Some of the Difficulties in the Administration of a Free Government: A Discourse Pronounced Before the Rhode Island Alpha of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, July 8, 1851 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Some of the Difficulties in the Administration of a Free Government: A Discourse Pronounced Before the Rhode Island Alpha of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, July 8, 1851

Whatever may be the form of a gover, nment its ad ministration must be reflected mainly from the char people who are the subjects of it. Hence it is quite as important that the public mind should be rightly informed up on great general principles, as that there should be the right sort of rulers to apply them. In popular systems, especially - such as our own, for in stancebthere are problems of a disturbing influence constantly arising from the very freedom upon which such systems are founded; and the free discussion of which in a popular form, is indispensable to their prop er appreciation by the masses. Such discussion is par ticularly well for a people, who, in high success, are so engaged in the concrete, as to overlook, ordinarily the abstract of things and who by not habitually consulting principles must be liable to all the evils of a want of them. Such discussion is farther recommended by the fact, that a sound administration of a government, can never be assured by mere events. The right and the wrong of politics strike deeper than the surface of aflairs; and though great prosperity may stand up, from day to day, in commendation of a system of adminis trative policy, there may be hostile influences working underneath, which may upheave all that is worth hav ing, in the foundation on which all rests.

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