abhors; fits like 'ancient Piotol ' Chtiiie his kek and grumbling! Was over boaatful promise* followed by such miserable f.iiiure? Tho General of tho 'Cnjtcd bt:;teo is to-dav a wo.id cauc'iit in the Presidential miolatroni, unci unleoa Boino bettor brains than his own came to tho rescue, sure soon to he swallowed in tlia vortex Letno Grant man, after thi?, called Jolinaon a clumsy knave; he has toui.d wit enough ",o befool the model leader, whoa.: silence passed for the highest wisdom —flic jniffofwho.se cigar was stiite.Hm.inehip. Once before thero was an animal which passed for a lion till ho epoke.' " Oilier Radical speakers and papers oxprees t-hem--3elven in exceedingly doubtful tormaof tlio Coinuntti-(ifir-in-Chii.-f, Of cnnrs.j if Grant should refuse to oliey Hie L'rßsiilent, tho Kadical puny would still bo enablid io tryanniiss and hold their horco altitude for a still ionijor period, i-.vervthing ia in a very inll'immablo state, howover, and nil tho prudence which their wisest and moderate inon pjsso-s will be i-c|uim] to keep tho laud from being again deluged wiib bliioJ. " I\'or Iβ the state of tho country generally in n much bolter condition than it is politically. With their wotrierfully inflated currency Iherois, certainlymi appearance of prvsporitv ; but it is very artificial mid unreal, and conccdi a 6tate of all'iire even ia tho niorifittiy «o;->artnicnf. ularmiag enough certainly. " Tlicbk remarks icapti'liuf* tho (jjewral slate of the nfl'airs of our neighbours "vo miko principally in ootiseoHiMiCß ol'tliM statements of Mr. Seymour, Democratic candidate (or Governor of the Citato of New York; :■ [though we win scarcely read an American journal of any description that does not eorrol'orato ihe decorations of Mr. Seymour. At a convention that was lately held at Albany for tht» purpose of consolidating tho Democratic forces, he | fearlessly sets forth, as a man thoroughly acquainted Willi Ihft true state of afftira, the present alarming condition of tho country, winch lias benn brought, forward bv Kmiieal misrule. Ho save that raurdors and most atrocious robberies are rife in the land ; that, neither life nor property can lie considered eaft , , and ihut liurl«s4 conduct every where abounds. " He also shows thp.t financially lha affairs of the country mo in a sud condition ; that its credit in lower than that of any other country ill the civilized world ; not excepting even Turkey. That the enormous taxation which prevails hae caused American commerce to be almost entirely driven from the high seas. That through the unconstitutional treatment of the Southern States, and the B tidical determination to crush the people of that country, cotton, the former staple of the South, is not yet extensively cultivated thero ; and that consequently the cotton growing portions of the ISritish JEmpire of other nations are permanently deptiving them of that immense source of wea'th. " lie shows that public expemos have risen from fifty-eight millions in 18G0, to one hundred andiiftveioht millions, to which if the interest of tho public debt bo added causes it to mount up to §322,000,000 p?r annum ? To this enormous liability is to he added the numerous municipal and .Staters' debts and the interest thereon. " Mr. tioymour aleo laments Unit official plunder and corruption are most frightful; that bribery and extortion iind their way even to tho highest bodio:i ar.d State servants. He gives an example in tho caee of ardent spirits. The quantitj'iiiO.l is estimated at 100,000,000 gallons, tho income from which should be S;2G0,O0O,(JO0 ; but ho declares that not inoro than <:.50,000,000 reaches the collet's of this Government. Whet, ho now a*kp, becomes of the $150 000.000? Who are the plunderers who divide it among themselves ? " Nor i? 'his tho w orst —tho expanses of the nation aro in<ri;usin>v, and its profits t'nvn commerce etili rnpioly diminishing; whil-t Ih. f;et is admittol that a foreign war, or unothsr Ci.il couim'tior wo'.Ul plunge the country iuto almost irretrievable :ian.

