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“ART. VII. — The Prospect of Reform in Europe. L’ Avenir. Par. M.J.L. de SISMONDI. Extrait de la Revue Encyclopédique. Paris. 1830,” The North American Review, vol. 33, no. 72 (July 1831), pp. 154–90; selection from p. 189.
[Edward Everett]
Edward Everett (1794–1865) was Professor of Greek Literature at Harvard University and one-time editor of the North American Review, to which he contributed 116 articles. Hume, in his short essay “Whether the British Government Inclines More to Absolute Monarchy, or to a Republic,” had written: “It is well known, that every government must come to a period, and that death is unavoidable to the political as well as to the animal body. But, as one kind of death may be preferable to another, it my be enquired, whether it be more desireable for the BRITISH constitution to terminate in a popular government, or in absolute monarchy?” Hume’s answer was that “Absolute monarchy … is the easiest death, the true Euthanasia of the BRITISH constitution.” In his assessment of Hume, Everett appears oblivious to the nature of the earlier reception of Hume’s essays in America. Authorship is attributed to Everett in William Cushing, Index to The North American Review (Cambridge, 1878), p. 128. On Everett see Daniel Walker Howe, “Edward Everett,” ANB, vol. 7, pp. 420–21. On The North American Review see Neal L. Edgar, A History and Bibliography of American Magazines, 1810–1820 (Metuchen, N.J., 1975), pp. 203–206; Frank Luther Mott, A History of American Magazines, Volume II: 1850–1865 (Cambridge, 1938), pp. 219–61.
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We have already remarked, that we see no intrinsic difficulty in the adoption by England and the other countries in Europe, of a Constitution like ours; and we believe it will take place; with what ease and tranquillity on the one hand, or violence on the other, must depend upon the resistance of the party opposed to change. If the liberal party, as a class, are to undertake the business of reform, with halters round their necks, they will of course go desperately to work; and if they triumph, the blood of their adversaries will flow. But if, as appears to be the intention of the privileged orders at present, they allow the measures of amelioration proposed, to take a parliamentary course, although we are far from believing the plan now in agitation will content the people of England for a long time, yet we see no reason why it should be productive of any convulsions, either while it lasts, or in the transition to still more popular institutions. One thing is certain, the feudal system is worn out, and with it all the institutions that rested on it; so that the form cannot much longer be kept up. The state of the world requires a simpler action of Government; and despotism or liberty is the alternative. Hume has paradoxically said, that the English monarchy would find its Euthanasia in despotism. Hume certainly was never claimed for the liberal party; but it is not easy to imagine what ideas he could have had of the objects of any Government, that enabled him to view the degeneracy of the English system into a despotism, as an Euthanasy. But if despotism is to be its Euthanasia, we believe republicanism will be its resurrection. If it must dies an absolute Government, it will revive a popular one.