" Such statements, which before the convention | were mado with a great deal of apparent precision h and accuracy by a gentl.man who occupies a prominent position \s society, who is a distinguished politician—'iind who was Governor of the State of New York during' tho war, eceui to defy critici>:n and contradiction. " Tlio civil win , has left i's awful effi>ets upon the lund. and ninny years of the wisest legislation nnd political moderation, will not efface tliem ; whilst such hatred, rashnc-s. unri rii'lo bravudo as now ehow themselvos aimingst their sliitiismeu mny cauf.3 to prisu f;rcn''ir mi-eiie.i iiii'l, at least Huiiiicial, troulres than Ihf --viir of Bi'C.jj:-ion. ' Xhe worst, counsels are offered for procuring preaovt relief from p-tssitig difllculties, such os Butler's universal v> pudiiition ; the complcto crushing of the Southorner?; th'j immediato elevation of uneducated nepross to all the advantages of educated white men; tho continuation of the Chinese wall eyetani cf higli protection ; tho impeachment of the President, and tho crushing of this power of tho Congrese by mi'itary iiitciference. If thess recommendations are followed out the worst consequences muss fallow. " Well it is for the United Stated that their territory is so largo; that they had wild lands upon which they could have their discharged soldiers, nnd their ambitious and'troublesomo citizens employed; otherwise the great Kepublic instead of being the admiration of the world, would even now be a butt for its derision and scorn." Prom the above'description of tho present condition of tho United Stales of America, it must be plain to the most simple comprehension that the daya of the Great and Glorious Kepublic are numbered—tho only thin!; that will i?ave the land from another terrible convulsion, is the strong hand of military tyranny —it aljne can save tho people from bloodshed and murder, or give the least security to property. Bow are the mighty fallen—Drmocracy—a government bused upon tho unrestrained will of sinful man without any constitutional checks, has since the world begaa. invariably exhibited similar changes. It was unparalleled and undeserved prosperity that blinded the people, rendered them thankless and proud—hence their full. Doubtless the Great Kepublic is still powerful for evil — v ut for all tho elements of civilization and mornl progression it must be at att mdstill. Not long since when in hoydsy of prosperity they usod to declare tho whole unbounded continent of America wae theirs, and that the ptogrt'ss of Kopnblicnn institutions would spread a glorious light tho whole land, and initke it for progress and civilization the admiration of tho world. Alas what n change ! Such toriible changes as have hero occurred, should serve us examples to warn the British colonies scattered throughout tho w irld. Canada feels tho accursed influence of JJeraomitieinstitutions, and tho grunt and good among the people aro trying all they can by moans of Federal union of tho frovinei. , ?, to reanin th> llritish Constitution—imtend of iC-spon-siblo Government—which, in opposition to the le»,-.Hy expressed will of tho Upper Canadian people, in Parliinnent assemble:!—wad forced upon thorn by the Democratic influence in Kniriand. It was accomplished, nnd a'torwarde held up by the wretched Gibbon Wiikefii-ld, U3ii model for the Constitution of Neiv Zealand, the evil fruits of which even in our day, we have a plentiful demonstration in misrule and peculation of tlio public funds ; bu when this country shall become mote fully settled, we shall not be able to avoid calamities and rhanaes similar to those which now troublo the United Stiitts. It has been said that our present Coiistitu io.i is a BniUard Democracy; i« hue not even thi! conservative checks of the institutions of the Republic 7.he President thero has some real puwer for arood; bus cur Governor, lo'» him be I ever so gool a n an, is only Kiiii/ Ltttj : he i< reeponsibltt to the profit', mu*t do their will, or they cm stop tho supplies, drive him from his position, or hirujily malto him n tool for their own nolUvioiiß purposes. Tlio motto of Krriponeiblw (Jc.ve.rnment, and j ifopublic.'Ui institutions are alike—" To the- victor belonys tin' npoi!s,"—\t i* simply a means for men to {•rt rich without labor, upon tlio fruits of onies utid the tuxes of tho p;.-'ple. -iow long will tho people of this country suffer this dreadful state of things to progress without a choc!>, or praying for tho only I true remedy— a return to tho constitutional monarchy of our fathers. It; nlone will save us, and would permit u* to hope that tho Rrilons of the Scufh may, in a few yours, take up the ninjiie wand of progress and civilization which lus heretofore mirked t'io course I of Lhe f,th.Tiand.

Kew Xeiili'.nders, beware ! An nppoitunity will eoon bo prfeentod to you on tho arrival of tho Dufee of Edinburgh. Gall a mugs mneting, and wlion you havo congratulated him on his arrival in tho country and havo expressed your dovoifd loyalty to hie mother, pray him to explain to Her 3£»jesty thnt we feel nprsrievod by beinj; deprived of the Constitution of our forefathers ; thut in treason we havo had Responsible Government foisted upon us instead of the glorious old Constitution (our birthright) which has eo long rcn-inred Britain the light and glory of tho world, and which a* British subjects we could onlv bo deprived of by wickedness and violenee.—l am, &c, S. J. Stratfoed. January 25, 1803.